Educational Programs

Teaching Sustainability

START Metric #6:

Course Content

Ideas & Resources

Integrating sustainability-related content into academic subjects across all grades is a transformative way to educate students about environmental, social, and economic challenges while connecting these concepts to their everyday learning. This START metric emphasizes weaving sustainability into existing courses rather than offering it as a standalone subject. For example, a science lesson could explore renewable energy technologies, while a literature class might analyze themes of environmental justice.

By embedding sustainability into diverse subjects, schools can ensure that every student develops the knowledge, skills, and values needed to address global challenges. This approach also fosters critical thinking and creativity, encouraging students to view sustainability as an integral part of life, not just an academic topic.

Strategies for Incorporating Sustainability into Course Content

NOTE: This is not a prescriptive list; it just offers ideas to inspire action and can be tailored to fit the unique needs of each school.

  • Map Sustainability Concepts to Existing Curriculum

    • Identify where sustainability topics align with current learning objectives across subjects and grade levels.

    • Use this mapping to integrate concepts naturally without overloading the curriculum.

  • Provide Teacher Training

    • Offer professional development sessions to help teachers incorporate sustainability into their subjects.

    • Share resources, lesson plans, and examples of how other schools have successfully embedded sustainability.

  • Incorporate Local Context

    • Use local environmental or social issues to make sustainability topics more relevant to students.

    • For example, study local water conservation efforts in science or analyze local transportation policies in social studies.

  • Use Interdisciplinary Projects

    • Encourage collaboration between teachers of different subjects to create interdisciplinary sustainability projects.

    • For example, a math class could calculate carbon footprints while a geography class examines their global impact.

  • Embed Sustainability into Science Lessons

    • Explore topics like renewable energy, climate change, ecosystems, and waste management.

    • Conduct experiments or fieldwork to deepen understanding and engagement.

  • Infuse Sustainability into Language Arts

    • Use literature, poetry, or essays that address themes of environmental justice, conservation, or activism.

    • Encourage students to write persuasive pieces or stories about sustainability challenges and solutions.

  • Incorporate Sustainability into Social Studies

    • Examine historical and current events through a sustainability lens, such as the industrial revolution’s environmental impact or climate migration.

    • Discuss global sustainability initiatives like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

  • Include Sustainability in Math Lessons

    • Use real-world data to teach concepts like statistics or graphing, such as analyzing waste reduction metrics or energy consumption.

    • Explore budgeting and resource allocation for sustainable projects.

  • Bring Sustainability to Art and Design

    • Encourage students to create art using recycled materials or design eco-friendly solutions to community challenges.

    • Explore themes of nature, conservation, and climate change in art projects.

  • Highlight Sustainability in Physical Education

    • Teach about the connection between health, well-being, and sustainable lifestyles.

    • Incorporate activities like outdoor education or projects that focus on active transportation, such as biking or walking.

  • Leverage Technology

    • Use digital tools and resources to bring sustainability topics into the classroom, such as climate modeling software or interactive maps.

    • Encourage students to research and present on sustainability topics using multimedia tools.

  • Use Current Events and Case Studies

    • Discuss recent news stories or case studies related to sustainability to make lessons timely and relevant.

    • Encourage students to explore and propose solutions to real-world problems.

  • Incorporate Hands-On Activities

    • Use practical activities, like building a compost system, calculating energy efficiency, or designing a green building.

    • These experiences help students apply theoretical concepts to real-world situations.

  • Encourage Student-Led Initiatives

    • Allow students to identify sustainability topics they’re passionate about and design projects around them.

    • Use these projects as part of assessments or class discussions.

  • Create a Progression Across Grades

    • Develop a framework that builds on sustainability concepts year by year, starting with simple ideas in early grades and progressing to complex issues in higher grades.

    • Ensure continuity and development of skills and understanding.

  • Celebrate Sustainability Across the School

    • Highlight student projects and achievements in sustainability through assemblies, showcases, or newsletters.

    • Use these moments to reinforce the importance of sustainability in all areas of learning.

  • Collaborate with Community Experts

    • Bring in guest speakers or partner with local organizations to provide real-world insights into sustainability topics.

    • Use these collaborations to enhance the relevance of classroom lessons.

