For students
Sustainability is a challenge confronting humans and the systems they have created. The breadth of this challenge spans the ways in which human beings produce and consume. A few of these issues include: energy, water, nutrients, materials, food, textiles, buildings, cities, media, military, and so on. Any project that explores how we need to construct, create and adapt these human systems and minimise adverse impacts on natural systems is relevant.
The Sustainable Living Challenge encourages student-centred learning, where students define those challenges of sustainable living that are meaningful to them that they wish to explore further. The program provides a framework to recognise this form of project-based learning.
- View some examples of past projects.
- Get some ideas from the National Sustainable Living Challenge Site.
For teachers
'Teach Sustainability' website
The Sustainable Living Challenge has just launched a site called 'Teach Sustainability' - an interactive online portal that is a wealth of information to support your learning experience. You can also upload your favourite resources to the portal for other teachers to use, and be recognised for your contribution to the sustainable living resource database.
With the support of our industry partners, the Sustainable Living Challenge team is also working on developing materials with up to date information on issues such as E-Waste, to support curriculum.
Lesson plans
Sustainable development is a critical challenge for our generation. While several of our society's current behaviours are unsustainable, recent technological innovations are making the prospect of a sustainable future very achievable and attractive.
Consider that our major sources of energy are coal, oil and natural gas. Burning these resources contributes roughly 80 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions, which are currently the single largest factor driving climate change. Students will learn about:
- reducing the need for energy through our behaviours;
- energy efficient technologies;
- renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind power, hydro power, tidal power, wave power;
- renewable fuels such as biofuels;
- cleaner fuel technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, hybrid-electric vehicles, electric vehicles and batteries;
- designing chemical products with less energy; and
- materials that can absorb greenhouse gases.
Consider also that Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world and that our rural landscapes and farmlands are being degraded due to drought. Consequently, we have little choice but to use the water we have effectively.
In these lessons, students will explore strategies and technologies to reduce water consumption and increase water recycling. Specifically, students will learn about:
- water efficient technologies for homes, buildings and industry;
- water efficient irrigation in agriculture;
- water reuse and recycling in homes, industry and cities;
- water storage; and
- alternative fresh water technologies such as desalination.
Lesson 1
Sustainable Development - the Opportunity of Our Lifetime
Educational Aims: The aim of this lesson is to provide a general introduction to the following three lessons on energy, water and waste. Additional Readings are provided to introduce students to key topics, in case they do not have prior learning in these areas.
This introductory package provides the context to sustainable development through identifying a number of key challenges for the 21st Century. We consider the definition of sustainable development to be where technologies, processes and practices can reduce our environmental impact while still meeting the needs of the world's growing population. We highlight the specific role technology plays in addressing climate change and sustainable development.
Lesson 2
Energy - Powerful Solutions for Getting off Oil
Educational Aims: The aim of this lesson is to provide an overview of climate change and peak oil, and introduce ways of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels like oil as an energy source. In particular, we will consider:
1) Using energy more efficiently in everyday places like our homes, and
2) Using different forms of fuel and technology to power vehicles.
Lesson 3
Water - Solutions that Protect Our Most Precious Resource
Educational Aims: The aim of this lesson is to provide an overview of the challenges that Australia and the rest of the world are facing with maintaining our most precious resource: water. This lesson will introduce various ways we can use water more efficiently, clean water more effectively, and help major users of water, like agriculture, reduce their reliance.
Lesson 4
Waste - Smart Solutions Towards No-Waste Lifestyles
Educational Aims: The aim of this lesson is to introduce the significance of waste that comes from our everyday practices, and the extent to which waste-to-landfill impacts on the health of our society and the environment. This part will introduce the benefits of reducing and eliminating waste, and highlights some examples of what companies and governments around the world are doing to achieve zero waste goals.
Lesson 5
Solar and Wind - How Do We Make Electricity From the Solar Cells & Wind Turbines?
The aim of this lesson is to describe the key components of solar cells and wind turbines, and the processes used by these technologies to generate electricity from the sun's energy.
Lesson 6
Steam - How Do We Make Electricity From Steam?
The aim of this lesson is to describe the key components of steam turbines and electric generators, and the processes used by these technologies to generate electricity from steam.
Lesson 7
Flowing Water - How Do We Make Electricity From Water?
The aim of this lesson is to describe the key components of hydroelectric power plants and ocean power plants, and the processes used by these technologies to generate electricity from flowing water.
Lesson 8
Fuel Cells - How Do We Make Electricity From Gas?
The aim of this lesson is to describe the key components of fuel cell systems and the process that fuel cell systems use to generate electricity from gas without combustion.
Lesson 9
Green Chemistry - An Introduction
The aim of this lesson is to introduce the topic of `Green Chemistry? and to set the context for the following three lessons. This lesson introduces a number of key Green Chemistry principles that scientists and engineers can use to move towards sustainable development.
Lesson 10
Green Chemistry - Dealing with Greenhouse Gases
This lesson aims to highlight the potential role of Green Chemistry in helping to mitigate climate change through innovations in: 1) reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and 2) removing (sequestering) greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The lesson briefly discusses the types of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and some exciting chemistry innovations in sequestering GHGs and reducing GHG emissions.
Lesson 11
Green Chemistry - Reducing Toxicity
This lesson aims to introduce the topic of reducing toxicity and the concept of `benign by design?, where products and services are designed so that they don?t use or produce toxins in the first place. The lesson provides examples of companies and organisations that are successfully applying this concept to their products and services.
Lesson 12
Green Chemistry - Making Better Batteries
This lesson aims to introduce students to the issues and possible opportunities within the field of batteries, as well as the role batteries will play in enabling sustainable development. In particular, this lesson highlights the opportunities in hybrid-electric and electric vehicle applications, biodegradable batteries, and batteries that can support reliable renewable energy supply.