After learning about the negative effects of vehicle idling, students monitor traffic at their school to determine if idling is an important local issue. Students analyze their data and assuming idling is an issue, document their findings through movie shorts or a photography project in an effort to educate the school community and help bring about behavioural change. Once projects are ready to go, students organize a showing of their work and later try to determine the effectiveness of their message on their audience.
The resource also provides an activity allowing students to connect their learning to the SDGs and apply the knowledge they gained throughout this action toolkit to think critically about them. Through interactive activities and hands-on projects, teachers can help students understand the importance of the SDGs and how they can make a difference. By introducing students to the SDGs, they can better understand how their actions can help create a more sustainable world.
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The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Good | Their mission to save the planet is clearly stated on the website. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Very Good | Reasons for idling outside of schools are weighed along with consequences. The reason invites students to explore ways to educate friends and family about the environmental and social issues of idling. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Very Good | There is intentional reflection on systems. The resource promotes dialogue and exploration of health issues through a problem-solving approach and how idling affects everyone. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Very Good | The resource provides an authentic action experience as well as suggesting extension activities to extend the learning. Students are definitely active participants in their learning. Their efforts will have a positive impact on their school and their community. |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Good | Students construct a mindmap, identifying what they know about idling. Students are provided opportunities to discuss and reflect. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Good | The direct and indirect impacts that idling has on our health. Leaving a car running emits harmful toxins which should not be inhaled (especially by children whose lungs are still developing). |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Good | The resource activities empowers students to feel that they can change the behaviour of their family and community to positively affect their environment. The emissions caused by idling pollute the air all land animals breathe. As the students learn how to minimize their idling, this directly helps the life on the land by keeping the air clean to breathe. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Very Good | Students will be conducting an idling survey at their school in order to determine if it is a significant problem. Students will create a video or photo exhibit to change the idling behavious at their school. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Good | Present and future frame of reference. |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Good | The mindmap actvity, survey, data analysis, video creation provide students with opportunities to explore more than one right answer. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Very Good | Subject lines are blurred. |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Good | |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | Lessons have kinesthetic, verbal and aural aspects. Modifications and adaptations are not provided. A reasonable level of computer proficiency is assumed. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Very Good | Students conduct an idling survey at their school in order to determine if it is a significant problem. Students will come either before school begins or at the end of the school day to collect data regarding the volume of cars that arrive at the school during drop-off/pick-up periods, how many cars idle, and how long they idle. Students develop their own survey tool. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | For some of the activities students work in pairs or groups of three or four. |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Very Good | Reflective questions and assessment suggestions are provided. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Very Good | Students plan and implement an event to build awareness about idling. They learn how to start a conversation with friends and family about social and environmental issues. |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Satisfactory | |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Good | While frameworks are teacher provided, content is of the student's choosing. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |