Geographical Association

'As teachers, we have a key role to educate pupils for the possible futures they face and to give them the skills to tackle the problems of today and tomorrow. Perhaps the most important challenge we face right now is to ensure that today's generation of young people are well-informed, have the necessary skills and are motivated to understand why and how they can live their lives in more sustainable ways.'

- Martin & Owens 2008

Sustainability matters. But the reasons that underpin the need for sustainable thinking and action can often appear daunting - to teachers as well as pupils. Our world is changing rapidly and we don't always understand how or why it matters to us. For example, stories about global warming and rapid climate change appear frequently in news items and young children's perception of what is happening can tend to focus on what is scary and uncertain.

Research has shown that even very young children pick up on news items and are worried about things they perceive as threatening their well-being. As teachers, we can empower learners with positive strategies to help them deal with difficult and controversial issues and provide an agenda of hope for the possible futures ahead. This is a key message for teaching and learning about, for and through sustainability.

Starting with what pupils know, think they know and want to know is always useful: how can we challenge misconceptions, give them positive strategies for real fears and build on their fresh ideas if we don't tap into what they are thinking?

Use images in the classroom to provoke discussion and find out what pupils know, think and are curious about. Put them up on the wall and provide sticky notes for questions. At the end of the day / week, read and discuss the questions raised.

The A Different View area of this website has some stunning images to download together with accompanying activity ideas.

How can we combat negative views? For example, when thinking about global warming some pupils might say things like: 'the ice caps are melting', 'polar bears haven't got anywhere to live', 'the world is being destroyed' and make other negative comments full of doom and gloom.

We can't offer magic solutions to the difficult issues that we face in our 21st century global society but we can enable pupils to be active enquirers and creative and critical thinkers. We can give them real opportunities to problem solve and apply thinking in real contexts. We can use a geographical lens to think about the world and make connections between actions in one place and impacts in another.

'...But if we give in to pessimism then we have already failed to solve the climate crisis... Unless we act as if we can sort this out you might as well just get a hat and some sun tan lotion and write a letter of apology to your grandchildren. The only way we can think of going forward is to try to make the best of a bad starting point.'

- Nicholas Stern speaking at the London School of Economics, 21 April 2009 

Of course sustainability doesn't just involve thinking about global warming. There is a whole raft of issues concerning the way we live our everyday lives and about the decisions we can take. Bringing sustainability into the classroom has important implications about what we teach and how we teach it.

Activity

Think of one way in which you already provide learners with positive strategies to deal with difficult situations and to empower them to make real decisions. What are the essential ingredients of a successful approach? Jot down some key ideas and approaches.

The Government would like every school to be sustainable by 2020. Sustainable Development involves thinking and learning in a different way and is compatible with the view of learners as active, informed, future citizens as described by QCA in their 'big picture'.

The Sustainable Schools agenda is an initiative from the DCSF who want every school to be a Sustainable School' by 2020. It is based on the core concern of care:

• Care for ourselves
• Care for others, intergenerational and intercultural
• Care for the environment

Use these three headings to brainstorm ideas about what pupils think this means in practice and develop into posters about 'care' that can be displayed around the school.

The letter 'C' is a useful reminder about the central components of Sustainable Schools, for not only is there this core notion of 'Care', but there are three important ways in which schools need to show how they are engaging with this - through campus, community and curriculum engagement.

Use this diagram with other colleagues to identify what you already do in these different areas- and where there might be 'gaps'.

Activity

Watch the DCSF's Sustainability Matters film and jot down some initial ideas about how you think geography can contribute to sustainable learning and practice. Use the National Curriculum to help prompt your thinking.

How do you think the film illustrates a view of learners as active, informed, future citizens?

Martin, F. & Owens, P. (2008) Caring for our world: a practical guide to ESD for ages 4-8. Sheffield: Geographical Association. Buy the book online from the GA shop

Weblinks

A Different View
Ashden Awards
Sustainable Schools
QCDA

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