Education for Sustainability in the Primary Curriculum: A Guide for Teachers


Book Description

Education for Sustainability is a top priority in the present international climate, where the media is dominated by environmental, social, political and economic concerns about current problems that will affect our future. As young children will become the next generation of adults, it is vital that they are educated about sustainability issues, so they can be critically aware of the problems our society faces and take positive action to help preserve their future in a rapidly changing world. While teachers are generally concerned about sustainability issues, perceived constraints of current curriculum priorities commonly inhibit Education for Sustainability from being developed in many classrooms. Education for Sustainability in the Primary Curriculum addresses this dilemma by showing how Education for Sustainability can be developed within and across all areas of the primary curriculum in Australian and New Zealand contexts. The book provides suitable approaches and examples of activities to support teachers so that they can address the State and National requirements for teaching all the primary curriculum learning areas, while also addressing Education for Sustainability to promote knowledge of, positive attitudes towards and suitable action for, sustainability in relevant, meaningful, enjoyable and creative ways. The approaches to education for sustainability in this book also support relevant state and national policies, such as the recently introduced Living Sustainably: the Australian Government's National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability (http://www.environment.gov.au/education/nap/), which provides national direction for achieving a sustainable society, and the New Zealand Government's Education for Sustainability (http://efs.tki.org.nz/), which advises schools directly. This book directly supports sustainability, and is a valuable resource for all primary teachers who wish to make a real difference to educating children for the future. A review of Education for Sustainability in the Primary Curriculum can be viewed here:







Educating for Sustainability in Primary Schools


Book Description

Education for Sustainability is a key priority in today’s schools, as our society seeks to find a balance between environmental, social, cultural, political and economic imperatives that affect our future. As young children will become the next generation of adults, it is vital that they are educated about sustainability issues, so that they can learn to make informed decisions and take positive action for a sustainable world. Teachers are ideally placed to educate for sustainability issues, and indeed have a responsibility to do so. However, they often lack support and experience in this area, and constraints of current curriculum priorities can inhibit Education for Sustainability being taught effectively in many classrooms. Educating for Sustainability in Primary Schools: Teaching for the Future addresses this problem by showing how Education for Sustainability can be developed within and across all areas of the primary curriculum in the Australian and New Zealand contexts. The book provides a range of educational approaches and examples of activities to support teachers in addressing national requirements for teaching the major primary curriculum learning areas, while simultaneously educating for sustainability. This integrative approach to primary education can promote knowledge of, positive attitudes towards and suitable action for sustainability in relevant, meaningful, enjoyable and creative ways. This book is a valuable resource for all primary teachers who wish to make a real difference to educating children for the future.




Sustainability Education


Book Description

Overall Winner, SAGT (Scottish Association of Geography Teachers) Awards 2022 Winner, Global Dimension Teachers' Choice Award 2023 Shortlisted, BERA Educational Research Book of the Year 2023 Highly Commended, GA (Geographical Association) Publisher's Awards 2023 Sustainability Education: A Classroom Guide provides an accessible, in-depth guide and critique of sustainability education for school and university students, teachers, curriculum makers and school governors working around the world with children aged 3- to 14-years old. Informed by research findings and learning theory, it provides a progressive framework for sustainability education spanning all subject areas and applicable in a wide range of settings. There are over 180 age-related teaching ideas on topics such as conservation, health, food, wildlife, climate change, social justice and sustainable living, as well as provocative questions designed to stimulate educational debate. Written by two highly experienced UK-based educators, it draws together specially commissioned contributions from Australia, Israel, Norway, South Africa, the UK and the USA. Key concepts and links to the UN Global Goals (SDGs), are highlighted throughout. A companion website offers an extensive toolkit of specially prepared PowerPoint presentations and details of over 100 lectures, reports, picture books, websites and classroom and INSET teaching resources.




Teaching Climate Change and Sustainability in the Primary Curriculum


Book Description

The first aim of the DfE′s 2022 Strategy for Sustainability and Climate Change is to prepare all young people for a world impacted by climate change through learning and practical experience. This practical text for new teachers empowers them to develop their knowledge and understanding of climate change and sustainability. It supports them to develop confidence in discussing difficult themes and to create safe learning spaces that allow children to articulate concerns. The book provides a structure for learning and teaching about climate change and sustainability across the primary curriculum. All chapters are linked to relevant and authentic research and include suggestions for practical activities.




Educating for Sustainability


Book Description

Educating for Sustainability presents fundamental principles, theoretical foundations, and practical suggestions for integrating education for sustainability into existing schoolwide systems and programs, organized in three sections: Principles of Education for Sustainability; Fostering a Sustainability Worldview; Learning and Thinking for Sustainability. Designed for teachers and teachers-to-be at all grade levels and across the content areas, the focus is on professional practices and pedagogical approaches rather than specific topics often associated with sustainability. Each chapter includes a number of supports to help readers monitor and improve their own professional practice and to deepen their own sustainability wordview, including textboxes in most chapters that provide more detailed or specialized information and a range of application exercises. All chapters include several "Consider This" activities and an "Extend Your Professional Knowledge" feature. Directly grounded in K-12 classroom practice, this book presents useful and realistic information for teachers looking to reorient their work toward sustainability and help their students develop new thinking and problem-solving abilities.




