Subject Reference: Education for Sustainability – Nga Kaupapa Taiao 3.1 Achievement Standard: 90828 Credits: 6
Evaluate a planned personal action that contributes toward a sustainable future
Student Instructions Sheet
By the end of this assignment you will be able to show that you can:
plan action that will contribute towards a sustainable future implement the plan of action
evaluate the effectiveness of the plan and action in relation to a sustainable future identify a personal response to the action
INSTRUCTIONS
Conditions: This assignment must be handed in by end Wk 2 in Term 4.
You may work individually or in groups of 2 or 3. Everyone must keep their own log book and do their own online journal. The final assignment must be written up individually and handed in.
TIME: In order to complete this assignment you will be allocated in-class time but you will be expected to complete much of it during homework time and in the holidays.
You are required to complete a learning journal of the research you have done leading up to the development of your action plan and while you are carrying it out. You will be given dates when it is expected you will conference with your teacher to discuss progress and the relationships you have established during the research and/or investigation you undertake for this assessment.
You will be expected to get your log book signed by Ms Arthur after you have written your plan, at the end of Term 3, and at start of Term 4. If you are working with an outside group or your family they must sign your log book at regular intervals as well.
You will be assessed on how well you:
formulate a logical plan of action to address an identified sustainability issue, based on evidence that you have gathered
decide on the criteria you will use to determine the effectiveness of your action plan ie critically evaluate your action plan.
implement your plan with modifications as required
critically evaluate your action(s) taken in relation to a sustainable future
Task 1: CHOOSING & DEFINING THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE Brainstorm a number of possible sustainability issues.
Choose and justify your choice using your personal values, your culture and/or interests.
Identify individuals or organizations that are involved with this issue
Investigate the issue using a variety of sources to collect evidence and/or data. You may need to make contact with, or work with an individual or organisation and If possible visit the environment which is involved with the sustainability issue you have chosen in order to gain an understanding so that you may write an action plan to redress some of the your findings.
Explain why this is an issue in relation to aspects of sustainability, (environmental, social, economic and cultural). These terms are defined below.
Discuss how your action will contribute towards a sustainable future (you may use SCEE or PIE).
POSSIBLE TOPIC CHOICES:
Preserving natural ecosystems Sustainable business practices Use of pesticides & herbicides in NZ Ecotourism
Housing for a sustainable future Dolphin conservation
The ‗carbon footprint‘ of our school The ‗carbon footprint‘ of my family Reduction of junk food in a local school
Maintaining our cultural heritage with the environment Use of Harakeke
Helping my family to become more eco-friendly Getting a vege garden going at my local church
If you think of one that is not listed check with your teacher first to get the okay!
Task 2: ACTION FOR SUSTAINABILITY
PLAN. Prepare an action plan to address the issue you have chosen. (Note suitable examples and templates for action planning can be found in Environmental Education Guidelines for New Zealand Schools , Enviroschools Kit, City Issues, Auckland Regional Council.)
In your action plan you will:
Explain logically and clearly your purpose. You could present this as goals or objectives.
Brainstorm a range of actions that could be taken and likely consequences.
Detail the evidence you have used to select the action you will implement (e.g. cost benefit analysis). Consider actions already being done by other interest groups or stakeholders before making your final decision on the action you will implement.
Write a detailed action plan, which should include a series of small actions within a suitable time frame. Outline who will carry out the actions and relate the action to your overall purpose.
Milestone 1; Your action plan needs to be approved by your teacher before it is implemented last day to be checked is Friday of Week 7 Term 3.
IMPLEMENTATION. Implement your plan. Keep a record of the activities you involved yourself in – this is to be written up in the learning journal and log and can be supplemented by photos, newspaper articles, video clips etc that illustrate your action(s). Describe any barriers or obstacles you faced and include any modifications to your action plan with the reasons why changes were made.
Milestone 2; Your teacher or suitable adult will sign your log book at regular intervals. Dates to show evidence of the start of implementation; End of Term 3.
