Grade 5: Q1

During the first week of Sustainability, students will learn the expectations, routines and procedures that govern our class and learning community.

In addition to discussing what makes a positive learning environment, students will learn the MSMS_Sustain Personal Learning Standards (below).

Once students have reviewed the common learning expectations, MSMS_Sustain Personal Development Standards and completed their Bio Books, they will construct their MSMS_Sustain Personal Learning Plan.

Personal learning plans are web pages that students create, curate and manage throughout their four years in Sustainability. This allows them to collect evidence of their growth and learning, reflect on that growth and to record their achievements.

Students are guided through the creation process as 5th graders. We then add a short biography, certificates of learning and illustrations of important concepts. See the adjacent example ➡️

After watching the informational videos explaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, students will use the Frayer Vocabulary Acquisition Model to define sustainability.

This definition, along with a review of the Three Spheres of Sustainability will help students understand the concept of sustainability and the three lenses: equity, economics and environment through which we will examine local, community and national issues.

As part of our sustainability curriculum, students will take several phenology walks throughout the quarter. Prior to each walk, we will review climate and weather data. We will emphasize the seasonal change we might expect and consider how climate change is impacting the flora, fauna and expectations for seasonal conditions.

Over the four years students spend in the program, we will tabulate our observations to determine if we can identify new climate trends or outlying climate data.