Education Resources for Schools to Inspire a New Generation of Environmental Custodians
Context
Our world is changing, and escalating pressures, such as climate change, mass tourism and modern land management, mean that we continue to lose precious habitat and wildlife essential to both human health and wider balance in the natural world. At the same time, in this increasingly interconnected world, a paradox is emerging whereby young people are becoming more disconnected with nature. It is vital that we find ways to instil positive life-long attitudes of environmental stewardship and global citizenship. Encouragingly, increasing numbers of young people are already taking action in response to pressing environmental challenges. We need inspiring and thoughtful examples to inform this growing advocacy and to foster a shared understanding of complex global sustainability issues.
Bringing Environmental Learning Alive and Closer to Home
South Georgia’s unique human past and precious environment has a significant contribution to make to the Curriculum for Excellence, particularly at National 5 level, through related topics such as climate change, natural regions and tourism. We aim to create learning materials to support the UK Curriculum. Our ultimate goal is to help develop informed young citizens – to give them the confidence and inspiration to tackle complex environmental issues that impact South Georgia and the world.
A Targeted Approach: Materials for the UK Curriculum
We worked with teachers to develop the rich curriculum content. Alan Parkinson, President Elect of the Geographical Association and one of the UK’s first climate change teachers (accredited through the UN Climate Change Teacher Academy), prepared the geography materials and lesson plans about South Georgia for UK secondary schools. Primary teacher Dawn Clements worked with us on teaching packs for Key Stages 1 and 2.
There can be little doubt that South Georgia is a powerful global example of how humankind can move from exploitation of its resources on a monumental scale to long-term environmental stewardship and care. The development of these education materials will help us tell this important story among a new audience, inspiring a new generation of environmental ambassadors. These materials are also about the future. Through highly relevant case studies, pupils will understand more about complex global environmental issues and begin to see ways in which they can play their part in addressing these.
Thank you to the DC Thomson Charitable Trust and the William S. Phillips Trust for helping to fund the production of these educational materials.
UK Primary School Resources
How can the history of the whale in South Georgia teach us how to look after our planet in the future?
This is a project where children will be motivated and excited to learn about the wider world by looking at humankind’s impact on one specific place and the wildlife that lives there, and to think creatively about how to care for their planet in the future.
It has been designed to be taught as a project on its own or as a special project for a focus week about conservation and stewardship of our planet.
It covers many aspects of the National Curriculum through a series of key questions linked to the learning outcomes for KS1 (ages 5-7 years) & KS2 (ages 8 – 11 years) across the curriculum.
UK Secondary School Resources
This pack introduces students to the island of South Georgia; its past, present and future and its global significance.
It is particularly suited to teachers of students aged 14-16, but there are overlaps with other age groups, and some ideas for taking the pack further are provided. The enquiries have been designed to connect with the main priorities and research activities of the SGHT, and to cover the main outcomes of National 5 Social Sciences in Scotland, and key elements of the GCSE Geography and Science specifications in England & Wales.