Topic Overview

The topic of sustainability is one that is under-discussed yet strongly encouraged to teach in the social studies curriculum . With the new BC curriculum, there is almost too much autonomy given to the teacher when it comes to which topics get covered in the classroom. The greater emphasis on student inquiry has its benefits, but can sometimes mean many things - like sustainability and environmentalism - are at risk of being overlooked in the course of a semester. Teachers must intentionally choose to incorporate these topics in their course unit plans, in order for students to be given the opportunity to explore the issues and potential solutions around the current climate crisis. The way the curriculum is designed though, would allow for a unique learning experience for students should their teacher choose to focus on environmentalism and sustainability in the classroom. There is room for students to take their learning in many directions depending on the inquiry questions posed to them throughout the lesson.  

In an article titled “Climate Change Missing in Action in BC Curriculum, Teachers Say” published by The Tyee,  a handful of teachers from various backgrounds spoke up about their concern around the lack of mandate to discuss these issues in the classroom. This demonstrates the need for more awareness of the issue as it extends to other departments outside of just Social Studies. The science curriculum would seem like an obvious department to mandate issues around sustainability, as you could approach the issue from a biological or potentially chemical view. From the science department at a school in Burnaby BC, Katherine Lang was quoted saying ““I strongly believe there should be very explicit language in the Science 8-10 curriculum which covers this topic in greater depth … As local and global citizens, all students in British Columbia should be informed as to the scientific principles, supporting data, and overall ecological impacts of climate change.”” (Hyslop, 2018) One area where it may seem less expected for issues of climate change to be incorporated is in the languages department, and yet the article also quotes Patrick Parkes from the English and Japanese department from the same district as Lang. Parkes expresses that ““The school system has a role in helping students understand what climate change is, understanding how serious it is,”” (Hyslop, 2018) Parkes is also in agreeance with the rest of the teachers quoted in the article that the emphasis on teacher and student autonomy from the new curriculum is a large issue when considering the potential impact that school curriculum can have on informing students of their future reality. 

The following sources were chosen with these issues in mind. The hope is that these resources will be useful going forward when teaching on sustainability. Having a bank of useful, and diverse, sources will hopefully personally encourage me to not shy away from incorporating this topic into my unit plans when I’m preparing for any future Social Studies course.