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EYFS Activities - Education for Sustainability: Great minds

Continuing her series on introducing the themes of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to children, Dr Diane Boyd looks at industry, innovation and infrastructure

This goal aims to support future entrepreneurs and researchers and recognise their contribution to the economy. In 2019, fewer than one in five people used the internet in the least-developed countries.

A key attribute of education for sustainability is creativity and divergent thinking (European Commission 2014), and early childhood is a foundation for developing such mindsets. The Characteristics of Effective Learning (DfE 2021) stress the need for practitioners to promote active learning through investigation, but crucially for children to ‘develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things’.

The Reggio Emilia and the Mosaic approach both advocate the use of multimodal ways of learning. The use of music, dance and movement using different materials and technology provides opportunities with voice, text, image, sound affects and animations. This goal highlights the need for such practices, allowing the children to decide how to express themselves.

This resonates with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which argues for children to be decision-makers.

YOU CAN

  • To introduce innovation, undertake a research project with the children that comes from their interests.
  • Researching is all about helping children to find out; for example, it might be about growth and what living things need.
  • Check out this example of a research project from the USA looking at babies and growth and using the book Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats: https://bit.ly/3xpf0LJ.
  • Try to get families involved in your research project – what can they contribute or investigate at home?
  • Go for a walk and collect natural materials to create with, such as a bug hotel.

Learning links

EYFS (2021) EAD ‘The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials.’

Extension activities

  • Link to industry and SDG 8 (NW, August 2021). Bring in a selection of different brands of nappy – test and see which one holds the most liquid.
  • Introduce the idea of sustainability through cloth nappies. Why are they better?
  • Support the children to design and manufacture (rather than use the word ‘make’) toys.
  • Start to help children understand that economy is made up of different suppliers, manufacturers and quality. You could look at the labels of different brands of toys.
  • Get the children to record the process of manufacturing in a ‘thinking pad’.
  • Perhaps children could design their own labels using technology.
  • Look at catalogues and talk about advertising – what makes a good advert?
  • Ensure you always use the correct terminology in all experiments and trials of manufacture.
  • Encourage children to use computers or tablets to research their ideas and share what they find with their families.
  • Help them to make their learning visible, using A3 art pads.

Learning links

Early Learning Goals (2021) Creating with Materials ‘Children at the expected level of development will: Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools, and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form, and function; Share their creations, explaining the process they have used.’

Extension activities

  • Children need to become aware of the infrastructure in their locality (place-based learning, SDG 4), so take a walk.
  • What local businesses are there? What do they make or sell?
  • Do an audit of lorries or signs.
  • Compare high streets or businesses in cities with those in farming areas.

Learning links

Early Learning Goals (2021): People, Culture and Communities ‘Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and map […]Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on […] stories, non-fiction texts and […] maps.’

Diane Boyd is a senior lecturer, early years, at Liverpool John Moores University, d.j.boyd@ljmu.ac.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION

This series explores meaningful and practical ways to introduce young children to UNESCO’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). See also ‘All about…Early Childhood Education for Sustainability’ by Dr Diane Boyd, www.nurseryworld.co.uk