Exploring Sustainability through the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics

1. ACSA Conference 2013 Exploring Sustainability through the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics Judy Anderson The University of Sydney judy.anderson@sydney.edu.au

2. Why sustainability?

4. Australian Curriculum F-10(ACARA, 2010)

6. Overview • What is sustainability? • What local, national and global issues could we investigate in mathematics lessons? What mathematical questions could we pose? • Do these issues provide “rich, engaging and authentic contexts”? • What impact would doing these tasks have on curriculum implementation?

7. What is sustainability?http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPriorities/Sustainability “Sustainability addresses the ongoing capacity of Earth to maintain all life.” Sustainable – “able to be maintained”

8. Education for Sustainability(ACARA, The Australian Curriculum, v5.0) • “Education for sustainability develops the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living.” • Organising ideas: Systems, World Views, and Futures http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/env_ed/

9. The Three Pillars of Sustainability

11. How big is 7 billion?

12. Visualising populations Stan’s café – Of all the people in all the world • http://www.stanscafe.co.uk/project-of-all-the-people.html#videos

14. What is a sustainable population?

15. www.PopulationEducation.org www.Worldof7Billion.org

20. China, 1978

22. Number of Male births per 100 female births

23. 200 years that changed the worldHans Rosling

24. 200 countries, 200 years, 4 minutesHans Rosling http://www.gapminder.org/videos/200-years-that-changed-the-world-bbc/

25. What local, national and global issues could we investigate in mathematics lessons? GLOBAL ISSUES • Inefficient use of energy • Lack of water conservation • Increased pollution • Abuses of human rights • Consumerism • … Population and Resource Consumption

28. A paradox? • Educating females reduces birth rates and therefore population growth • However, more highly educated people with higher incomes consume more resources

29. Miniature Earth Project http://www.miniature-earth.com/

31. If the world were a village of 100 people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNnbO8x4JAY

32. Welcome to the global village Earth is a crowded place, and it is getting more crowded all the time. As of 2010, the world’s population was 6 billion, 900 million – that’s 6 900 000 000. Thirty-two countries have more than 40 million (40 000 000) people. Eleven countries each have more than 100 million (100 000 000) people. China has over 1 billion, 300 million (1 300 000 000), while India has over 1 billion, 200 million (1 200 000 000) people. Numbers this big are hard to understand, but what if we imagined the whole population of the world as a village of just 100 people? In this imaginary village, each person would represent about 69 million (69 000 000) people from the real world.

33. 69,000,000 people

35. If Australia were a village … As of June 2006, the population of Australia was 20,589,432. If Australia were a village of 100 habitants, then the population of the entire world would be 31,500 people. Caucasian 91, Asian 7, Aboriginal and other 2 24 were born overseas 80 people in the village speak English at home 64 of the 100 live in a capital city 20 are under age 15, 67 are between 15 and 65, 13 are over 65

36. Children’s story: If Australia were a village of 100 people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAFu_gUwiM8&feature=related

37. If the World were our Classroom … David J. Smith, the author of If the World Were a Village, has been asked to write a sequel to the original book. This time, he would like to base his data on a classroom. Our task is to research whether a single classroom can represent the world. He would like us to send him a letter reporting our findings. Small groups will first collect the data needed from students in our class and display it on a graph. We will then study the data and compare it to the original book and another class. David J. Smith will use our results to decide if this book would provide an accurate picture of the world

38. Another investigation:Travel Magazine Article The editor of a travel magazine wants to include an article about the best countries in which to live. Your job is to present information that compares the standard of living in Australia with that of three other countries on three different continents. Use a variety of methods including data displays, data analyses and maps to support your conclusion.

39. AAMT National Mathematics Day http://www.aamt.edu.au/Activities-and-projects/National-Mathematics-Day-2013

41. What local, national and global issues could we investigate in mathematics lessons? What questions could students pose: • How much water is saved by fixing a dripping tap? • How much food is ‘thrown away’ in the canteen in a year? • How much paper could be saved in a year by putting the school newsletter online? • How much electicity is saved by turning off lights for one hour? • …

43. http://www.literacyandnumeracy.gov.au/numeracy

44. The ActivityReduce, reuse, recycle, rethink • Students collect, classify and count rubbish from the classroom or school bins • Submit data collection between 15 July and 4 August • Early years to junior secondary

46. Is my class green?Comparing samples and populations “What actions do you take at home to conserve the environment?” • ‘My household has installed a water tank’ • ‘My household has installed a water saving shower head’ • ‘I take shorter showers’ • ‘I turn off the tap while I brush my teeth’ • ‘I turn off appliances (e.g. TV, computer, gaming consoles) at the power point’ • ‘My household recycles our rubbish’ ABS Website (Via Scootle search)

47. What actions do you take in your home to conserve the environment?2010 Data - % of YES respondents at each year level

48. What actions do you take in your home to conserve the environment?2010 Data - % of YES respondents at each year level

49. What local, national and global issues could we investigate in mathematics lessons? LOCAL ISSUES http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/1318.3Feature%20Article14Aug%202009

50. What local, national and global issues could we investigate in mathematics lessons? NATIONAL ISSUES • Loss of biodiversity and continued destruction of habitat • Depletion of river systems and groundwater aquifers giving rise to algal blooms and declining aquatic ecosystems • High rates of land clearance and vegetation loss • Poor quality of soils • Sustantial adverse impacts on water quality (stormwater, sewage, …) • Invasive plants and animals • Rising salinity • Waste management • Population