Values
Inquiry method: learners explore how water is managed in their area, and exchange with one another in the form of “expert-groups”.
3 or 6 groups search in (scientific) literature, in the press, making interviews and fieldtrips, they define (one sub-topic per group or for two groups):
- A the natural context (water basin, pluviometry, carrying capacity, …)
- B the way the resource is managed (implicated stakeholders, governance type and ownership, costs, usages, legislation and regulations in case of scarcity, …)
- C the connotation given to the resource (based on activities depending on it, accessibility and distribution patterns, economical and non-economical values and scientific knowledge related to water, …)
The groups mix (groups of 3 or 6 with 1 or 2 person per sub-topic – a,b,c)) and present their work to each other. Discuss:
- A whether the water is managed in a sustainable way, who benefits from the existing regulations and governance type, and who is excluded if any.
- B one possible way of tending towards more sustainability if needed, taking into account the governance type and the legislation, values and power issues amongst stakeholders and the carrying capacity of the resource.
- C what their own values and perspective is on this issue.
The groups present their conclusions to the whole group and discuss the similarities and differences in their judgement. The whole group then has to decide whether the water is managed in a sustainable way or not, and what could be done towards a more sustainable way of managing the resource if necessary, summarising what compromises they would have to make as individuals with a specific set of values.
See also p. 146 of UNESCO’s guide 2017 “Textbooks for SD – a guide to embedding”.
Students research female engagement in environmental/sustainability NGOs (role and power relations)
Ask students to explore the gender dimension of each role identified.
Split students into groups of 3 or 4. Ask each group of students to draw a large outline or silhouette of a person. Ask them to think about what qualities and characteristics an educated person might have. Students should write these in the silhouette of the person.
Next ask them to draw a big circle around the silhouette of the person to represent the world. Students should now discuss what the qualities and characteristics of a world full of educated people would be and write these down.
Students can also add pictures and symbols to their drawing. Ask groups of students to share their ideas.
With students in pairs, ask them to think about the opportunities that could open up as a result of getting quality education. Ask them to come up with a list of five opportunities to share with the class.
Students discuss different responses to bullying e.g. intervene, just look, leave, report the incident to the school manager. The responses are classified in a table and they are discussed to see what values and beliefs underpin each behaviour and how these behaviours can have a positive or negative impact on students’ life and the school’s wellbeing.
Commitment can be facilitated by a personal experience that comes from personal care of each slice of the topic. An example of this. creating, testing, or working on your own project or your own campaign, which is related to a group that is important to the student eg. country, age group.
Game-example: Planet Nomads
Planet Nomads is a singleplayer sci-fi sandbox game of survival on alien planets through block-style building. You are a lone astronaut scientist crash-landing on a strangely captivating planet. Keeping your wit together and securing your basic survival needs that include food, water and building material is the best start towards figuring out a way out of this messy situation.
Planet Nomads delivers a unique gaming experience by combining building, survival and exploration together to make you feel like a true survivor.
Surviving on an inhabited planet is no easy task, but with careful planning, caution and a healthy amount of curiosity, you can do it. As long as you overcome poisonous plants and curious beasts, avoid being slashed to pieces, frozen to death, eaten alive, starved and generally ended.
Features of the game:
- completely mineable voxel terrain
- physics-ruled block-based building
- actual wheel physics for vehicles, rails, traps and gadgets
- three types of wheels
- hover physics
- multiple biomes based on temperature and humidity
- Improved animal AI to catch you off guard
- climate-based creature diversity
- automated mining machines and production blocks
- mobile bases
- survival mechanics embedded to the game’s core design
- constant evolution based on community feedback.
Students research in small groups on how education is funded in different countries in the world.
Students share findings and choose a country where education is poorly accessed and then research a way to support a project that is trying to increase participation.
