EEO311

Learners Living in their world Humanities

SCOPE & SEQUENCE UNIT PLANNING
Duration: 10 weeks
STUDENT NAMES: Jack Benedict

Weekly Focus: Sustainability

Topic: Looking after the places we live in

Year Level: Foundation

Key Concepts/Values
Responsibility
Community Ownership
Introspection
Building connections with the world around you
Big Idea: Students will be learning about the concept of personal and
social responsibility, as well as sustainability, concerning the
environment that they live in and interact with.

Teaching proposal

The goals of this unit include ensuring that the students understand responsibility they have to take care of the environment for themselves and for
others. Through proper education concerning the care of the local environment, it will allow the students to make informed decisions concerning their
conduct and behaviour in relation to environmental care and responsibility, according to Ramsey (citied in Skelly & Campbell Bradley 2007, p.103). By
connecting students to environment, studies have shown that the knowledge developed leads to a care of nature and active citizenship in taking care of
it (Lloyd & Gray 2014, p.1). Another goal of this unit would be to not only demonstrate a sustainable way to interact with the environment but how to
ensure that it will still be able to be used in the future. By intervening in the students education early on, it will lay a foundation to develop responsible
citizenship in terms of environmental sustainability and ownership (Lloyd & Gray 2014, p.1). Furthermore, by engaging students in environmental
education earlier on, students have been shown to possess a high level of displayed responsibility for the environment that they interact with (Skelly &
Campbell Bradley 2007, p.102). Both of these goals will work towards the Big Idea that was mentioned earlier.
It is imperative to get students to learn about sustainability and the goals stated because it is an important topic that affects all of them and without
proper education, students will learn less about those topics. By capitalising on the prevalence of the students engagement, teachers have been shown
to enhance the learning of their students, promote experiential learning and teach environmental education in such a way that their students are able
to sustain an interest and sense of ownership in their surroundings (Skelly & Campbell Bradley 2007, p.98). One of the main reasons for teaching
sustainability is to develops the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable
patterns of living these skills, values and views will be necessary for the future of the students and the Earth itself (Cutter-Mackenzie & Hoepper, p.
402). Furthermore, their overall disposition to the environment improves with the integration of effective environmental study programs. Louv (cited in
Lloyd & Gray 2014, p.1) states that basing education in nature and the environment will help students understand that school isn't a polite form of
incarceration, but a portal to the wider world. And it is through this portal that the ideas of environmental responsibility and citizenship will arise.
Environmental education is important for other reasons as well. The environment that students need to take care of provides them with benefits that go

beyond its physical properties and into emotional and social support. By interacting with nature, there has been a link that it can improve student well
being more than with disassociation with the environment (Grinde & Patil 2009, p.2338). Students go through different stages in life and ideas are
formed during each one. These lessons may just provide the students to adopt active environmental sustainability morals (Lloyd & Gray 2014, p.1)

Understandings:

Key Skills

At the end of this unit, students will understand that:

At the conclusion of this unit students will be able to:
1. In order to enjoy their environment, students must not be passive in
Work effectively in groups
their attitudes towards sustainable living
Recognise how their actions affect the world around them
2. The environment is fragile and there are many factors that can
Identify the required qualities that make their efforts sustainable
disturb it and put it out of balance
Recognise harmful actions that are detrimental to the preservation of
3. Through research, students will have a greater understanding of the
their local area
impact that humans have on the world
4. Groups or communities will only continue to work if everyone
cooperates
5.To be sustainable is to be able to continue living on earth without a
negative effect
6. The school they are a part of only works and sustains itself if
everyone in it does their part

Australian Curriculum areas covered in this inquiry unit related to Humanities

Discipline

History

Geography

Humanities

Knowledge & Understanding

Code

Who the people in their family are, describe

where they were born and raised and how
they are related to each other and how their
stories are communicated and shared

Reasons why some places are special and
some places are important to people and
how they can be looked after

(VCHHK058)

Students explore how and why natural

factors (for example, changes in the
weather) and human activities (for example,
the closing of a park) affect their lives.