Remember to keep a learning journal of your action process – enter your reflections daily.
Questions you may ask yourself are ‗What did I do this week? How did I feel about my progress?
What have I learned? What people did I meet with? What do I plan to do next? How has my thinking changed? How do I feel about what I am doing? How has the way others have reacted to me affected my thinking? How does all of this relate back to my stated sustainability goal?
How am I staying motivated to finish this action? How am I feeling about doing further actions?
Task 3; EVALUATION. This evaluation is in two parts. You are expected to complete both parts in full to gain merit or excellence.
Critically evaluate and justify the action taken in relation to the aspects of sustainability.
Identify and discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your action (both the plan and the effects of the action).
Establish the criteria you have used to make a judgment on the effectiveness of the action taken as well as the planning process that was undertaken for your action.
Justify decisions by making judgments, considering implications, projecting future impacts, evaluating options, comparing and contrasting, analysing or suggesting alternatives and next actions for personal and social responsibility
Include any evidence or feedback to back up your statements.
Explain why some actions didn‘t go as well as planned. Include recommendations for a sustainable future.
b) Describe your personal response to the action or initiative in terms of aspects of sustainability. Discuss whether it has changed your understanding, attitudes or behaviour in relation to this issue? This is where you can refer back to your Learning Journal to see if your ideas or thinking changed throughout the action and if so why.
Task 4: REPORT Communicate relevant information about the plan, action taken and evaluation.
You are to present your report in a written format. It may have side headings, and could include relevant pictures, graphs, tables, diagrams. You should have started writing your report over the October break.
Support your presentation with evidence which could be in the form of graphs, statistics, timelines, diaries, interview tapes and/or transcripts, artifacts, maps, visuals, OHTs, radio excerpts, photos, newspaper articles, video clips, music etc.)
Your report should include;
Action chosen and the reason relating to sustainability.
Detailed plan with evidence of implementation.
Evaluation and how the action will support a more sustainable future
From the Standard:
A sustainable future requires the development of ways of thinking and acting to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability includes, but is not limited to:
maintenance of biodiversity, ecological processes and life support systems an economy relative to its ecological life support system
a fair distribution of resources and opportunities
looking beyond direct consequences of activities to explore attitudes, values and moral issues that create particular views on the use of natural resources
personal and social responsibility.
A planned personal action requires the student to:
carry out research and/or a practical investigation to develop and inform a plan of action that will contribute to a sustainable future
implement their plan.
Comprehensive requires the student to use evidence that is sufficiently qualitative and/or quantitative to explain the development of the plan. It must include a detailed time-frame and several steps of action based on evidence.
Evaluate requires the student to:
apply aspects of sustainability to make a judgement on the effectiveness of the action based on evidence taken in relation to a sustainable future. Where data is collected there should be appropriate processing
use reflective practice throughout the planning to make a judgement on the plan in effecting the action
identify their own personal response to the action and discuss whether it has changed their attitudes or behaviours in relation to aspects of sustainability.
Critically evaluate means the student is required to discuss the plan and the action taken and establish criteria on which to make an informed judgement. Students will justify decisions by
making judgments, considering implications, projecting future impacts, evaluating options, comparing and contrasting, analysing
or suggesting alternatives and next actions for personal and social responsibility.
The personal action may be conducted as part of a small group or as an individual activity.
Evidence of individual work must be provided for all stages. This action may be a significant development of action (eg action has greater impact on sustainability) begun in previous years by the student or by another group/organisation. This is done in consultation with the teacher and involves the student in ongoing evaluation and reflective practice which should be written up in a logbook or milestone reports, with justification of changes to action.
Action towards a sustainable future incorporates the dimension of ‗Education for the Environment‘
as outlined in the Guidelines for Environmental Education in New Zealand Schools, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 1999, p.14, and acknowledges the reciprocal relationship of people with the environment. It reflects the notion of taking responsibility for our choices and decisions and in particular taking positive actions that contribute to a sustainable future. Action taken for a sustainable future could be preventative, mitigating or remedial.