(See Inman ao, Holding on to our values, London South Bank Un. 2012)
- Suggested duration: 25 mins
- Technique used: Simulation
- Materials required: Handout (see below)
- Aim of activity: To encourage students to think about their values
- Underpinning components: UC 3.3
- Connection with other competences: Values; Decisiveness
Short description
Individuals read the handout and decide on a charity. They are paired with someone who chose a different charity and have to agree on ONE charity between them. They then join another pair who chose a different charity to them and try to agree on ONE charity to support.
In plenary discuss whether this was easy or not. What made it difficult?
We are driven by our values – sometimes even positive values conflict with each other.
Handout used in UK setting: Considering Your Values
Your school has a reputation for making small donations to a variety of good causes so when an elderly neighbour of the school passed away, she left a donation of £4,000 to the school with the condition that half should go to the school and half should go to a charity in order to make an impact.
The headteacher is aware that to make an impact, this sum should be paid to one charity.
All staff and pupils were invited to suggest their favourite ‘good cause’ and a number of suggestions were made.
The Head finds it impossible to choose from the top four preferred charities so you have been asked to make a decision because you have no personal connection with any of the listed charities.
The Head’s only guidance is that the school should be “seen in a good light among parents and the public” for making this donation.
Your task is to choose one charity from the list below and then rank the others in order of priority. Explain why the other charities were not selected.
- The local animal rescue centre – their urgent need for more animal housing has been highlighted in the paper recently.
- Oxfam – towards their recent, high profile appeal following a massive earthquake in Malawi.
- The local hospice – caring for terminally ill patients with a reputation for its special care of cancer patients.
- The NSPCC – for a specific campaign to help with the assessment, support and monitoring of children returning home from a period in care.
- Suggested duration: 15 mins
- Technique used: Group discussion
- Materials required: Representation of different values
- Aim of activity: To encourage students to consider how values can underpin/influence a system/approach
- Underpinning components: UC 10.2a; UC 10.2b; UC 10.3
- Connection with other competences: Transdiciplinarity; Empathy
Short description
- Group activity: Reflect on the power flow as it currently exists in the education system and consider what values it seems to represent
- Group activity: Consider alternative power sharing approaches and discuss what values these would seem to represent.
- Plenary: Discuss Carl Rogers and Paolo Freire and their respective philosophies.
- Suggested duration: 15 mins
- Technique used: Reflection and group categorisation
- Materials required: Post it notes
- Aim of activity: To encourage students to reflect on times when power was shared and what this entails
- Underpinning components: UC 10.1; UC 10.2a; UC 10.2b; UC 10.3
- Connection with other competences: Responsibility
Short description
- Individually: Using post it notes, think of examples during your educational journey, as a learner or educator, of where you felt the power was shared more equitably
- Group activity: Share experiences and see if they can be grouped together in any way – do any have any characteristics in common?
- Plenary: Any observations? What did they perhaps have in common? Discuss the extent to which the evidence shows that effective power sharing is built on trust and positive relationships.
- Suggested duration: 15 mins
- Technique used: Group discussion
- Materials required: Flipchart paper and pens
- Aim of activity: To encourage students to think about flows and balance of power in systems
- Underpinning components: UC 10.1; UC 10.2a; UC 10.2b; UC 10.3
- Connection with other competences: Decisiveness; Responsibility; Empathy
Short description
- Stage 1: On your flipchart, construct a diagram that shows the flow of power between various stakeholders in education e.g. the education ministry, schools inspectors, governors, headteachers, teachers, pupils … (likely to be hierarchical)
- Share
- Stage 2: Reflecting on the balance of power, add to the diagram showing how the various stakeholders might feel about this e.g. frustrated, angry, voiceless, secure, fearful
- Share
- Stage 3: Consider the implications of this – what might it lead to? Show this on your diagram e.g. resistance, demotivation, rebellion
- Share
- Stage 4: Consider whether there any alternative approaches? e.g. power sharing. What might be the outcomes of the alternative?