(VCGGK069)

Skills

Code

Identify examples of continuity and change in (VCHHC056)

family life and in the local area by comparing
past and present


Identify and describe the features of places
(VCGGC057)
at a local scale and how they change,
recognising that people describe the features
of places differently

Able to recognize when things around them
affect the world and how they change.

Civics &
Citizenship

They begin to develop a sense of belonging

to the school community. They are
introduced to the idea of the classroom
being a community and they learn about
respect and concern for others and being
fair.

Able to work effectively with others to solve

problems.

CROSS CURRICULUM PRIORITIES

Indigenous

Asia

Sustainability

Organising ideas
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities maintain a special
connection to and responsibility for
Country/Place throughout all of
Australia.

Interrelationships between humans and
the diverse environments in Asia shape
the region and have global implications.

Sustainable futures result from actions
designed to preserve and/or restore the
quality and uniqueness of environments.

Code
OI.2

Organising ideas

Code

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

have unique belief systems and are
spiritually connected to the land, sea, sky
and waterways.

OI.3

OI.2

The peoples and countries of Asia have

contributed and continue to contribute to
world history and human endeavor.

OI.3

OI.9

World- views are formed by experiences

at personal, local, national and global
levels, and are linked to individual and
community actions for sustainability.

OI.5

GENERAL CAPABILITIES
Literacy

Numeracy

Compose texts

Compose spoken, written, visual and

multimodal learning area texts

Use language to interact with others

Understand learning area vocabulary

Basic addition skills
Ability to read and write numbers 110

Personal and social

capability

Appreciate diverse perspectives

Develop reflective practice

Ethical
understanding

Knowing the right and wrong thing to do in

different situations
Able to identify good and bad behavior

 (ICT) capability

Critical and creative

thinking

Basic typing skills
basic ability to search for information
using the internet

Pose questions

Identify and clarify information and ideas

Organise and process information

Consider alternatives

Apply logic and reasoning

Reflect on processes

Intercultural
understanding

Investigate culture and cultural identity

SCOPE & SEQUENCE UNIT PLAN

When

1

Understandings

Learning Experiences/Learning processes

Resources


1. In order to enjoy
Inform the students that they will be learning about the
their environment,
different ways they can take care of the places they care
students must not
about. First activity is testing prior knowledge of the students
be passive in their
concerning different topics like recycling, responsibilities, not
attitudes towards
littering and community work. After that, the teacher will ask
sustainable living
the students to think of what they help out with at home. This
4. Groups or
can be either his or her chores or something that they just
communities will
help their parents with. The teacher will then make a list that
only continue to
will be used in the following lesson for the students to identify
work if everyone
what they do to keep their own homes liveable (lbrowne
cooperates

2013). It will also act as a form of diagnostic assessment, in

that it will allow the teacher to assess their progress

AC links/
codes
(ACSIS014)
Respond to
questions
about
familiar
objects and
events

(ACHGS006)
Reflect on
their
learning to
suggest

ways that
they can
look after a
familiar
place

(ACHGK002)
The places
people live
in and
belong to,
their familiar
features and
why they are
important to
people

(Department of Education and Training 2013a).

Following activity will be an extension of the first lesson. The
teacher will ask what the students could do to help their
parents further than what they already do. Students should
suggest their ideas and have them written on the board. There
should then be a discussion on what students may do that
makes their house messy and what they can do about it. The
questions should get the students thinking about their chores
from the previous lesson and reasons for doing them that
concern more than their pocket money.

