Gr.+9+-+Geography+-+Sustainability

Group members**: Cindy Chudyk and Jennifer Druce
 * (Usha's comments in blue)
 * Subject**: Geography
 * Grade**: nine
 * Destination**: Academic
 * Topic**: Sustainable Living Unit 3 Humans in the Environment
 * Key Learning**: I am capable of living a sustainable lifestyle
 * Critical Challenge**: (task) To what extent is my current lifestyle sustainable? Decide what decisions or lifestyle changes would increase your level of sustainability while still maintaning your quality of life? Am I able to make changes to live a more sustainable lifestyle?


 * Type of Challenge: Judge the better or best** (unit culminating task)
 * Criteria**: What is a sustainable lifestyle? - A thoughtful or sensitive use of resources to ensure a sustainable future. Sensitive/thoughtful means - Use resources wisely, but not at the environment's expense. Am I considering the needs of future generations?

Criteria for judgement - Students will use a graphic organizer to determine the sustainability of their lifestyle.

A sustainable lifestyle is one which has a limited ecological footprint in the areas of: food consumption, transportation, household water,and energy usage as well as product consumption.

Discuss synonyms for 'sustain': maintain, continue, keep going, withstand, preserve... Introduce the phrase: "Thinking and living today with tomorrow in mind" ( this is a way to explain the term 'sustainable').

!. Food Footprint - if you bring your lunch, do you bring it in recyclable containers (tupperware) - do you purchase your lunch at cafeteria/outside sources - if they purchase their lunch, do they recycle the wrappings/containers/forks - do you purchase items from the vending machines on a regular basis

2. Transportation - do I take the bus? - do I car pool with other students/parents (hockey/mall/movies)? - do I take a plane on a holiday (last year) - do you walk/ride your bike when weather permits 3. Housing A.Water Use -Do you shower or bathe? - Do you take a short shower (5 min) or a long shower (over 15 minutes) - Do you leave the tap running while washing hands/face/brushing teeth?

B.Energy Use

-Do you turn the lights out when you leave their room? - Do you leave the monitor on ? - Do you leave your TV/Music on?

4. Goods and Services - Do you purchase mostly new clothing or used clothing? - Have you purchased an electronic device (iPod/MP3/phone) in the last year? - How have you discarded your last electronic device?

What three criteria will students use to develop a more sustainable lifestyle? 1. Students have to select three criteria that they would like to make changes to? Their three lowest scores 2. They must set a goal for each criteria. 3. They must track their progress for one week. 4. They must evaluate whether they were able to make changes? Can they live more sustainably?

Habits of Mind? - self reflective? - critically minded?

Thinking Strategies? tools that the kids use to evaluate criteria - graphic organizer (wordperfect document) - tracking sheet (wordperfect document)

Critical Thinking Vocabulary

-reasoned judgement

Final Product Judge the better or best. Write a self reflective report or letter to the editor or newsletter