How will sustainability education help me meet standards?
Sustainability education offers a way to meet multiple standards while linking them to issues that matter. Sustainability's "three legs" (social, economic, environmental) create an integrated context for exploring issues from multiple perspectives. A civics teacher, for example, can begin with a required topic (the economy) and then broaden the scope to include environmental and social aspects.
Selected National Standards Met Through Sustainability Education
Social Studies |
History |
- Historical narrative
- Analyzing and interpreting the past
- Judging decisions from the past
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Geography |
- People, places, cultures
- Human/environmental interaction
- Location, movement, and connections
- Physical systems
- Geographic application
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Civics |
- Purpose of government
- Democracy in action; civic involvement
- American government, politics, and world affairs
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Economics |
- Economic institutions, systems, structures, patterns
- Global economy, trade, and development
- Environmental and human impact of economic activity
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Science |
Inquiry |
- Identifying questions; construct scientific explanation
- Use of technology
- Use of models for analysis and investigation
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Physical Science |
- Conservation/transmission of energy
- Chemical interactions
- Forces and motion
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Life/Earth Science |
- Biodiversity, ecosystems, and human ecology
- Maintenance of equilibrium; cycles and systems
- Natural resources and regeneration
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Science and Technology |
- Models for solutions
- Appropriate technology
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Math |
Problem-solving/ Analytical thinking |
- Organize, interpret, and transform data into useful knowledge
- Problem-solving in significant contexts and applications.
- Following and judging the validity of logical arguments
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Algebra/
Functions
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- Represent situations that involve variable quantities with expressions, equations, etc.
- Model real-world phenomena with a variety of functions
- Use tables and graphs to interpret expressions and inequalities
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Language Arts
- Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace.
- Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts.
- Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
- Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
- Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
- Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
- Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information)
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