2,3

2. The environment
is fragile and there
are many factors
that can disturb it
and put it out of
balance
3. Through
research, students
will have a greater
understanding of
the impact that
humans have on
the world
4. Groups or
communities will
only continue to
work if everyone
cooperates
5.To be sustainable
is to be able to
continue living on

In the first lesson using the Dr. Seuss book The Lorax. Read
the book to the students stopping on the pages where the
Lorax explains that he has to send some of the animals away
and ask the students why it happened, to get them thinking
about the negative effects of what is happening to the
environment. Also ask them what do they think will happen if
this type of activity keeps on going? Ask the students if they
have seen or heard of any of the things going on in the book in
real life? Link the ideas of the book to the real world. Talk
about how these actions would not be sustainable and just like
in the book animals, trees and people would disappear.
Quickly read through The Lorax again to refresh the students
on the story and ask the what was the main problem in the
book? to get them thinking about sustainability again. At the
end of the book as the students to list all the issues that
happened because all the truffala tress were cut down. Explain
the worksheet that the students will be completing. It will be a
fill in the blanks work sheet not involving too much writing.
After they have finished the sheet and it has been corrected

(ACHGK004)
The reasons
why some
places are
special to
people, and
how they
can be
looked after

(ACHGS006)
Reflect on
their
learning to
suggest
ways that
they can
look after a
familiar
place

earth without a
negative effect

4,5

1. In order to enjoy
their environment,
students must not
be passive in their
attitudes towards
sustainable living
2. The environment
is fragile and there
are many factors
that can disturb it
and put it out of
balance
3. Through
research, students
will have a greater
understanding of

the students may colour it in.

Students will write and draw their own page for the Lorax but
it has to be a new idea not one already in the book. Explore
different ideas of what is sustainable and what is not. Looking
at what kind of things and behaviours help or hurt the
environment as well as a community. Once students have
written down their idea the teacher will correct it and the
students will then have to write a good copy and once they
have completed that they are able to draw their new scene
with their problem or solution about sustainability.
The last lesson on the Lorax will start with the teacher asking
the students what was the main ideas of the book, i.e. what
was the issue and how did it affect the world around it. Once
the class has had a discussion about the book the lesson will
end with the Lorax movie, the movie is another way to engage
the students with the concept of sustainability and at the same
time keep them engaged and immersed in what they are
doing. Either at the end of the movie if there is time or during
the movie pause it at each problem that occurs to emphasise
its meaning and importance to the story.
The first lesson following the work on the Lorax will be about
recycling, as it is a very broad subject that some students may
already be aware of. The lesson will have the teacher inquiring
as to whether anyone can share his or her knowledge on the
subject. Following this, the teacher should explain what
recycling is and why it matters. The teacher will go over the
different ways that people can recycle with paper at the school
or giving back used clothes. The lesson should then focus on
bins that are present at the school and at their homes. This
way, the teacher can introduce the various symbols and
requirements of recycling and garbage disposal.
The following lesson will get the teacher to organise some
student-friendly materials to be sorted by the students. The
teacher will repeat the previous lessons overview on recycling
and rubbish and ensure that they know what the

(ACSSU003)
Objects are
made of
materials
that have
observable
properties

(ACHHS017)
Pose
questions
about the
past using
sources
provided

the impact that

humans have on
the world
5.To be sustainable
is to be able to
continue living on
earth without a
negative effect
6. The school they
are a part of only
works and sustains
itself if everyone in
it does their part

6,7

2. The environment
is fragile and there
are many factors
that can disturb it
and put it out of
balance
3. Through
research, students
will have a greater

