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Week 1: Introducing the SDGs

Activity 1: Watch the video
Welcome to week one of the Life Below Water programme. You can get started whenever you’re ready by watching this video exploring the UN Sustainable Development Goals with Craig and Silvia, which explores how the UN Sustainable Goals can be integrated into classroom practice.

Follow up by exploring more of Learning for Sustainability here:
Activity 2: Sustainability Compass
Sustainability-Compass-image-with-copyright.png
We’re now going to explore a tool called the Sustainability Compass. Start off by watching an introduction to the compass here, and then watch the video where climate scientist Nadia talks you through it.

Once you have familiarised yourself with the compass, have a practise of using it in your own school setting. Take a walk around your school grounds taking note of where things you see are connected to Nature, Economy, Society and Wellbeing. For example, the bins could be linked to nature, protecting animals from rubbish, the playground equipment could be to do with wellbeing, and if there is a bike rack this could be linked to economy through jobs to make the bikes. You will notice most things fit more than one point on the compass.

You can see our
example from around Dynamic Earth here. Give it a try yourself with the template and see what you come up with!
 
Click to access the Jamboard where you can add sticky notes with your thoughts on the activities covered here, or more generally on what your sustainability goals are as an educator.
You could also add your completed Sustainability Compass to this page.
Activity 3: Add to the discussion
Resources
Download the Sustainability Compass Toolkit
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Other Resources:
Compass Education - lesson plans from other teachers and practitioners around the world
Future Focus - a resource pack made up of a set of really good short films exploring the SDGs that come with downloadable worksheets
SDG secondary pack - a set of 17 postcards each corresponding to one of the 17 goals
SDG primary pack - a set of 17 postcards each correspondent to one of the 17 goals
Stride - a Global Citizenship magazine for teachers
Scotdec Courses - Learning for the SDGs and Issue to Action blended learning course
Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations
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