Sustainability Connected Curriculum 2021

The Year 9 Sustainability Connected Curriculum delved deep into the “wicked” problem of Climate Change last week as students grappled with the realities of the world they will inherit. Students from last year inspired the Year 9s with a few of their innovative projects, ranging from the launch of a new fashion brand, complete with website and Instagram account, and a case study of the devastating impact of the fast fashion industry on people and on the world’s waterways, to a talk show of “politicians” promoting a draft climate emissions bill. Visiting climate scientist and medical specialist, Dr Lai Heng Foong, who is a Fortian parent, and climate ethicist Dr Byron Smith, shared their concerns and their confidence in our ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change with student climate activists Daisy Millpark and Lucie Atkin-Bolton in a Q&A panel, for which the Year 9 students had prepared questions.

After a crash course in international negotiations at the Climate Action Simulation, led by HT English Mr Ed McMahon, students studied a range of selected texts exploring technologies and lifestyle strategies to deal with climate change and plunged into their own search for ways to address it, locally and globally. Working closely with a team of dedicated teachers and Year 10 mentors, and with ex machina advice from a panel of expert community mentors who read over the students’ questions every evening throughout the week offering insights and suggesting resources, the 36 groups in Year 9 produced some excellent research and planned creative solutions which they explicated in 5-minute video productions. A selection of these were presented to ABC science journalist Robyn Williams AO and Ms Catriona Arcamone in a final presentation on Friday afternoon. In their feedback the students expressed their appreciation of the dedication of staff and of our remarkable Year 10 mentors, and of the opportunity to gain deeper understanding of the nature of climate change and ways to tackle it.

Elizabeth Maddox
Sustainability Connected Curriculum Coordinator 2021