classifications stand for. There will be three areas for the

materials, which will be Rubbish, Recycling and Other. Once
they have finished, go through each pile with the class and
have them explain their decisions (Science Kids 2015). This
activity should have the students in groups and each group is
responsible for a category.
The following lesson that week will have a greater focus on the
recycling process and what they can do more actively, instead
of passive recycling. The teacher will have the required
materials to make paper but have the students try and do as
much as they can on their own. Using the recipe from Kinder
Art (DAmico 2014), get the students to form their own
recycled paper. It will be messy, so in the art room would be
best. Once the paper has been put together, they will be dry
until the following class. Link with environment by talking
about non- recycled paper.
This lesson will get the students using their now dried paper.
Briefly go over the materials used to create the product and
compare it with the finished product as an example of
effective recycling. Now that it has dried, the students will
write their name on it and decorate their paper with a drawing
of themselves in a place they want to protect. Emphasise the
importance of care, as the paper will be fragile. These will be
displayed either around the classroom or in a class book that
the teacher will help make. Get the students to reflect on why
it is important to recycle paper.
This lesson will begin with the teacher explaining about the
positive effects that the community and council can have on
the local area. Use the local park or lake that is close to the
school as the focus. The teacher should explain to the students
about the role of community service workers and park rangers,
as well informing the students that a park ranger will be
coming to the class to tell them about what he or she does.
They will then prepare questions with the teacher for the
visitor from the Parks Victoria to come and talk to them about

(ACHGK002)
The places
people live
in and
belong to,
their familiar
features and
why they are
important to

understanding of
the impact that
humans have on
the world
4. Groups or
communities will
only continue to
work if everyone
cooperates
5.To be sustainable
is to be able to
continue living on
earth without a
negative effect

what they can do to help.

The Park ranger will come in to talk to the students (Parks
Victoria 2015). There will be some things that he or she will
want to talk about and then the teacher can lead the students
in asking questions are relevant to the topic and can be used in
the following lessons. Telling students about what they do,
why they do it and whom they work for could help spark an
interest in helping the community. Once the ranger is finished,
have the students present a poster or give a class thank you.
Teacher will take the students to the local park to explore and
look around. Students will be looking at the environment and
how it is kept clean, as well as what might be hurting it.
Students will be allowed to play around for part of the trip but
maybe take pictures and let the students help out. Once the
class returns to school, there should be a chat about what the
students saw and enjoyed, then talk about how they can keep
it that way using information that they have learned during
the term or from the ranger.
Using their trip to the park or lake as a reference, the teacher
should ask the students about their attitudes towards keeping
places around them clean and intact as a result of everything
that they have learned. This will act as formative assessment
and reveal how effective the unit has been so far and if any of
the students are missing key pieces of knowledge that will be
relevant to the project that they will be working on
(Department of Education and Training 2013b).

people

(ACHGK004)
The reasons
why some
places are
special to
people, and
how they
can be
looked after

(ACHGS001)
Make
observations
about
familiar
places and
pose
questions
about them

(ACHGS002)
Record
geographical
data and
information
collected by
observation

(ACHGS006)
Reflect on
their
learning to
suggest
ways that
they can
look after a

8,9,10

1. They can make a

difference
2. Something to do
with community
3. They will
appreciate things
more
4. Groups or
communities will
only continue to
work if everyone
cooperates
5.To be sustainable
is to be able to
continue living on
earth without a
negative effect
6. The school they
are a part of only
works and sustains
itself if everyone in
it does their part

The first lesson of this 3-week block will be about introducing

the poster that the students will be working on relating to
sustainability in an area of the local community. An example of
the poster will be shown to the class to give them an idea
about what they will be working towards. The teacher will
then lead a discussion on places in the local community, issues
that could arise in the local community area and also how to
sustain the local community. Explain to the students that their
poster will only be looking at one area in the local community
i.e. beach, park, shopping centre etc.

Start the lesson by recapping the ideas of sustainability and

what areas in the local community need help to be
maintained. Show them an example of the type of poster that
they will be completing to jog their memories. Explain that
they will be completing this poster in pairs, proceed to pair up
students and get them to discuss and have a think about what
area of the local community they would like to work on for
their poster, list some ideas of placed up on the board. Once
students have had a thin about what area they would like to
do, as a whole class research each area and bring up some
pictures and information relating to sustainability on each one.
At the start of this lesson, show the students the poster as an
example of what they will be trying to complete. Then talk
about the topic again to make sure that the ideas that they are
looking for remain locked in their heads. Explain to the
students that they will be looking for pictures relating to their
chosen area. The students will be researching their chosen
community areas by using newspapers, magazines and print
outs from the Internet that the teacher has provided (this will
be because researching the information themselves would be
too difficult and time consuming).
This lesson will be another chance for students to collect more
information about their chosen community area based on the

familiar
place
(ACHGS006)
Reflect on
their
learning to
suggest
ways that
they can
look after a
familiar
place

