What's the Big Idea
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Provided by: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation|Published on: May 2, 2024
Activity - Classroom
Scientist Reviewed
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This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- These activities encourage students to identify the big ideas of sustainability from a poster, think about them on a deeper level, and apply these ideas to their surroundings.
- Students will complete an indoor activity that involves categorizing things into the various ideas, an outdoor activity where they walk around their neighborhood or school to identify things, and a classroom discussion that reflects on the big ideas of sustainability.

Subjects: Social Studies, Biology
Authors: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The poster that's embedded in this resource encourages students to take an active role in making their communities more eco-friendly.
- These activities are interactive and include going outside.
Additional Prerequisites
- There is no link for the big idea picture cards or the slideshow, so the teacher must create these items.
- The outdoor activity requires groups of 4-6 students.
- It may be helpful if students already have a basic understanding of sustainability and why it's important.
Differentiation
- For some classes, a walk around campus may be more manageable than a neighborhood walk.
- These activities can accompany a brainstorming session where students consider how they can advocate for increased sustainability within their community.
- These activities can support a lesson on sustainable energy sources, why they're important, and how much they're being utilized around the world.
- These activities can enhance a classroom discussion on the obstacles that keep societies from becoming more sustainable, and how these obstacles can be overcome.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider

Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation
The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 with the mission to make Education for Sustainability (EfS) an integral part of every child's K-12 learning experience. CELF engages educators, students and community leaders through award-winning programs that are designed to succeed in a wide range of education settings, including multi-day Summer Institutes, school professional development workshops, custom curriculum and instruction consulting, green career speaker series, and outdoor learning experiences. CELF's programs aim to help cultivate a society of global citizens with deep understanding of the dynamic interdependencies among human systems nested within natural systems, and the critical role education plays in cultivating healthy, equitable communities in a changing climate.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →




