Teaching Global Sustainability in the Primary Grades

K-4 Curriculum Guide

Elementary

Description

This four-lesson, ESD resource has been designed to provide primary educators with a unique, age-appropriate curriculum that addresses core concepts related to sustainability. 

Map of Myself: Identity and Culture

Students will:

  • explore personal and cultural identity.
  • introduce themselves using nonverbal gestures.
  • listen to and discuss the stories, My Map Book and Fish is Fish.
  • create a "map" of individual identity and culture.
  • listen to songs about culture and identity.

Connections All Around:  Me, My Food and My Environment

Students will:

  • identify connections, cause and effect and surprising results in their food, lives and nature.
  • participate in a field trip to a dairy farm or vegetable garden or watch a video about farming.
  • identify connections in nature by listening and singing folk songs.
  • create food webs
  • listen to popular picture books and reflect on the connections created within the story.

Woods, Water and Wild Things:  Biodiversity in the Forest-Stream Habitat

Students will:

  • question their connections to the land.
  • listen to and sing songs about the land that they live in.
  • investigate different ecosystems and how different plants and animals rely on one another.
  • role play different ecosystems which they represent.
  • sing songs and listen to stories related to the issues being addressed.

Systems:  Problems and Fixes

Students will:

  • sing and listen to songs.
  • listen to children's stories and discuss themes.
  • play a stuffed animal toss game.
  • try to identify classroom objects while blindfolded.
  • discuss ways to solve problems.

More

General Assessment

Themes Addressed

Relevant Curriculum Units