This resource contains the script and descriptions for four 30- minute assemblies relating to food, waste and climate change. Encouraging audience participation and volunteer helpers, the assemblies use powerful metaphors to raise awareness of how everyday choices affect the local and global environment. The assemblies encourage students to think critically about the choices they make, to take action in their own communities and to make a positive contribution as global citizens. The assemblies can be easily adapted for younger students.
Assembly 1: Food Shopping for Planet Earth
This assembly raises awareness of the impact of our food choices have on the planet. It encourages students to be earth friendly, to buy local and organic, to promote less packaging of food items and to be aware of the social value of purchasing fair trade items.
Assembly Two: Re-thinking Waste
This assembly explores the options we have when dealing with the waste we produce before we recycle it. The key messages are 'reduce waste before it gets to the landfill' and 'using less is best'. The new 'Rs" include recharge, reclaim, repair, refill, and rethink.
Assemblies Three and Four: Climate Change and Us
These assemblies link our everyday actions to the effects of global climate change. Students will be asked to examine how their choices regarding water use, electricity use, and methods of transportation impact the production of greenhouse gases and global warming. The message is that even small changes regarding conservation and active transportation can make a difference.
These assemblies could be used to kick off Earth Week or as Earth Day presentations. They could also be used in science, social studies or geography classes to promote discussion and action, as well as to address outcomes dealing with the sustainability of ecosystems, climate change, waste disposal, sustainable consumption, food safey and food security.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Good | The assemblies have a positive bias in promoting an awareness, understanding and respect for the environments in which people live. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Good | These assemblies will help to develop stewards of the planet and start to build a commitment to sustainable development at a personal, local, national and global level. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Satisfactory | |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Satisfactory | The first assembly asks students to promote earth-friendly school lunches. It is a suggestion only and any action plan would need to be developed by the students and teacher. |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Satisfactory | Students are given some opportunities to interact with the presenter and other students in the assemblies, and these opportunities may lead to them expressing their own beliefs and attitudes on the personal role that they play in the sustainability of the planet. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Good | The recognition of the importance of fair trade supports economic and social justice. |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Very Good | Planet stewardship is a focus of these assemblies. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Good | Students examine the role their own personal choices have on the future of the planet, and the impacts these have on citizens all over the world. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Good | The resource offers suggestions for simple lifestyle changes that, over time, will have substantial positive impacts on the planet. |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Good | Assemblies are designed to promote student action and change. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Satisfactory | This resource provides some learrning opportunities in science, geography, and social studies. |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Satisfactory | |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Satisfactory | The use of simple metaphors and props in the demonstrations teach to both cognitive and affective domains. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Satisfactory | |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | Student volunteers interact with audience members. |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Poor/Not considered | Not considered. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Satisfactory | |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Good | Embedded in the presentations are real life examples, statistics and scenarios. |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Good | After the presentation, students can choose to delve deeper into a chosen issue. There are student resources provided for those who wish to do so. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |