Global Issues and Sustainability Curriculum

Buy, Use, Toss? is an interdisciplinary unit that includes ten fully-planned lessons. This unit is correlated with national science and social studies standards and will lead your students through an exploration of the system of producing and consuming goods that is called the materials economy. Students will learn about the five major steps of the materials economy; Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumption, and Disposal. They will also be asked to analyze the sustainability of these steps, determining how consumption can benefit people, economies, and environments. 

• Grades: 9-12
• Subjects: Science, Social Studies
• Two-Week Curriculum Unit: 105 pages

Engaging Students Through Global Issues is an activity-based lesson book that contains 40 inspiring lessons. These lesson plans are designed to help students understand complex global issues and sustainable solutions. Each lesson offers creative tools for students to take action in their local and global communities. 

• Grades: 5-12
• Subjects: Science, Social Studies
• Teacher Lesson Plan Book: 264 Pages

This is the ultimate resource for teaching about global issues and sustainability in our ever changing and complex world. It’s All Connected can be used as a stand-alone text for a global issues course or as a supplemental text for other classes, including social studies, science, environmental studies, mathematics, English language learners, and language arts. This 144-page book provides a thorough overview of global issues, as well as in-depth explorations of particular topics, debates, and solutions.

• Grades: 9-12, Undergraduate
• Subjects: Science, Social Studies
• Student Textbook: 144 pages

Real World Math promotes student engagement by providing real-world data on global issues with a focus on practical solutions. The student workbook and corresponding teacher’s guide concentrate on foundational algebra and geometry concepts. All lessons are aligned with National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards and Expectations. Topics range from climate change to financial literacy and build both mathematical knowledge and global perspective. Complementary datasets are also available to download for free. 

• Grades: 6-9
• Subject: Math
• Student Textbook: 75 pages

Real World Math promotes student engagement by providing real-world data on global issues with a focus on practical solutions. The student workbook and corresponding teacher’s guide concentrate on foundational algebra and geometry concepts. All lessons are aligned with National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards and Expectations. Topics range from climate change to financial literacy and build both mathematical knowledge and global perspective. Complementary datasets are also available to download for free. 

• Grades: 6-9
• Subject: Math
• Teacher's Guide: 148 pages

Understanding Sustainability: Two-Week Unit for Alaska Social Studies is a flexible two-week curriculum unit for Alaska science and social studies educators to teach sustainability issues. This unit features hands-on activities that explore sustainability concerns specific to Alaska ecosystems including marine debris, fishing practices, and oil drilling.

• Grades: 9-12
• Subjects: Alaska Social Studies
• Two-Week Curriculum Unit: 66 Pages (PDF download only)

Understanding Sustainability: Two-Week Unit for Social Studies, Grades 9-12 contains eight engaging and inspiring lessons that help students build the connections between economy, history, democracy, and sustainability. Each lesson in the two-week unit is aligned with National Council for the Social Studies curriculum standards for easy classroom integration. For every topic covered, students learn creative tools to contribute toward sustainable solutions in their local and global communities.

• Grades: 9-12
• Subjects: Social Studies
• Two-Week Curriculum Unit: 107 pages (PDF download only)

Understanding Sustainability: Two-Week Unit for Washington Social Studies contains 8 engaging and inspiring lessons that help students build the connections between economy, history, democracy and sustainability. Each lesson in the two-week unit is aligned with Washington State high school social studies GLEs. For every topic covered, students learn creative tools to contribute toward sustainable solutions in their local and global communities.

• Grades: 9-12
• Subjects: Washington Social Studies
• Two-Week Curriculum Unit: 102 Pages (PDF download only)

This series of five lessons is available in PDF and SMART Board format. This engaging unit leads your students through an exploration of the significance of Puget Sound and the impact humans have on this valuable resource. Students creatively use technology throughout the unit and the culminating lesson is an action project in which students create a digital public service announcement to educate others about the significance of the Sound and ways to address pollution. 

• Grades: 9-12
• Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Technology, Language Arts
• One-week curriculum unit: 50 pages