SECTION DESCRIPTION DURATION
Transition
• Say there are some creatures that have stood the test of time. Examples are:
» Bees have been around 100 million years,
» trees have existed for 370 million years,
» and horseshoe crabs lived on Earth for 450 million years!
• Say all of these living things have depended on other living things and other living things
have depended on them. In order to thrive over time, it makes sense that we will need to
contribute to the health of the physical and social systems we are part of.
• Ask what are the physical (things!) and social (relationships!) systems of support that we
depend on?
» Ex. Fresh air, clean water, healthy food, fertile soil, love, community, shelter,
transportation, etc.
• Ask what depends on us?
3 mins
Activity
• Say in order for us to thrive we must respect the interconnectedness of the world around
us. We are going to look at eight statements made by people on interconnectedness and
interpret them.
• Group students into small pairs to sort and interpret seven statements, passing out the
two-paged “Big Thoughts on Sustainability” handout.
• Ask students to read the quote, discuss together, and go around the room asking them to
share their interpretation with the class and how they categorized them.
• Discuss each as a class, asking how these themes tie together to create a big picture of
sustainability.
20 min
Evaluation
• Assign a quick write or journal prompt to students:
» “What do we need to consider on our own or as a community to move toward
sustainability?”
5 mins
Learners needing support:
Notes for next time:
Learners ready for extensions:
