Education for Sustainable Development Essay -- Education

Sustainability development has three components: environment, society, and economy. If you consider the three to be overlapping circles of the same size, the area of overlap in the center is human well-being. As the environment, society, and economy become more aligned, the area of overlap increases, and so does human well-being. Therefore, education for sustainable development (ESD) is the use of education as a tool to achieve sustainability. Simply put, ESD is a way to make the world a safer, healthier, and more livable place for us and future generations (McKeown, 2002, pgs 7-9). Population Children in grades 3 through 5 are moving from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" and from "learning to write" to "writing to communicate". Students learn to work independently. They learn to read words and make mental pictures. Third through fifth graders also learn to write paragraphs, short essays and stories that make a point. The curriculum becomes more integrated. "Reading to learn" helps third through fifth graders better understand the scientific method and how to test hypotheses about the physical world. Additionally, "reading to learn" aids students in graphing and calculating scientific observations and then writing up their conclusions. Third grade science class will open new worlds of wonder and invite curious mind to explore (Williams, 2012). Children in grades 3-5 are highly social. They learn more about values and respect. Students are also encouraged to develop their written communication skills via diaries, journals, or short stories. They work quickly and have a limited attention span. Third through fifth graders are very competitive. This age group works well in small groups or with partners. The... ...e&_&ERICExtS earch_SearchValue_0=EJ774626&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ77462 6. EPA. (n.d.). What is Sustainability? Retrieved May 9, 2012, from http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm. Macnagthen, P. & Jacobs, M. (1998). Public identification with sustainable development: Investigating cultural barriers to participation, Global Environmental Change, 7(1): 5-24. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378096000234. Lange, J.M. (2012). Education in Sustainable Development: How Can Science Education Contribute to the Vulnerability Perception?, Research in Science Education, 42(1): 109- 127. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/detail?sid=1eb64274-ccca-4b62-b915- 2ea35d8a0d1e%40sessionmgr15&vid=1&hid=24&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ %3d%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ949568.