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Part of the VCAL Youth Eco-Challenge curriculum resource.
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Unit 1: Introduction to Sustainability
‘What do you think about the environment?’ activity guide
This project was funded by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
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Unit 1: Introduction to sustainability
‘What do you think about the environment?’ activity guide Estimated duration: 15 minutes
Aim • To develop an understanding of different attitudes toward the environment • To appreciate the importance of youth voice in helping to influence
government decision making.
Outcome By the end of this session, students will be able to:
• Describe some of the reasons that people care and/or don’t care about the environment
• Describe the interaction between government initiatives for change and environmental activism.
Resources Required • Whiteboard • Textas • DVD footage of speech by Severn Suzuki on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsDliXzyAY
Activity Description
1. Brainstorming activity.
All students to contribute one point as to either why people care or don’t care about the environment. This can be own personal point of view or views they know about, have read about or have heard about. Explain to students before starting that it is okay to have different points of view, but that put downs are not okay and what they say does not have to be what they personally agree with. Once an idea is put forward it does not need to be repeated, so they will need to come up with another point. Points will be recorded on the whiteboard in two sections: why people care and why they don’t care.
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2. DVD: Youth voice on Sustainability
Show short DVD footage of a student at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit talking about why we need to care for the environment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsDliXzyAY Questions to ask at end of DVD:
• What do you think about what Severn Suzuki had to say? • Do you think she was right in saying we are not doing enough? Explain.
3. Do governments lead or follow the people?
Lead a discussion on if governments lead or follow the people. Here is some ideas you could cover: Democratic governments enact the will of the majority of the people. If they don’t, then people don’t elect them. The government is always listening to what the polls are saying. What you say and do in support of your opinions, beliefs and values is important in a democracy. In this regard, governments follow the people. Environmental activists are people who organise themselves into groups to lobby the government for change in policy e.g. The Wilderness Society. Governments also have the responsibility to manage change in the community. In this regard they need to lead the people. Some changes relating to the environment are difficult to make because people have developed habits and lifestyles that they have become attached to. However, when significant numbers of people demonstrate that they are willing to change, the work of governments to enact legislation becomes much easier. For example, when people began to understand how precious water was and were prepared to use less, governments put public money into subsidising low flow shower heads. With so many people in favour of renewable energy, the government has been willing to subsidise the cost of solar panels.
4. The Youth Eco‐Challenge
The Youth Eco‐Challenge is all about finding out why we should be doing things to make a difference and then what you can do to make that difference. It also helps develop skills to communicate that to others. Ask students what they are currently doing to make change (if anything)? It’s okay if they are not. Hopefully this will help them to do their bit in the future.
Student Roles and Responsibilities Participate in agreed tasks Contribute to class discussions Work cooperatively with others Seek teacher assistance and support when needed
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Level of Teacher Support Facilitate discussion Organise materials and equipment Provide encouragement Provide assistance when requested.
Assessment To use this learning activity as an assessment task, collect evidence such as: Teacher checklist and observation
