Unit+Overview

====Students are introduced to the concept of sustainability and the task they will be completing over the next few weeks. The class is introduced to the class wiki. Set the scene for the students. They are members of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and you have been put in charge of a research project that will investigate the concept of sustainability. Pose question to the class, “What is sustainability and how can we achieve it?” Collaborate and complete a KWL chart (what the students know, what they want to know, and what they have learnt) as a whole class about sustainability and is located on the class wiki. Have students define and give an example of sustainability. Inform students that they will work in groups to answer this main question throughout the unit on a wiki. Explain a wiki to the class. They will also complete an individual blog that will answer questions relating to the learning journey that they take while completing this unit. Explain a blog to the class. Students will also have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss issues, share information, and express any opinions they have in their blog. Have students set up their own personal blog and answer the first set of questions for their first post. Divide students into small groups. In small groups, have students investigate the meaning of the word sustainability and what it means to have a sustainable world. Students then look at other students blogs, comment and discuss issues raised in the discussion. ====
 * __**Learning Sequence and Activities **__ || __**Links to Theories and Frameworks **__ || **__Technologies/ICT’s Implemented __** ||
 * ====Lesson 1: Explore the issues. ====

Individual blog questions:

 * 1) ====What does sustainability mean to you?====
 * 2) ====How can we make the world sustainable?====
 * 3) ====How does global sustainability affect me?==== || ====Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy (BRT): Remembering, understanding ====

Dimensions of Learning (DoL): 1, 2 & 5
|| ====KWL chart: Helps the class to identify what they know, what they need to know, and what they have learnt about a research topic. Will be uploaded to the wiki. ==== ====Wiki: An online space that allows for the collection of information where contributions can be made by anyone or permitted users, depending on the circumstances. Here, users collaborate to create a rich source of information. ==== ====Blog: A personal, online space where people can go to an share opinions, discuss issues, and share information. Visitors to the blog have the option to comment on the blog and share their own ideas and opinions. ==== || ====Introduce lesson by explaining that students will expand their knowledge about sustainability and list what they know. Students will look at a YouTube video that further explains global sustainability. In their small groups students will continue their investigation into sustainability. Have students revise how to work in groups, roles of people when working in groups (strengths, weaknesses, capabilities of group members). Remind students to be aware of different group’s members’ learning styles. Pose the question to students, “What strategies do businesses and governments implement to achieve sustainability?” Students will summarise and identify strategies used to achieve sustainability. Students will be guided to look at what strategies businesses and governments are implementing to create a sustainable economy and society. Task students with listing information about sustainability that they already know and discussing how they will group this information (graphic organiser). As group students will complete a concept map on bubbl.us about what students now know about global sustainability. Ask groups how they will access and work on the assignment? Suggest groups use a wiki to collaborate and complete the first assignment. Ensure students reference information if it requires referencing.====
 * ====Lesson 2: List “What do we know?”====

Individual blog questions:

 * 1) ====What is being done to promote sustainability?====
 * 2) ====What do you think about sustainability at this point in time?==== || ====BRT: Remembering, understanding ====

DoL: 1, 2 & 5
|| ====Bubbl.us: Is an online website that allows students to create concept maps and brainstorm ideas. It will assist students in identifying their prior knowledge and how it relates to the assignment task. Will be uploaded to the wiki. ==== ====YouTube: A social networking site where anyone can upload videos about anything and share it with the world. The video will help to define sustainability and give the students an idea why we need global sustainability. Will be uploaded to the wiki. ====

Blog: the blog will help students to reflect on the task at hand and what they need to learn in order to complete the task.
====Wiki: the wiki will also assist groups by letting them write down what they know. This will help the groups work out what they need to know to complete the assignment. ==== || ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Task groups with redefining/changing/breaking down the assignment questions into smaller, more concise questions that outline specific information that the groups need to research to answer the assignment question. This will make it easier to present the research to UNESCO at the end of the project. Students outline these new, concise questions and present them to the teacher for feedback. Have the students outline these questions in their wiki and have the teacher check and approve them before progressing. Students should start thinking about, identifying and rigorously analysing sustainability strategies. This means looking at what is being done and starting to explore what else needs to be done by individuals, communities, business and governments to achieve global sustainability. Students also begin researching possible alternative energy/fuel sources. Students should also look at what alternative energy sources are already being implemented in the world and what kinds of alternative energy are being developed. Groups will make a voki that briefly explains alternative energy in one minute. This voki will update UNESCO on your research into sustainability. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 3: Develop and write out the problem statement in your own words. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Individual blog questions:

 * 1) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How can we achieve sustainability? ====
 * 2) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are businesses doing to promote sustainability? ====
 * 3) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are governments doing to ensure sustainability? ====
 * 4) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What/who started raising public awareness of global sustainability? ==== || ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BRT: Applying, analysing ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DoL: 1, 3 & 5
|| ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wiki: the wiki will continue to assist groups in breaking down the assignment and identifying what needs to be done to complete the assignment. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blog: the blog will help the students to extend their knowledge of sustainability and reflect on the learning journey so far. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss and comment on ideas raised by other students. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Voki: a voki is a voice file that is played to an animated avatar that ‘speaks’ the recorded message. This will expand the groups technical skills and provide an engaging, personalised way to present a short, informative message about alternative energy. Will be uploaded to the wiki. ==== || ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Task students with brainstorming possible solutions to the assignment question. Encourage students to discuss the problem and and outline write down major ideas and perspectives from the discussion. Show students the relevance of the question. Where will they find this information? How will they find this information? How will you present your research to UNESCO? ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 4: List out Possible solutions ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Put questions on wiki and possible concept map ideas to use for brainstorming.
====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students should also look at what part climate change is playing in the journey to achieve sustainability. Students should research what climate change is and who first raised the issue of finding sustainability to gain more background about the subject. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Individual blog questions:

