Swiss French cantons: Eco Heroes in the national curriculum

Visées prioritaires de la Formation générale: « Prendre conscience de la complexité et des interdépendances et développer une attitude responsable et active en vue d’un développement durable. »

Priority aim of General education: become aware of complexity and interdependence and develop a responsible, active attitude towards sustainable development.

Code: FG

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.
  • Build a connection web showing how progress on one goal helps others.
• SDG 17 · Ages 14–17 How the world fixed the ozone layer

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Identify the features of a successful partnership (shared evidence, clear targets, support for poorer countries, monitoring).

FG 16-17 — « Reconnaître l’incidence des comportements humains sur l’environnement »

FG 16-17 — recognise the effect of human behaviour on the environment.

Code: FG 16-17

• SDG 12
• SDG 14
• SDG 15

• Ages 6–10

• SDG 12 · Ages 6–10 Bin detectives

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why making less rubbish helps the planet.
• SDG 14 · Ages 6–10 Ocean in a bottle

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain that most rubbish in the sea starts on land.
• SDG 15 · Ages 6–10 Minibeast safari

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why every living thing matters in a habitat.

Interdépendances: « Analyser des formes d'interdépendances entre le milieu et l'activité humaine »

Interdependence: analyse forms of interdependence between the environment and human activity.

Code: FG 26-27

• SDG 6
• SDG 12
• SDG 13

• Ages 11–13

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

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Compare that use with the reality for people who must carry their water.
• SDG 12 · Ages 11–13 Fix it, don’t bin it

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why repairing and reusing products saves resources and money.
• 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.
  • Identify the main sources of carbon in a typical day.

Interdépendances – l'élève « réfléchit à la provenance de biens de consommation et à l'élimination des déchets »

Interdependence – the pupil reflects on where consumer goods come from and how waste is disposed of.

Code: FG 36-37

• SDG 8
• SDG 12

• Ages 14–17

• 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.

Interdépendances – l'élève « prend conscience des comportements de consommation et de leurs conséquences »

Interdependence – the pupil becomes aware of consumption habits and their consequences.

Code: FG 36-37

• SDG 6
• 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 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).
  • Evaluate policies that push producers and consumers towards circular choices, such as South Korea’s food-waste charges.

Interdépendances – l'élève « est familiarisé avec la gestion durable des ressources »

Interdependence – the pupil is familiar with the sustainable management of resources.

Code: FG 36-37

• SDG 6
• SDG 14

• Ages 14–17

• 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.
• 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.
  • Evaluate a sustainable fishing policy and who bears the costs of overfishing.

Interdépendances – l'élève « propose des solutions à des problématiques données et s'implique dans des projets environnementaux »

Interdependence – the pupil proposes solutions to given problems and takes part in environmental projects.

Code: FG 36-37

• SDG 7
• SDG 11
• SDG 13

• Ages 14–17

• SDG 7 · Ages 14–17 Planning the switch: the clean energy transition

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Design a 3-step transition plan for a school or town and evaluate its trade-offs.
• SDG 11 · Ages 14–17 Who is the city for? Auditing how people move

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Propose 3 evidence-based improvements and identify who the current system serves worst.
• SDG 13 · Ages 14–17 From evidence to action: making a climate campaign

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Design a campaign with a clear message, audience and one specific ask.

FG 12 — « Reconnaître ses besoins fondamentaux en matière de santé et ses possibilités d’action pour y répondre »

FG 12 — recognise one's basic health needs and what one can do to meet them.

Code: FG 12

• SDG 3
• SDG 6

• Ages 6–10

• SDG 3 · Ages 6–10 Germ busters

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain that germs are too small to see and can make us ill.
  • Name 3 habits that help us stay healthy (washing hands, moving our bodies, sleeping well).
• SDG 6 · Ages 6–10 Every drop counts

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Name 3 ways we use water every day.

Santé et bien-être: « Agir par rapport à ses besoins fondamentaux en mobilisant les ressources utiles »

Health and well-being: act on one's basic needs by drawing on useful resources.

