Australia: Eco Heroes in the national curriculum

Systems: “The interdependence of Earth’s systems (geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere) that support all life on Earth, and social and economic systems.”

• SDG 13
• SDG 15
• SDG 17

• Ages 6–10
• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

• SDG 13 · Ages 6–10 Weather and climate: Earth’s warm blanket

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Describe, with a simple model, how gases around the Earth trap heat like a blanket.
• SDG 15 · Ages 14–17 Pull one thread: food webs and extinction

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Model a food web and predict the effects of removing one species.
• SDG 17 · Ages 11–13 The goals hold hands

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain at least 3 links between different SDGs.
  • Build a connection web showing how progress on one goal helps others.

Design: “The role of innovation and creativity in sustainably designed solutions, including products, environments and services, that aim to reduce present and future impacts or to restore the health or diversity of environmental, social and economic systems.”

• SDG 9
• SDG 12

• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

• SDG 9 · Ages 11–13 Little inventors: designing a fix

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Follow a design process: identify a problem, generate ideas, sketch, label and improve.
• SDG 12 · Ages 11–13 Fix it, don’t bin it

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Plan a repair or repurpose and present its ‘second life’.
• SDG 12 · Ages 14–17 Cradle to grave: the life cycle of a product

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain the principles of a circular economy (reduce, reuse, repair, recycle, redesign).

Futures: “Ways of thinking and acting that seek to empower young people to design action that will lead to an equitable, sustainable and inclusive future.”

1–17All 17 goals

• Ages 6–10
• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

All 17 goals have a lesson plan in each of these age bands. For example:

• SDG 17 · Ages 6–10 Better together

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain that the 17 goals need everyone working together.
• SDG 17 · Ages 11–13 The goals hold hands

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain at least 3 links between different SDGs.
• SDG 17 · Ages 14–17 How the world fixed the ozone layer

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Design a local partnership to solve a real problem, explaining what each partner gains.

“observe external features of plants and animals and describe ways they can be grouped based on these features”

Code: AC9SFU01

• SDG 15

• Ages 6–10

• SDG 15 · Ages 6–10 Minibeast safari

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Find, observe and record at least 5 living things in the school grounds.
  • Sort living things into simple groups (plants, insects, other animals).

“identify the basic needs of plants and animals, including air, water, food or shelter, and describe how the places they live meet those needs”

Code: AC9S1U01

• SDG 2
• SDG 15

• Ages 6–10

• SDG 2 · Ages 6–10 From seed to plate

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Describe what a seed needs to grow (water, warmth, and light once it sprouts).
• SDG 15 · Ages 6–10 Minibeast safari

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why every living thing matters in a habitat.

“explain the roles and interactions of consumers, producers and decomposers within a habitat and how food chains represent feeding relationships”

Code: AC9S4U01

• SDG 15

• Ages 6–10

• SDG 15 · Ages 6–10 Minibeast safari

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Find, observe and record at least 5 living things in the school grounds.
  • Explain why every living thing matters in a habitat.

“Use models, including food webs, to represent matter and energy flow in ecosystems and predict the impact of changing abiotic and biotic factors on populations”

Code: AC9S7U02

• SDG 14
• SDG 15

• Ages 14–17

• SDG 14 · Ages 14–17 Fish for the future: overfishing and the commons

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain how overfishing can cause fish stocks to collapse, using a simulation.
• SDG 15 · Ages 14–17 Pull one thread: food webs and extinction

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Model a food web and predict the effects of removing one species.

“Represent the carbon cycle and examine how key processes including combustion, photosynthesis and respiration rely on interactions between Earth’s spheres (the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere)”

Code: AC9S9U03

• SDG 13

• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

• SDG 13 · Ages 11–13 The greenhouse effect and our carbon footprint

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain the greenhouse effect and how burning fossil fuels strengthens it.
• SDG 13 · Ages 14–17 From evidence to action: making a climate campaign

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Interpret climate data (CO₂ concentration and temperature) and explain the link.