 * 1) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How does global warming relate to global sustainability? ====
 * 2) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Where is the proof about the need for sustainability (remember climate change)? ====
 * 3) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are the fields of sustainability? ==== || ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BRT: Analysing ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DoL: 1, 3 & 5
|| ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blog: Allow students to expand their knowledge and collaborate with other students about what they have discovered about climate change. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wiki: Assists students in communicating, collaborating and deciding what solutions are possible to the assignment question and what steps need to taken to achieve that goal. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bubbl.us: Will facilitate the organisation of thoughts that the students have while discussing possible solutions to the assignment question.
|| ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In this lesson students will form an opinion on what is the best strategy to achieve sustainability based on prior activities. Groups will begin to design a strategy to achieve sustainability and present in their report to UNESCO. The strategy must include ways to achieve a balance between the economy, society, and the environment and the best sources of alternative energy. Students will also form an opinion on climate change and its potential threat to the Earth. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students also need to analyse what concepts and values are involved with the information being sorted and analysed. Appropriate referencing is needed. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ask groups how will they achieve their goals for this assignment and develop a solution for the assignment question. Ask students what specific tasks they will need to complete, and in what sequence the tasks will be completed in to create an effective working sequence and achieve their goals. What members of the group will complete these tasks? Students will complete a SWOT analysis of their potential solutions to the assignment. Students will add this information and the SWOT analysis to the wiki. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 5: List actions to be taken with a timeline ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Individual blog questions:

 * 1) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How serious is the need for sustainability? ====
 * 2) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are the facts about the need for sustainability? ====
 * 3) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are the facts about climate change? ====
 * 4) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What concept/values are involved with this information? ==== || ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BRT: Applying, creating ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DoL: 1, 3, & 5
|| ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blog: The blog will continue to facilitate individual learning and discussion about information found on sustainability and climate change. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wiki: The wiki will outline the discussion, planning and thinking the group has taken to create a possible solution to answer the assignment question. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">SWOT analysis: A strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis allows group members to discuss strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats surrounding potential solutions to answering the assignment question. ==== || ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students should have finished initial and essential research by this stage of the learning journey. Students will start to write up a suggested script and report for suggested action for achieving sustainability by the end of this lesson. This report will be presented as a video, uploaded to YouTube and embedded into the wiki. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ask groups what else do they need to know? Provide websites, blogs, videos and pictures that may be helpful for students to look at and gain information from. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 6: List “What do we need to know?” ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ask students what credible sources of information are, how to identify them and how to reference them.
====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ask students how they will construct and organise the information they find and want to use. Where will it be shown online for all people to see? Will images, sound, video and text be included in the report to UNESCO? Put questions on the wiki for students to refer back to. Students will create a graphic organiser to collect and organise the information and multi-media they will include in their video. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Individual blog questions:

 * 1) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are the implications of your research into global sustainability? ====
 * 2) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What do you consider to be the best steps forward to achieving global sustainability? ==== || ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BRT: Creating ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DoL: 1, 4 & 5
|| ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blog: the blog will continue to provide a place of reflection and discussion about issues being covered in groups and class. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">YouTube video: The YouTube video will be the compilation of research, multi-media sources, and the group’s answer to the assignment question.
|| ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is where students will write up the evidence from their research and present a video detailing how to achieve global sustainability. Ask students how they will present the information. Will it be a news report style, an interview or a documentary? How will multi-media sources be used in their video? In this lesson students will create their YouTube video. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 7: Write up the solution and its supporting documentation and submit it. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Individual blog questions:

 * 1) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What steps need to be taken by the global community to apply your research to their everyday lives? ====
 * 2) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How will these steps improve the global standards of living and provide a better future for generations to come? ====
 * 3) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Are your solutions practical? ==== || ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BRT: Creating ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DoL: 1, 4 & 5
|| ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blog: the blog will continue to provide a place of reflection and discussion about issues being covered in groups and class. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">YouTube video: The YouTube video will be the compilation of research, multi-media sources, and the group’s answer to the assignment question.
|| ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students complete KWL to evaluate the assignment, individually, and present it to the teacher. The teacher will then upload a few to the wiki. Students can upload their KWL’s to their blogs. Students reflect on what they have learnt, browse other group’s reports and compare reports, solutions and evidence by visiting other student’s blogs and wiki’s. Individual blog questions ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 8: Review performance ====
 * 1) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How has your personal opinion on sustainability changed over the course of this assignment? ====
 * 2) ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Upload your KWL of this assignment to your blog. ==== || ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BRT: Evaluating ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DoL: 1, 4 & 5
|| ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blog: will provide a final place for reflection on the assignment and the assignment question. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">KWL: will serve to show the student how much they have learnt over this learning journey.
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