Since studying Sustainable development I now realise the importance of looking after our environment and how important it is to transfer that belief onto children, after all they are the future. We could start by looking at issues at home, at school and in the local area such as, pollution, recycling, energy usage etc. and how we can affect any changes that can be made, this is something I can do as an individual and as a parent but it is also a starting point for teachers and myself as a student teacher to use in the classroom. Children as well as adults should be made aware of how different factors such as, social economic and political forces affect our present lifestyles and our future. Though it is imperative we make changes for the better to our direct environment we should also be familiarised and connected to the rest of the world which is another important issue to be brought to the classroom. By making links both nationally and locally and by caring for the environment, we can begin to acknowledge the changes we all have to make in order to achieve a true Sustainability for our earth. (Symons, Agenda 21 and schools, 1998)
Task 2
The area of sustainability that I have used for my lesson plans (see appendix1-7) is; looking at our immediate environment (school) and how we can improve it, by focusing on litter, waste, vandalism and maintenance of area.
The level that these lesson plans are aimed at is Level D from the 5-14 National Guidelines. A strand from the knowledge and understanding –living things and the processes of life suggests children at level D should be able to ‘describe examples of human impact on the environment that have brought about beneficial changes’, and ‘explain how responses to changes in the environment might increase chances of survival’. The lesson sequence I have prepared looks at different ways in which we (children and adults) can improve or environment. The way in which this is to be done through these lessons is firstly to build on the prior knowledge that the children already have on the subject and then to build on their knowledge. Lessons 2-6 are based on practical experience, including investigation, fieldwork, use of ICT and collaborative learning, whilst allowing for continuous formative assessment of progress from the teacher without the need for a structured test. The final lesson, No7, is based on presentation of all results from the investigations and fieldwork carried out, this lesson will be used as a final way of assessing the knowledge and understanding and the skills that the children involved have developed through this topic. Developing Informed attitudes is also an area that the 5-14 guidelines highlights, however this area cannot be formally tested through the lessons I have planned, though I would hope that the pupils involved would engage in developing their informed attitudes. I tried to incorporate a sense of ownership and a responsibility through the lessons and would hope to encourage in the pupils a commitment to learning, a respect and care for self and others and a social and environmental responsibility (5-14 National Guidelines). I believe that it is extremely important to develop informed attitudes with regards to sustainability because it is through attitudes that true sustainability can be achieved. (5-14 National Guidelines)
The overall approach that I used for my lesson plans was taking into consideration the Constructivist Methodology.
Lessons at a glance;
- Misconception Analysis (mind map).
- Exploration( looking at Newspaper article)
- Fieldwork and observations.
- ICT, compiling report.
- Art and Fieldwork
- ICT and fieldwork.
- Assessment- presentation
This series of lessons incorporates lots of research, and through research children can, test their ideas, develop more specific definitions for key words, be encouraged to generalise from one context to another through discussion, find ways to make imperceptible changes perceptible and use secondary resources.
The Harlem phases of research are;
Phase 1a- Exploration
Phase 1b- Pre-intervention elicitation
Phase 2a- Intervention
Phase 2b- Post-intervention elicitation.(Shaffer 2004)
Finally, through these lessons I would hope to, as a teacher, expand the children’s experiences of sustainability whilst motivating the children to want to learn and allowing them to have ownership of their own learning, although there will be plenty support given if required.
Task 3
The methodology employed for the sequence of lesson is the Social-Constructivist Method, namely Vygotsky’s theory. Vygotsky suggests that cognitive development is essentially a social process. For example, children’s social experience results in their higher intellectual functions, such as, reasoning, planning, understanding, remembering and so on.
Vygotsky demonstrated this by considering human development on three levels;
Cultural aspects- Children do not start learning from anew, they have accumulated wisdom of previous generations, by this I mean that, traditions, skills and objects have been handed down to children through generations.
Interpersonal aspects- Cognitive development occurs essentially as a result of the interactions and collaborations between the child and more knowledgeable and competent others. The term ‘zone of proximal development, is what Vygotsky describes as ‘the gap between what children already know and what they are capable of learning.
Individual aspects-unlike Piaget, Vygotsky doesn’t say much about this level, though he did suggest that children are equally applicable to joint problem solving no matter what their age is. He sees the child as very much a contributor to his or her own development. (Schaffer 2004)
The series of lesson plans I have made incorporates all of these aspects, firstly by doing a misconception analysis, the knowledge and experience of the learner can be developed further. Then their zone of proximal development has been taken into consideration through the body of lessons, using techniques such as, scaffolding and peer collaboration. Finally, the lessons are guided towards joint problem solving again using peer collaboration and scaffolding and also by allowing the children to reflect and make sense of their learning.
What is also evident throughout the lesson plan sequence is that great emphasis has been placed upon safety issues. When involving children in outdoor studies, specific care must be taken to ensure that every effort is made to certify that the area is free from hazards. Children should be effectively supervised when working outdoors and be made aware of the safety code which they should adhere to. For example, children should be aware of the dangers of slipping on wet surfaces, the need for protective clothing or clothing suitable for the climate. The area should have a risk assessment carried out on it every time it is being visited and the children should be familiar with any equipment they are using and know the appropriate way in which it should be used. (Hatfield, Herts, 2001)
Working outdoors, learning about the environment and using technology are all ways of encouraging children to enjoy, engage with and develop positive attitudes to not only their learning experience but to their lives.
Bibliography
Symons, G. Making it Happen, Agenda 21 and schools(1998), Repro Workshop, Surrey.
Sugar, H. Eco-Ventures age 4 to 9, (2002), Thomson, London.
Thomson, A. Discovering and Learning: An investigation into the development of social and environmental awareness in a primary school (1996), SCRE, Edinburgh.
Sterling, S. Sustainable Education, Revisioning learning and change (2001-2004), Green Books, Bristol
Eco-Schools, towards a sustainable lifestyle, Litter and Waste, (1996), Tidy Britain Group, University of Brighton.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Policies to Enhance Sustainable Development, (2001), OECD France.
Kasambira, K.P. Lesson Planning and Class Management (1993), Longman Group Limited, England.
Hatfield, Herts. Be Safe! : Health and safety in primary school science and technology, Association for Science Education, (2001),
Environmental Studies, Society, Science and Technology, 5-14 National Guidelines, Scottish Executive.
Schaffer, H.R. Introducing Child Psychology, (2004), Blackwell Publishing.
