Working for a sustainable and brighter future : teaching resource pack for climate change education in the primary years

Abstract

This dissertation addresses the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into primary schools by developing a comprehensive resource pack for Year 3 pupils, focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on Quality Education and Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) on Climate Action. Despite ESD's inclusion in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) (Ministry of Education and Employment [MEDE], 2012), it is often not given necessary importance in practice, indicating inadequate integration into the curriculum. The resource pack covers five main topics: Atmosphere, Natural Disasters and Recovery, Climate Action and Synergies, Biodiversity and Ecosystems, and Voluntary Commitments and Employment. It aims to generate more awareness, resilience, policy engagement, commitment, and practical mechanisms to combat climate change. Drawing on Vygotsky's Socio-cultural Theory, the project emphasises interactive and collaborative teaching methods. The dissertation includes a literature review on the relevance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education and the NCF's (MEDE, 2012) role in supporting SDG 4 and SDG 13. The resource pack features thirty English, Maths, and Maltese lesson plans, each including retrieval practice, explanatory sessions, hands-on activities, independent work, and conclusions. This initiative provides educators with practical tools to integrate Sustainable Development (SD) topics into primary education, fostering a generation of informed and proactive pupils in addressing climate change challenges.