Elaborate Step 4.2: Make the changes

Suggested Subject Area: Environmental Education/Literacy

Purpose
To provide students with opportunities to:

• Take a responsible part in action for change in their school, thus giving them a small experience of influencing the future
  
• Make links between their understandings and their experience in the world at school
  
• Make choices and develop the belief that they can make a difference.
  

Preparation
You will need:

• Lots of class ideas for suitable sustainability actions or projects.
  

Procedure
Set goals and take action in class teams. Students might:

• Increase the area of the school grounds that are planted with local native vegetation and local native habitat 
  
• Protect indigenous vegetation from removal 
  
• Build contours to harvest water in heavy rains
  
• Plan for an additional carbon forest, an increase in habitat for animals or corridor planting 
  
• Offset carbon by undertaking tree planting activities 
  
• Encourage the broader community to shift towards more sustainable gardening practices and processes 
  
• Plant a food garden
  
• Switch things off and reduce energy consumption
  
• Promote awareness of sustainable energy use among the school community 
  
• Encourage cycling and walking to the school population as forms of transport to school
  
• Place additional bins around the school
  
• Start a recycling programme
  
• Start a composting programme
  
• Start a  worm farm
  
• Suggest rubbish free lunch days
  

Define the roles of each team. Students then vie for their preferred positions based on the skills they believe they possess. Once ideas have been decided on teams begin the task of organising their projects.

Discussion
Explore the wide range of ways to inform others about what you are doing. Create posters, pamphlets or books to help others understand what to possibly change, how to be change agents and change things at the school.

Follow up
Hold a class meeting in front of parents, friends and the Principal where students demonstrate their understandings of how to be a more sustainable school, adapt to a changing climate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to a changing climate.

Brainstorm how you can make others in the school community aware of your researched proposal, idea, design or campaign while receiving feedback on the school community’s level of awareness of sustainability, adaptation ideas and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

You could:

• Speak to other classes about your research and share your proposal, idea, design or campaign
  
• Create a YouTube video and associated blog
  
• Mount a display inviting others’ viewpoints and ideas
  
• Use the school newsletter to communicate ideas.
  

Assessment Note
Student writing or drawing samples in their posters, pamphlets or books to help others understand what to possibly change, how to be change agents and change things at the school may provide information about student learning.

Next - STage 5: Evaluate