Code: FG 22

• SDG 3

• Ages 11–13

• 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.
  • Evaluate which healthy habit is hardest to keep and suggest one strategy to help.

FG 14-15 — « Participer à la construction de règles facilitant la vie et l’intégration à l’école et les appliquer »

FG 14-15 — help build rules that make life and inclusion at school easier, and apply them.

Code: FG 14-15

• SDG 10
• SDG 16

• 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.
• SDG 16 · Ages 6–10 Peacemakers

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Listen to another person’s point of view without interrupting.
  • Suggest a fair solution that works for both sides.

FG 24 — « Assumer sa part de responsabilité dans la réalisation de projets collectifs »

FG 24 — take one's share of responsibility in carrying out collective projects.

Code: FG 24

• SDG 11
• SDG 17

• Ages 11–13

• 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.
• SDG 17 · Ages 11–13 The goals hold hands

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Build a connection web showing how progress on one goal helps others.

Vivre ensemble – l'élève « participe à la vie de son école »

Living together – the pupil takes part in the life of the school.

• SDG 16

• Ages 14–17

• 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).
  • Propose changes that make a system fairer and more accountable.

SHS 21 — « Identifier les relations existant entre les activités humaines et l'organisation de l'espace »

SHS 21 — identify the relationships between human activities and how space is organised.

Code: SHS 21

• SDG 11

• Ages 6–10
• Ages 11–13

• SDG 11 · Ages 6–10 My dream street

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Draw a simple map of a street with a key.
• 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).
  • Collect and compare temperature or observation data from green and paved areas.

Citoyenneté: « Identifier les formes locales d'organisation politique et sociale »

Citizenship: identify local forms of political and social organisation.

• SDG 16

• Ages 11–13
• Ages 14–17

• SDG 16 · Ages 11–13 Fair rules for everyone

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Explain why communities need rules and what makes a rule fair.
• 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).

MSN 26 — « Explorer des phénomènes naturels et des technologies à l’aide de démarches caractéristiques des sciences expérimentales… »

MSN 26 — explore natural phenomena and technologies using the methods of the experimental sciences.

Code: MSN 26

• SDG 7
• SDG 9
• SDG 11

• Ages 6–10
• Ages 11–13

• SDG 7 · Ages 6–10 Sun power

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Show that the Sun warms things up, using a simple test.
• SDG 9 · Ages 6–10 Build it strong

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Test and improve a design, saying what made it stronger.
• SDG 11 · Ages 11–13 Green spots in grey places

  Pupils will be able to:

  • Collect and compare temperature or observation data from green and paved areas.

MSN 28 — « Déterminer des caractéristiques du monde vivant et de divers milieux et en tirer des conséquences pour la pérennité de la vie… »

MSN 28 — determine features of the living world and of different environments and draw consequences for the continuity of life.

Code: MSN 28

• SDG 15

• Ages 6–10
• Ages 11–13

• 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.
• 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.
  • Plan a bee-friendly space and explain how it helps.

MSN 36 — « Analyser des phénomènes naturels et des technologies à l’aide de démarches caractéristiques des sciences expérimentales… »

MSN 36 — analyse natural phenomena and technologies using the methods of the experimental sciences.

Code: MSN 36

• SDG 13

• 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.

MSN 38 — « Analyser l’organisation du vivant et en tirer des conséquences pour la pérennité de la vie… »

MSN 38 — analyse how living things are organised and draw consequences for the continuity of life.

Code: MSN 38

• SDG 15

• Ages 14–17

• 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.
  • Explain the main drivers of biodiversity loss identified by IPBES.
  • Analyse a threatened species’ role in its ecosystem and the root cause of its decline.

Sciences de la nature – l'élève « détermine les caractéristiques du vivant, des écosystèmes et de l'impact de leur modification »

Natural sciences – the pupil determines the features of living things and ecosystems and the impact of changing them.

• 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.