Change for the Good of All – Sustainability and Climate Change

Key learning area: Studies of Society and Environment

Year level: Lower/Middle Secondary

Lesson duration: 150 minutes (3 lessons)

Unit topic: For the Good of All: Understanding the Common Good in Australian Democracy

Lesson Topic: Change for the Good of All – Sustainability and Climate Change

Overall aim

For students to investigate a significant civics and citizenship education issue, and apply their understanding of the ‘common good’ to the challenges of climate change and sustainability.

Curriculum Links

Links to the Australian Curriculum 

Student learning outcomes

Knowledge: Students investigate the problem of climate change and understand the relationship between the economy and sustainability, and individual lifestyle choices and the environment.

Skills: Students employ cooperative learning abilities; research the relationship between economies and the environment; synthesise information on climate change; analyse the relationship between their own lifestyles and the ideal of sustainability; understand causal relationships between phenomena and demonstrate their understanding of the ‘common good’ in developing solutions to the issue of climate change.

Values: Students will demonstrate empathy for others and respect for different perspectives. Students will also consider individual choice and its relationship to the public good.  

Resources:

1. Internet Access

2. Cause and Consequence Chart

3. Flow Chart

4. Plus, Minus Interesting Chart

5. KWHL Chart

6. SWOT Chart

Introduction

Students will examine the issues of climate change and sustainability through websites and online media reports. In particular, they will consider the issues of energy use (carbon emissions) and water consumption and draw conclusions for sustainability. They will be asked to calculate their own ecological footprint and provide insights into ways that individuals and communities can live in more environmentally sustainable ways before being asked to consider sustainability as a ‘common good’.

Introduction | Activity One | Activity Two | Activity Three | Activity Four | Resources

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