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  • Civic Education for Sustainability


    • This course is structured in the following manner:

      • There is an overall "kit" in a PDF format that anyone can download and have access to ALL of the units in this course.
      • Below there are the different units or topics of the course which have various materials, activities and suggestions for teaching methods.  

      You are invited to take the whole course or relevant units /topics that contribute to your own teaching and learning.

      For more information, you can contract coordinator of project who will link you up with the relevant expert for the information that you may require.  Coordinator's email address is rhonda@gordon.college



    • Civic Education for Sustainability: KIT in English File

      This Kit provides the reader with resources, activities and different units and modules for a course on Civic Education for Sustainability.   The teacher can choose the units or modules that are most relevant for thier course and upgrade an existing course or create a complete course with the material that is in this Kit.

    • CIVIC EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY Reader in Georgian Language File

      This reader includes articles in Georgian on the topics of this course which are most relevant to Georgia.   

◄UNIT 3: ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY-- Topic 1: Biodiversity and ConservationUNIT 4: ECONOMY-- Topic 1: Energy Sources►

UNIT 3: ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY-- Topic 2: Ecological Footprint

  • UNIT 3: ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY-- Topic 2: Ecological Footprint

    RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES:

    The world's population grows, and should be provided with food, quality water a place to live, energy and other needs. Open spaces are decreasing, drinking water sources are becoming fewer, and the urban territories are expanding. The industrial and technological development, the agriculture expands, the increased consumption habits, all of this and more, causes a rapid depletion of the earth's natural resources and space. Moreover, a greater amount of land and water is required to assimilate the growing waste generated by humans.

    It is important that the world citizens will  realize the harsh environmental reality. Understanding the concept of ecological footprint, can increase students internalization of the shortage in worlds' space, and empower their motivation to live a more sustainable life.


    LEARNING OUTCOMES:

    Students will be aware of the shortage in space on earth to provide humans the modern lifestyle, and will acquire the skills to
    reduce their ecological footprint. They will internalize that: "Humanity's Ecological Footprint is as much as 30 percent larger than
    nature can sustain in the long run. In other words, present consumption exceeds natural income by 30 percent and is therefore partially dependent on capital (wealth) depletion. The lavish partying by the wealthy few today means a hefty bill for everyone tomorrow", (Wackernagel and Rees 1996.p.90).

    ACTIVITIES:

    Activity #1.       Weight your/family garbage for 7 days:

    1.1.     Compare your average waste weight to your country average per person, and  global average:

    1.2.    Suggest ways to minimize your personal waste

     Activity #2:  The 5 ‘Rs’ are 5 key factors when thinking about how to minimize your waste, Find out what  they are and give an example from your personal life.

    Activity #3.       Ecological footprint:

    3.1.     Calculate your own footprint: link to  survey

    http://ecologicalfootprint.com/

    3.2.    List of countries by ecological footprint:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_ecological_footprint

    USA and Canada have a similar Ecological footprint, However one country has a deficit and the other does not. Explain why.

    3.3.  What is  the connection between Ecological footprint, Country area and population?


    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

    1.       http://heschel.org.il/sites/heschel.org.il/files/tbyt_rgl_qvlvgyt.pdf

    2.       The story of stuff- Short movie http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/

    3.       Waste Land- movie by Vic Moniz


    4.       טל, ט', מורג, א', גן ד' ואלכסנדרי א' (2009).  חינוך סביבתי וחינוך לקיימות: עקרונות, רעיונות ודרכי פעולה, עמודים 39-42 המשרד להגנת הסביבה, משרד החינוך, נדלה מ:

    5.       http://api.ning.com/files/zuYEAwTbsuO4Me36gYWj4xIZAeanWRCybmpAirlbhAucRVuZwN3au0AlDeIIxw4KTtZHyxNmWNxPpQp52H1z5asqT*8azI1M/file.pdf

    6.       קלצ'קו שרה וחובריה. (2014). יש לנו רק כדור אחד – פסולת מוצקה, משאב המים.  אוניברסיטת בר אילן, מטה מל"מ ואגף מדעים, המזכירות הפדגוגית, משרד החינוך המרכז להוראת המדעים. 

     Galli, A., Giampetro, M., Goldfinger, S., Lazarus, E., Lin D., Saltelli,A.,  Wackernagel, M., Muller,F. (2016). Questioning the Ecological Footprint, Ecological Indicators,  69: 224-232

    Galli,A., Wackernagel,M.,Kotsunori,I.,Lazarus, E.(2014).Ecological Footprint: Implication s to Biodiversity,Biological Conservation, 173: 121-132


    7.       Wackernagel, M., & Rees, W. (1998). Our ecological footprint: reducing human impact on the earth (No. 9). New Society Publishers.




    ◄UNIT 3: ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY-- Topic 1: Biodiversity and ConservationUNIT 4: ECONOMY-- Topic 1: Energy Sources►