Climate/Future Teaching & Learning Sequence

You have considered sustainability and how others have become active citizens for issues important to them.

 

You have considered the media and how communications about issues are managed. You have thought about how we know things and how it is up to us to be self-responsible towards taking action about our own living practices. In this module we reflect on these previous learnings and actions.  We explore how we are influenced and how we, in return, influence others.

 

Curriculum links:

The cross curriculum priority area of sustainability

Three key concepts of systems, world views and futures.

A. Explores the interdependent and dynamic nature of systems that support all life on Earth and our collective well-being.

B. Enables a diversity of world views on ecosystems, values and social justice to be discussed and recognised when determining individual and community actions for sustainability.

C. Is aimed at building capacities for thinking and acting in ways that are necessary to create a more sustainable future. The concept seeks to promote reflective thinking processes in young people and empower them to design action that will lead to more a more equitable and sustainable future.

2: The General Capabilities of:

• Personal and Social Capability

• Ethical Understandings

• Critical and Creative Thinking

 

Teaching and Learning Sequence

Adapt these activities and their order to suit your specific situation.

 

1: Quotes to consider.

A powerful (and well used) quote can be influential. Do you agree with this? Presented below are some powerful and well known quotes from some great and interesting people. Review these quotes with students and get them to give you their immediate responses.  And then their considered response after you have discussed each as a group.  This is how we get to see the results of others influence on our own ideas.

 

1. “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”― Leo Tolstoy

2. “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

3. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ― Margaret Mead

4. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela

5. “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” ―Albert Einstein

6. “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ― Rumi

7. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” ― Barack Obama

8. “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” ― George Bernard Shaw

9. “An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.” - Oscar Wilde
    

2: Putting our influence to work.

Now students have an opportunity to speak to those in formal decision-making roles and explore how they make decisions. Students can also explore the opportunities to influence decision-making processes.

 

Set up a panel of leaders.

 

Invite Principal, local MP, SRC representative, and a representative from a local NGO. The panel discussion topic is: How are decisions made in your area of responsibility? How do we influence decision-making, policies and practices at school, local and broader levels?

 

Invite each panellist to speak for 5 minutes on these topics. They need to provide examples.

 

Invite questions from the audience (students). You may wish to explore potential questions before this event. Those questions might include:

• What is the greatest influence on how you make decisions?

• What weight do you give to evidence? Where do you get your evidence from? How do you use evidence when you make decisions?

• What sources of evidence do you value the most?

• Your best/worst decision and why?

• Is there a policy or practice in your area of responsibility that you would like to change? Why? How would you go about it?

 

3: Mapping the Spheres of Influence.

Map the panellists on the Spheres of Influence diagram below.  Who do they influence and persuade?  How does this occur?(What do they do to persuade others? Are these tactics that you could employ if you wanted to influence others?  You could use the conversation starters from the previous module to then shape the conversation around to being persuasive. You will need to present data and evidence to support your claim.  This may include the findings from your own investigation into making personal change and logging the results/findings.

 

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Notes for Teachers

1. Read the relevant outcomes from the cross curriculum priority – sustainability and general capabilities.  Know what is being asked of your students through this learning engagement/opportunity.  How will you assess their achievement of the outcomes?

2. Make time to read the quotes and consider what you think of each one. Do you have favourites you would like to add?

3. What local issues are most relevant and will be of interest to your students? Consider who would be great on a panel of speakers for your group. You might not have to have them all come to the school - you could use an online conferencing tool like Zoom . This is a free tool for meetings under 45 minutes.

4. How will you invite them and what do you need to tell them in preparation? How can you prepare your student to make the most of this opportunity?

5. The purpose of this activity (and module) is to understand influence.  How will you support students to develop their influencing capabilities?