(ACHHS019)
Identify and
compare
features of
objects from
the past and
present

(ACHHK004)
How the
stories of
families and
the past can
be
communicat
ed, for
example
through
photographs
, artefacts,
books, oral
histories,
digital
media, and
museums

ideas of sustainability. They will also be drafting and trying to

complete good copies of a few sentences relating to their area
and how that area is sustained, these will be included on their
poster to give some information not just pictures. The
students may require assistance when it comes to writing the
sentences and also to see if the pictures they have chosen are
relevant to the topic at hand. If they are ahead the students
can start designing their posters and picking places to stick
their pictures and sentences.
This lesson is all about students starting their actually poster in
terms of deciding where to stick things, how they will design
their posters and what colours to use. This lesson is not to
information heavy it is more based on getting the students to
work as a team in terms of being cooperative and agreeing on
how the poster should and will be presented. This is in sense a
team-building lesson, which has a focus on sustainability,
which in itself will help students cooperate more easily as well
as sustaining those teams so that they can produce the best
product that they can.
The last lesson for the poster activity will be a combination of
a finishing off lesson and a presentation lesson, where the
students will show their poster to the class and explain what
area they looked at, how the area is sustained and also who
sustains that area. This is also a chance for the teacher to go
around and see how the students are going and what type of
work they are producing and if they need any assistance or
change of ideas. Once all students have completed the lesson
they will take it in turns one group at a time to present their
work and answer 1 or 2 questions from the rest of the class.
Once all groups have presented refresh the topic of
sustainability and how important it is do be mindful of the
environment and community around you.

(ACHGK004)
The reasons
why some
places are
special to
people, and
how they
can be
looked after

Bibliography:

Cutter-Mackenzie, A & Hoepper, B 2014, Teaching for sustainability in R. Gilbert and B. Hoepper (eds.), Teaching humanities and social
sciences: history, geography, economics and citizenship, 5th edn, Cengage Learning Australia, South Melbourne

DAmico, E 2014, Making Paper, Kinder Art, retrieved 17 September 2015, <http://www.kinderart.com/recycle/makepaper.shtml>.
Department of Education and Training 2013a, Diagnostic Assessment, Victorian Department of Education and Training, retrieved 18 September
2015, < http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/participation/pages/reengagediagnostic.aspx>.
Department of Education and Training 2013b, Assessment for Learning, Victorian Department of Education and Training, retrieved 18
September 2015, < http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/Pages/module3.aspx >.
Grinde, B & Patil, G 2009, 'Biophilia: does visual contact with nature impact on health and well-being?', International Journal Of Environmental
Research And Public Health, vol. 6, no. 9, pp. 2332-2343
Lbrowne 2013, 12 things to do around the home, TES, retrieved 17 September 2015, <https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/12-things-to-doaround-the-home-6218002>.
Lloyd, A & Gray, T 2014, 'Place-based outdoor learning and environmental sustainability within Australian Primary School', Journal of
Sustainability Education, p. 1.
Parks Victoria 2015, Ranger Talks, Victoria State Government, retrieved 17 September 2015, <http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/learn/teachers/rangertalks>.
Science Kids 2015, Recycling Activities, Science Kids, retrieved 17 September 2015,
<http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/lessonplans/earth/recycling.html>.
Skelly, S & Campbell Bradley, J 2007, 'The Growing Phenomenon of School Gardens: Measuring Their Variation and Their Affect on Students'
Sense of Responsibility and Attitudes Toward Science and the Environment', Applied Environmental Education & Communication, vol. 6, no. 1,
pp. 97-104.