1. What is an environment?
2. What are the types of environment?
3. How might your community partners view the meaning of the concept of environment?
4. How and why do perspectives about the environment differ?

Please read/view the following resources to formulate your understanding of the questions above. Submit your thoughts to Question 4 HERE as an IDS group.

• The concept of 'environment'
• 什么是环境？
• 北极熊翻垃圾
• 冰层融化，北极不见
• "What is an environment?"
• "Environmoments Episode 1: What is the Environment?"

1. Do humans have control over their environment or does the environment control their fate?
2. Why is a sustainable environment important?
3. How can an environment be sustained?

Please read/view the following resources to formulate your understanding of the questions above. You may wish to divide the reading load among your group members but please submit your thoughts HERE as an IDS group.

Essential Resources

• "The world needs more toilets, but Western solutions aren't the answer"
• "The ethics of solar panels: Do the ends justify the means?"
• Industries and Vehicles Add to Bad Air Days
• Lake Chad: Can the vanishing lake be saved?
• “Dear Future Generations: Sorry”
• "Green Growth: A New Model for Sustainable Development in Asia"
• 美国反对，澳大利亚控诉，中国禁止洋垃圾进口
• 什么是零浪费生活
• 欧洲的零包装超市
• 进一步环保自己打包不包装

Additional Resources

• "Fluid-filled 'biobag' allows premature lambs to develop outside the womb"
• Environmental Science
• Haze in Singapore – A Problem Dating Back 40 Years
• Young Singaporeans Step-up to Help Fight Haze through Mask Distribution Efforts
• Sustainable Singapore Blueprint: What if?
• Virtual reality for freely moving animals

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTS

Proposition:

'Progress cannot be in its true sense if processes developed create consequences that would send advancement backwards.’

1. Introduction (by teachers)

• a video on the brief history of plastics to illustrate the above statement.

https://youtu.be/QW3OGMZ1bWc

• using time in IDS to think through suggestions to improve sustainability for the environment.
• a short video about Singapore’s plans to build a sustainable country.
  • Building a smart, sustainable and resilient Singapore

https://youtu.be/0MIurw7VD58

2. Group discussion and 'prepared' response to the proposition.

• work out what the statement means.
• consider various perspectives related to the statement.
• provide a supported and articulated stance in relation to the proposition.
• You may choose any format to express your response to the proposition.
• Submit your response by attaching a copy HERE.

3. Groups will be randomly selected to present to the whole cluster. (Organised by teachers)

4. Conclusion (by teachers)

***

Please use the Post-cluster session wisely to address the following requirements. Do not work on other things.

***

Based on your readings, pre-cluster discussion and the seminar, discuss within your IDS group and provide your GROUP'S reflections HERE on the following:

1. Conduct your own individual research to find one example of a community's response to environmental sustainability. (15 mins)
2. Write down in your reflections why you think it is a good illustration of how a community can work towards environmental sustainability. (15 mins)
3. Share your example and thoughts with the rest of your IDS group (15 mins)

Sky News, United Kingdom, featured a whale that was beached. When they opened up the whale’s stomach, the scientists discovered many large pieces of plastic. The content of the plastic bags from the stomach showed that the plastic came from different parts of the world. One was used to contain a chicken from Ukraine and another carried ice cream from Denmark. The article raises awareness about plastic in our oceans and how it is causing the deaths of marine animals.

Now, read the following poem which describes how humans used the whale in the past.

Click here for a Sky Ocean Rescue video clip on plastic ingested by whales: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N91X-EqhQGw

In response, how can you raise awareness of the plight of whales? You may write a story or a poem and post it on <www.writetheworld.com>.