  • Incorporate Reflection and Discussion

    • Encourage students to reflect on their learning and discuss how sustainability topics relate to their lives.

    • Use these discussions to deepen understanding and foster critical thinking.

  • Align with Global Frameworks

    • Integrate concepts from the UN SDGs or other global sustainability initiatives into lessons.

    • Use these frameworks to teach about the interconnectedness of sustainability issues.

  • Monitor and Adapt

    • Regularly review how sustainability is integrated into the curriculum and gather feedback from teachers and students.

    • Use this feedback to refine and expand sustainability content.

‘How To’ Guides

  • How to teach young students about climate change without causing anxiety

    Earth Warriors provide tips and resources for teaching climate education through a positive, empowering approach.

  • How to educate students on our food system’s impact on the environment

    From the Educated Choices Program, resources for teaching students ages 12-18 about the impacts of their food choices.

  • How to Recognize and Reduce Carbon Footprint: Advanced Students

    From the Educated Choices Program, how to educate more advanced students how to recognize and reduce their carbon footprint, starting with their food choices.

  • UNESCO's Greening Curriculum Guidance

    This Guidance was developed through the Greening Education Partnership* with critical input from young people, as a joint effort to establish common understanding on quality education for climate action. 

  • SubjectToClimate: K-12 Climate Change Lessons

    From SubjectToClimate, discover how to integrate climate change into the subjects you already teach through these inquiry-driven, teacher-oriented, and ready-to-use lesson plans created by teachers like you. Read more about their lesson plan framework.

  • ClimateScience: Curriculum-Aligned Resources

    Access a wide range of FREE curriculum-aligned teaching resources for all ages & filter by age group and subject.

  • GenerationClimate: Teaching Resources

    Generation Climate has a range of resources for teaching about climate in their Resource Library.

  • National Geographic PreK-12 Education Resources

    Explorer classrooms, live events, free maps, videos, interactives, and other resources.

  • PBS Learning Media

    From PBS Media, a library of videos, lesson plans, documents and galleries for students in Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12.

  • OpenSci Ed (STEM)

    K-12 FRAMEWORK FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION: The OpenSciEd program was written from the ground up for Framework-based standards like the NGSS.

  • CELF: Children's Environmental Literacy

    Explore a wide range of Grade K-12 lessons & activities.

Schools hold the key to a healthy, sustainable and regenerative future.

They are role-models and incubators that that nurture, educate and prepare each generation for adult life.

Schools have a unique opportunity and profound responsibility to become part the transition to a sustainable, regenerative future in which people and planet can thrive.

But how do we get there?

START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool was created by schools, for schools, to help them develop comprehensive programs for step-by-step progress towards sustainability, regenerative practice, and student empowerment.

START provides a Roadmap for School Sustainability:

It breaks down school sustainability into clear actions (‘metrics’), such as Minimizing Waste, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and supporting Sustainable Transportation options.

However, research shows it’s not enough for a school to simply reduce its environmental impact.

Students and staff also need to learn about sustainability, and practice it in day-to-day activities, because this impacts their attitudes and behaviors when they leave school. That’s why START includes metrics like Sustainability Events for Students, Sustainability Course Content, and Sustainable Purchasing Practices.

How sustainable is our school now?

Schools use START to measure how sustainable they are now. A school’s START team investigates how their school currently operates to find their ‘sustainability baseline’ for each metric. For example, is our school a beginner, intermediate or advanced in sustainable water use? START enables schools to benchmark, track and visualize their current sustainability levels, as well as hard data around their waste, water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Where should we go next, and do we collaborate for success? 

What do we need to do to ‘level up’ in each metric?  Once schools have their baselines, START helps them to set goals and plan for progress. START provides a central hub for school members to collaborate, document, and plan their school’s sustainability journey.

START is a subscription-based Whole School Sustainability dashboard.

It requires at least one adult school member to create a school’s START account, but it will need a team (students, teachers and staff) to grow a Whole School Sustainability program.

Interested schools can sign up for a demo or apply to set up an account.

Learn more about START here, and consider sharing the brochure with your school.

Let’s create a better future, one school at a time.

 Contact us at guides@greenschoolsalliance.org if you have a free resource to contribute or recommend that can help schools take action around this specific sustainability metric.