We are all facing a climate and ecological emergency. It is the school pupils of today who will be the decision makers of tomorrow. Schools have a critical role in giving students the knowledge and skills to ensure we, and they, can make the radical shift to net zero carbon within 30 years. The recent Sustainability First Art and Writing prize showed how the climate crisis can be addressed and debated in a broad variety of ways, providing thought-provoking and creative visions for the future. The challenge is huge but it is also a tremendously exciting time for educators.
That’s why we have produced a pilot series of pre-recorded workshops for pupils on sustainability and climate action that are linked to the curriculum. These range from lessons and tasks on art, science, geography, literacy, social justice and citizenship. We launched these in primary schools in May 2021 as part of the Great Science Share for Schools climate emergency programme. We are continuing the work with Secondary Schools this Autumn.
We believe pupils’ curiosity and imagination should drive these workshops, so they can develop creative visions for a sustainable future. We also want them to think about what they can do in their own lives and through collective action for systems change. Each pre-recorded workshop involves presentations, a creative activity led by an artist and a written activity. The pre-recorded nature of the workshops offers flexibility to parents and educators. We also provide guidance on how to support pupils to participate.
Please find all our resources at: https://www.sustainabilityfirst.org.uk/sustainable-futures-schools-outreach
Our workshop resources for primary schools cover:
Let’s Get Wise About Waste
The workshop explores waste, including what it is, why we produce it and how to avoid it. For simplicity, it focuses on material waste. The writing and creative activities, including making shadow figure marionettes with waste cardboard, inspire pupils to rethink waste and to see materials in a more circular, rather than linear, way, to reduce consumption, and encourage reuse and recycling.
Our Changing World: Climate Action for Pupils
This workshop focuses on the climate crisis and its consequences. It explores the existing connections we have with our planet through art and writing, to encourage care for the environment and action against the climate emergency.
The Wonders of Water
In this workshop, pupils explore the necessity of healthy and sustainable water systems. Through creativity activities and videos, from a marine biologist and artist, pupils develop skills to communicate the impact of unsustainable behaviours on wildlife as well as how to take action to save water and ensure healthy rivers and oceans.
At Secondary School level we are running workshops on energy and climate leadership, including with an artist who raises issues about the quality of the air we breathe and helps pupils develop their own sound art. Hope for the Future presents a workshop on finding the most effective way of writing to and engaging with your local MP. A journalist-led workshop raises the issue of fake news and how to get pupils to be more critical about the media.
Our workshop resources for secondary schools cover:
Climate Leadership: Helping our Hurting Planet
An introductory workshop discusses the causes of the climate and ecological emergency and how we can take action individually and collectively. Artist Sarah Strachan encourages pupils to think about the quality of the air they breathe both at home and outside, and the causes of air pollution. Pupils are set the task of recording the sound of their breath to produce a collaborative soundscape using free software. Hope for the Future supports pupils in finding the most effective way of writing to and engaging with your local MP.
Energy: Sparking Conversations
This workshop considers the critical role of energy in reducing carbon emissions, with a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Journalist Marcus Smith raises the issue of fake news and how to think critically about the media and the motive behind fake news. He develops two exercises for pupils to do: one on true versus false statements and another exercise looking at how an energy related news story was covered by the BBC compared to other media outlets. Pupils are asked to spot any similarities or inconsistencies in this story and ask why this might be the case.
The Sustainability First Art & Writing Prizes 2021 on the theme ‘Together for a Fair Climate Future’, was a testimony to the many creative and inspiring ways to respond to and learn from the climate crisis. From photos depicting the perils of rising tides and over-tourism in Venice, to fictive written accounts set in the future about climate refugees, the prizes showcased many visions that could be used by teachers in addressing our climate emergency.
We’re honoured to be collaborating with the Great Science Share for Schools to deliver this crucial work and are looking forward to exploring sustainability and climate action with yourself and your pupils/children.
Please find all our resources at: https://www.sustainabilityfirst.org.uk/sustainable-futures-schools-outreach