Educating Science Teachers for Sustainability


Book Description

This volume contains a unique compilation of research and reflections representing multiple vantage points stemming from different parts of the world that can help science educators and teacher educators in finding ways to meaningfully and purposefully embed sustainability into teaching and learning. It is a rich resource for exploring and contextualizing sustainability-oriented science education. At this time we find ourselves in a situation in which the earth’s ecological system is under significant strain as a result of human activity. In the developed world people are asking “How can we maintain our current standard of living?” while those in the developing world are asking “How can we increase the quality of our lives?” all while trying to do what is necessary to mitigate the environmental problems. This volume responds to these questions with a focus on educating for sustainability, including historical and philosophical analyses, and pedagogical and practical applications in the context of science teacher preparation. Included are many examples of ways to educate science teachers for sustainability from authors across the globe. This text argues that issues of sustainability are increasingly important to our natural world, built world, national and international economics and of course the political world. The ideas presented in the book provide examples for original, effective and necessary changes for envisioning educating science teachers for sustainability that will inform policy makers.




Issues in Teaching and Learning of Education for Sustainability


Book Description

In a fast-changing, globalising world, the teaching and implementation of a curriculum for Education for Sustainability (EfS) has been a challenge for many teachers. Issues in Teaching and Learning of Education for Sustainability highlights the issues and challenges educators and academics face in implementing EfS and gives examples of what an EfS curriculum may look like and how some institutions translate the theory into practice. Organised into three parts, the volume looks at: the who (EfS for whom), the what (EfS curriculum) and the how (translating from theory to practice). The concluding chapter provides ideas and directions on where the world can proceed regarding sustainability education and how it can help in the teaching and learning of sustainability. Considering social issues such as poverty, education, health, culture and the use of natural resources, this book proposes a different path towards Education for Sustainability. Providing concrete data on the realisation of sustainable development, Issues in Teaching and Learning of Education for Sustainability will be of interest to geographers, geography educators and professionals concerned with Education for Sustainability.




Teaching for Social Justice and Sustainable Development Across the Primary Curriculum


Book Description

This volume supports educators in integrating meaningful education for social justice and sustainability across a wide range of curricular subjects by drawing on educational theory, innovative pedagogical approaches and creative ideas for teaching and learning. Both practical and theoretical in its approach, it addresses subject areas ranging from mathematics to visual arts to language teaching. Chapters provide subject entry points for teachers seeking to embed social justice and sustainability principles and pedagogies into their work. Transferable across various areas of learning, a range of pedagogical approaches are exemplified, ranging from inquiry approaches to ethical dilemmas to critical relational pedagogies. Ready-to-use teaching exemplars, activities and resources address issues which are of interest and relevance to children’s lives, including gender stereotyping, racism, heterosexism, climate change and species extinction. Practical guidance is provided on how to engage children in dialogue and reflection on these complex issues in a safe and ethical way. This accessible and unique volume is essential reading for student teachers, teachers, educational leaders, teacher educators and anyone interested in inspiring children to work towards creating a more socially just and sustainable world.




A People's Curriculum for the Earth


Book Description

A People’s Curriculum for the Earth is a collection of articles, role plays, simulations, stories, poems, and graphics to help breathe life into teaching about the environmental crisis. The book features some of the best articles from Rethinking Schools magazine alongside classroom-friendly readings on climate change, energy, water, food, and pollution—as well as on people who are working to make things better. A People’s Curriculum for the Earth has the breadth and depth ofRethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World, one of the most popular books we’ve published. At a time when it’s becoming increasingly obvious that life on Earth is at risk, here is a resource that helps students see what’s wrong and imagine solutions. Praise for A People's Curriculum for the Earth "To really confront the climate crisis, we need to think differently, build differently, and teach differently. A People’s Curriculum for the Earth is an educator’s toolkit for our times." — Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate "This volume is a marvelous example of justice in ALL facets of our lives—civil, social, educational, economic, and yes, environmental. Bravo to the Rethinking Schools team for pulling this collection together and making us think more holistically about what we mean when we talk about justice." — Gloria Ladson-Billings, Kellner Family Chair in Urban Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison "Bigelow and Swinehart have created a critical resource for today’s young people about humanity’s responsibility for the Earth. This book can engender the shift in perspective so needed at this point on the clock of the universe." — Gregory Smith, Professor of Education, Lewis & Clark College, co-author with David Sobel of Place- and Community-based Education in Schools