This activity uses concept mapping as a tool for students to experience the complexity that is inherent in many sustainability-related issues.

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This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Unlike for our ancestors, plants can provide all the nutrients we need Yet, worldwide, average meat consumption per person is higher than ever As the global population grows and natural resources wane, how sustainable is this trend? A special issue of the journal animal gathers seven articles that explore that question with respect to livestock production Collectively, they provide a data-driven basis for establishing sustainable livestock practices The research topics covered include the link between livestock and human health The importance of ruminant animals in transforming indigestible plant matter into high-quality food And the trade-offs to consider in minimizing the environmental footprint of livestock production Although not exhaustive, the gathered articles provide a useful look at the current state of livestock production And what the future could hold Editorial: Gill et al. "Livestock production evolving to contribute to sustainable societies..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

The Global Urban Sustainable Center's project team created a web-based, open-access, crowd-sourced resource to share Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) related to sustainability in India and beyond. The resource has duel purposes for college and university teachers: providing instructional material on urban issues and sustainability through the existing shared
VFTs offered on the site and providing an opportunity for students to create a VFT of a community they are familiar to share. This project was made possible through the generous support of the American Institute of Indian Studies and includes images from site visits from the 2019-20 CAORC Faculty Development Seminar: Exploring Urban Sustainability through India's Cities. This resource not only allows students to view and learn from the Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) that are currently available, but also gives the chance for students to make a VFT of a community that they know and want to share.
This resource can be used as a 'view only' resource for younger students or can be used more interactively with older students who you'd like for them to create their own VFT. For older students you might want them to fully create a VFT or use it as an example for them to think about their communities and how to share that with others.

Visualizing Energy is an open access, interdisciplinary science communication project that aims to increase actionable knowledge about a sustainable and just energy transition. It uses engaging visualizations coupled with accessible data stories to communicate in clear, concise, jargon-free language. It is highly interdisciplinary and uses energy as an organizing principle to reveal logical connections across disciplines. Visualizing Energy knits data analysis, visualizations, and the written word into stories that promote critical thinking and communication. Its initial focus is on three interconnected areas: the connection between energy and human well-being; the history of energy transitions; and equity issues surrounding energy transitions (energy justice, energy burden, energy poverty, energy insecurity).

The project co-leaders are Cutler J. Cleveland, Professor of Earth and Environment, and Heather Clifford, data scientist in the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability.

Project web site: https://visualizingenergy.org/

We examine the factors of race and environmental contamination, starting from the premise (and data proving) that race is not a biological, scientifically valid category, but a social, historical construction with real world consequences for equal access to health, resources, and power.

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"Wants Versus Needs" is a two-part assignment given to students to encourage reflection on the materialism/consumption inherent in today's American society. This activity is designed to bring home to students the personal impact of materialism and advertising in America today.

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Students understand the growing impact of waste and waste disposal on our environment and economy, and examines solutions to these issues through exploration of waste as a resource and the implementation of zero-waste manufacturing/building practices.

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My article in Geography Review (2019) introduces upper-level high school students to the transboundary dimensions of ostensibly localized and domestic water security issues.

This virtual field trip takes students to the site of a local groundwater controversy in Gallatin Valley, Montana. Students virtually travel through seven stops which highlight the groundwater hydrology, local geology, geologic history of the valley and local groundwater policy. During the virtual field trip, students are asked to role-play as geologists hired to evaluate the area. Ultimately, they are asked to formulate an argument for or against the development of a nearby subdivision and to support that argument with evidence they gathered on the virtual field trip. Evidence may include observational field notes, hypotheses and questions regarding the geology and geohydrology of the area as well as limited hydrological data. Students must produce a final report discussing the decision they made as a consulting geologist. Reports should include a well-supported argument using the data and information collected during the virtual field trip. This virtual field trip gives students an opportunity to explore a local dispute regarding groundwater and learn how geology, geohydrology and scientific data are involved in policy issues.

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Water has served and sustained societies throughout history. Understanding the complex and diverse water systems of the past is key to devising sustainable development for the future with regard to socioeconomic structures, policies, and cultures. Today, past systems form the framework for preservation and reuse as well as for new proposals.

In this course, you will learn how to identify the spatial, social and cultural aspects of water heritage in your environment. You will investigate real situations, assess specific issues and evaluate the impact of potential measures, following existing expertise on water heritage and water management traditions as a model for your own practice.

By examining examples of water heritage from around the world, and by interacting with fellow learners, you will learn to implement globally sustainable approaches and tools such as the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Completing this course would be of great benefit to:

- professionals working in water management (such as water boards, water districts or port authorities etc.), heritage, or planning processes that include water related issues;
- master students of urban planning, architecture, heritage, or landscape;
- anyone living in a city or rural area where water management issues occur and with an interest in improving their living environment.

This course examines the policy and planning for the provision of water supply and sanitation services in developing countries. It reviews available technologies, but emphasizes the planning and policy process, including economic, social, environmental, and health issues. The course incorporates considerations of financing, pricing, institutional structure, consumer demand, and community participation in the planning process. And it evaluates policies and projects in case studies from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.

This course is designed to address the interlocked problems of unwillingness to confront the dimensions of the environmental crisis and the feelings of helplessness and despair that often accompany perceiving the gravity of the situation.

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This writing/thinking activity invites students to consider the power of advertisements and how they live in the world. Beginning with deconstructing ads, this activity has students appreciating the power of visual rhetoric and what strategies might be employed to persuade them. Students consider the cultural milieu of ads and the concepts of sustainability they promote (or don't).

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The sustainable production, processing and distribution of food is one of mankind's greatest challenges. The eLearning course ‘Designing sustainable food systems’ offers an insight into this complex topic.

The online course is available free of charge. It is in English and aimed at students and others who have an interest in sustainable food systems with or without experience in the subject. The first module begins with an introduction to the topic of sustainability and describes the problems in the global food system, together with possible solutions. Modules 2 and 3 explain how food value chains can be made more sustainable and analyse the role of food in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Students demonstrate their skill in soils investigation and interpretation through independent projects undertaken in groups of one to three and presented in class using visual aids.

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This activity utilizes publicly available, proposed national legislation to provide a platform for student inquiry into the intersection of climate science, environmental economics and sustainable public policy.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)