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SE1 Explore cultural perspectives on sustainability

Suggested time: 3-5 hours


Sustainability is a way of understanding and interacting with the world that enables society to "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" ( Our Common Future, United Nations , 1987). This representation of the paradigm of sustainability echoes the "seventh generation" philosophy of some First Nations, which suggests leaders consider the effects of their actions on their descendants through the seventh generation in the future.

The purpose of introducing students to sustainability by situating it within cultural contexts is to demonstrate that scientific understanding is situated within social, economic, and political perspectives.

Students should explore the ways in which various cultures define their relationships with the Earth and all of its inhabitants - living and non-living. From this initial context, students should continue to refine their personal paradigm of sustainability as they progress through the unit. The following learning objectives are intended to support student achievement of the foundational objective.

Learning Objectives

  1. Examine how various cultures view the relationships between living organisms and their ecosystems. Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment {3663:9875} (PSD, CD 9.3)
  2. Explain changes in the scientific worldview (paradigm shift) of sustainability and human's responsibility to protect ecosystems. (TL, CCT)
  3. Select and integrate information from various human, print and electronic sources (government publications, community resources, and personally collected data) with respect to sustainability and the environment. World Wildlife Fund {614:9053} (COM, NUM)
  4. Communicate questions, ideas, and intentions, and receive, interpret, understand, support, and respond to the ideas of others with respect to sustainability and the environment. (COM)
  5. Identify multiple perspectives that influence environment-related decisions or issues. (CCT, TL)
  6. Demonstrate how society's needs and functions, as well as the global economy, affect one's community. (CD 6.3)

Key Questions

  1. What is sustainability?
  2. What is your personal worldview of man's relationship with the environment?
  3. What similarities and differences exist among cultural perspectives of sustainability?
  4. How have some worldviews regarding man's relationship with the environment changed over the past few centuries?
  5. How do individual and group wants and needs influence the sustainability of our planet?

Key Concepts

Pre-Instructional Questions

  1. What is the students' understanding of sustainability?
  2. Are students aware of their own cultural understanding of their relationship with the natural world?
  3. Are the students aware of past views of humans' relationship with the natural world?
  4. Are the students aware that other cultures may have different understandings of humans' relationship with the natural world?

Suggested Teaching Strategies and Activities

  1. Students should research and share different cultural views regarding living organisms and their ecosystems. Students might begin by identifying their own understanding of their ecosystem and how they personally relate to nature. They might accomplish this by reflecting on what they and their family members value about nature. Students could discuss how these different viewpoints provide the basis for peoples' customs, thoughts, and behaviours and how these viewpoints change over time. Alternatively, students may choose to examine different cultural perspectives on an individual biotic or abiotic factor in the environment (e.g., wolves, rocks). Students should explore how personal values may influence one's choices and actions. (IL, PSD, CD 8.3)

  2. Students could identify specific examples in science, literature, or art that highlight changes in our understanding of the concepts of sustainability and biodiversity throughout the past century. Students could view photos of various historical events (e.g., clearcutting forests, Canadian seal hunt, Charles Darwin's voyage to the Galapagos Islands) or various Canadian songs (e.g., Bruce Cockburn "When a Tree Falls in the Forest", Joni Mitchell "Big Yellow Taxi", Chief Dan George "My Heart Soars"). Students should identify the personal, scientific, social, economic, and political perspectives that these events and interpretations suggest. Students could be encouraged to create a collection of similar examples throughout the unit.

  3. Students could calculate their ecological footprint using one of the many on-line ecological footprint calculators. Ecological Footprint Quiz {8656:8975} These tools demonstrate how lifestyle choices create a demand on our environment's resources. Note that a typical value for North American residents is an ecological footprint of 7 ha. If everyone on Earth had a similar lifestyle, it would take between 4 and 5 Earths to support the current population. Using such a tool highlights for students how the current lifestyle of most developed countries is not globally sustainable. Students could demonstrate their knowledge of the concept of ecological footprint and the differences in world demand on environmental resources through a poster, multi-media presentation, or other appropriate medium.

  4. Students could demonstrate their understanding of paradigm shifts and cultural perspectives by writing a story about an environmental issue from a cultural perspective or worldview different from their own. This could include analyzing an environmental issue from a different time. With this activity, students are able to explore the concept of diversity as it relates to their openness towards other cultures and lifestyles. (COM, PSD, CD 2.2)

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