“the features of familiar places they belong to, why some places are special and how places can be looked after”

Code: AC9HSFK03

• SDG 11
• SDG 12

• Ages 6–10

• SDG 11 · Ages 6–10 My dream street

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Name 3 things that make a place safe and friendly for children.
  • Suggest one change that would make a street better for everyone.
• SDG 12 · Ages 6–10 Bin detectives

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why making less rubbish helps the planet.

“sustainable use and management of renewable and non-renewable resources, including the custodial responsibility First Nations Australians have for Country/Place”

Code: AC9HS4K06

• SDG 7
• SDG 12

• Ages 6–10
• Ages 11–13

• SDG 7 · Ages 6–10 Sun power

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain one way to save energy at school.
• SDG 7 · Ages 11–13 Energy hunters: renewable and non-renewable

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Classify energy sources as renewable or non-renewable and explain the difference.
• SDG 12 · Ages 6–10 Bin detectives

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Name one thing they could reuse instead of throwing away.

“the location and distribution of water resources in Australia, their implications, and strategies to manage the sustainability of water”

Code: AC9HG7K02

• SDG 6

• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

• SDG 6 · Ages 11–13 The water diary: how much do we really use?

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Estimate personal daily water use from a diary of activities.
  • Choose one habit to change and calculate the water it could save.
• SDG 6 · Ages 14–17 Hidden water: virtual water and who goes without

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Analyse why water scarcity is often about access and management rather than total supply.

“strategies used to enhance the liveability of a place, including for young people, the aged or those with disability, drawing on studies such as those from Australia or Europe”

Code: AC9HG7K08

• SDG 10
• SDG 11

• Ages 11–13

• SDG 10 · Ages 11–13 Fairness detectives: accessibility audit

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Identify barriers that make places or activities hard to access for some people.
  • Suggest and justify practical fixes for barriers found in school.
• SDG 11 · Ages 11–13 Green spots in grey places

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Plan and justify a small improvement to a school or local space.

“strategies to manage the sustainability of Australia's changing urban places”

Code: AC9HG8K09

• SDG 11

• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

• SDG 11 · Ages 11–13 Green spots in grey places

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain how green spaces help cities (cooler air, cleaner air, wildlife, well-being).
• SDG 11 · Ages 14–17 Who is the city for? Auditing how people move

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain how transport choices affect air quality, safety, cost and fairness.

“challenges to sustainable food production and food security in Australia and appropriate management strategies”

Code: AC9HG9K04

• SDG 2

• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

• SDG 2 · Ages 11–13 Food waste detectives

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why wasting food also wastes water, land, energy and work.
• SDG 2 · Ages 14–17 Why do people go hungry in a world with enough food?

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why hunger is mainly about access to food, not only the amount produced.
  • Analyse how conflict, climate shocks, poverty and prices interact to cause hunger.

“the impacts of the production and consumption of goods on places throughout the world, and strategies to manage sustainability in these places”

Code: AC9HG9K08

• SDG 6
• SDG 8
• SDG 12

• Ages 14–17

• SDG 6 · Ages 14–17 Hidden water: virtual water and who goes without

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain the concept of virtual (embedded) water and estimate it for everyday products.
• SDG 8 · Ages 14–17 Decent work and the hidden cost of cheap goods

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Analyse a supply chain to identify where decent-work risks occur.
• SDG 12 · Ages 14–17 Cradle to grave: the life cycle of a product

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Map the life cycle of a product from raw materials to disposal and identify its biggest impact point.
  • Evaluate policies that push producers and consumers towards circular choices, such as South Korea’s food-waste charges.

“the human-induced changes that challenge the sustainability of places and environments”

Code: AC9HG10K01

• SDG 13
• SDG 14
• SDG 15

• Ages 14–17

• SDG 13 · Ages 14–17 From evidence to action: making a climate campaign

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Interpret climate data (CO₂ concentration and temperature) and explain the link.
• SDG 14 · Ages 14–17 Fish for the future: overfishing and the commons

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain how overfishing can cause fish stocks to collapse, using a simulation.
• SDG 15 · Ages 14–17 Pull one thread: food webs and extinction

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain the main drivers of biodiversity loss identified by IPBES.

“the methods used to measure spatial variations in human wellbeing and development, and how these can be applied to determine differences between places at the global scale”

Code: AC9HG10K05

• SDG 1
• SDG 4
• SDG 10

• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

• SDG 1 · Ages 11–13 Poverty is more than money

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why poverty is ‘multidimensional’, using at least 3 dimensions (income, health, education, living conditions).
• SDG 4 · Ages 14–17 In school but not learning? The global learning crisis

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Analyse what drives education gaps between regions (poverty, conflict, gender, teacher numbers).
• SDG 10 · Ages 14–17 Different starts: understanding inequality

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Use data to describe one inequality in at least 3 places.

“how and why individuals and groups, including community, religious and cultural groups, participate in and contribute to civic life in Australia and to global citizenship”

Code: AC9HC9K05

• SDG 13
• SDG 16

• Ages 14–17

• SDG 13 · Ages 14–17 From evidence to action: making a climate campaign

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why systemic change needs collective action as well as individual choices.
  • Design a campaign with a clear message, audience and one specific ask.
• SDG 16 · Ages 14–17 Trust and accountability: how fair decisions are made

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Analyse how decisions are made in a real system (school council, sports club, local council).

“the reasons individuals work, the types of work they are involved in, and how they may derive an income”

Code: AC9HE7K04

• SDG 8

• Ages 11–13

• SDG 8 · Ages 11–13 What makes a job a good job?

  Pupils will be able to:

  • List the elements of decent work (fair pay, safety, reasonable hours, rights, respect).
  • Interview or research a local job and evaluate it against a decent-work checklist.

“investigate and apply behaviours that contribute to their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing”

Code: AC9HP4P10

• SDG 3

• Ages 6–10
• Ages 11–13

• SDG 3 · Ages 6–10 Germ busters

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Show the correct steps of handwashing with soap and water.
  • Name 3 habits that help us stay healthy (washing hands, moving our bodies, sleeping well).
• SDG 3 · Ages 11–13 Designing a healthy day

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Plan a balanced day that includes physical activity, healthy food and enough sleep.

“describe how valuing diversity influences wellbeing and identify actions that promote inclusion in their communities”

Code: AC9HP4P05

• SDG 10

• Ages 6–10

• SDG 10 · Ages 6–10 Everyone belongs

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain what it means to include someone.
  • Spot when someone might feel left out and suggest a kind action.

“plan, justify and critique strategies to enhance their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing”

Code: AC9HP10P10

• SDG 3

• Ages 14–17

• SDG 3 · Ages 14–17 Mind matters: mental health is health

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Identify common challenges facing teenagers and the protective factors that help.
  • Propose one realistic school action for each of 3 challenges and say how its success could be judged.

“explore how plants and animals are grown for food, clothing and shelter”

Code: AC9TDE2K03

• SDG 2

• Ages 6–10

• SDG 2 · Ages 6–10 From seed to plate

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Name the parts of a plant we eat (root, stem, leaf, fruit, seed) with one example each.
  • Explain why farmers matter for feeding everyone.

“analyse how food and fibre are produced in managed environments and how these can become sustainable”

Code: AC9TDE8K04

• SDG 2
• SDG 15

• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

• SDG 2 · Ages 14–17 Why do people go hungry in a world with enough food?

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Build balanced arguments for and against one food-system solution (urban farming) and reach a justified view.
• SDG 15 · Ages 11–13 Pollinator power

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain what pollination is and why many food crops depend on animal pollinators.

“analyse how people in design and technologies occupations consider ethical, security and sustainability factors to innovate and improve products, services and environments”

Code: AC9TDE10K01

• SDG 9
• SDG 12

• Ages 14–17

• SDG 9 · Ages 14–17 Mind the gap: the digital divide

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Design and evaluate a local infrastructure solution, including cost and maintenance.
• SDG 12 · Ages 14–17 Cradle to grave: the life cycle of a product

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Map the life cycle of a product from raw materials to disposal and identify its biggest impact point.
  • Explain the principles of a circular economy (reduce, reuse, repair, recycle, redesign).