SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN EARLY YEARS
SDGs for The Early Years
The Flourish Project has taken the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals SDGs and created sets of topics that can be explored within primary/elementary school settings.
The Flourish Model provides an ecological underpinning to the SDGs and explores how young children can become active participants in protecting the wellbeing of the future generations
The flourish Model shows that children and families are embedded within larger cultural and political systems and that their values and wellbeing are intimately connected to that of others and the planet as a whole. It acknowledges young children as active global citizens and rights-holders, who are strong, powerful and rich in potential as positive change agents.
“We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.”
– Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential
How the SDGs can be applied to The Early Years
NO POVERTY
- Thinking about what our bodies need to live.
- Thinking about our lives and how they are different to children in other countries.
- Understanding sharing and why it matters.
- Creating a world where nobody goes without.
ACTIVITIES
- What do we need and why?
- What would it be like to have no food or toys?
- What would I share with another child that was in need?
ZERO HUNGER
- Why do we need food and where does it come from?
- What does it feel like to be hungry?
- Why do some children not have enough to eat?
- Creating a world where everybody has enough to eat.
ACTIVITIES
- Learning about money and paying for food.
- Make a list of what you eat in a day and think about where it comes from.
- Learning about foods that grow in other countries.
GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
- What does it look and feel like to be healthy?
- What do we have to do to be healthy?
- What makes us happy or sad and why?
- Why do we need a happy planet?
- A world where everybody can be happy and well.
ACTIVITIES
- Exploring how our bodies work.
- What happens when our bodies don’t work?
- How we can create a healthy planet?
QUALITY EDUCATION
- Why do we come to nursery?
- Why do we need to learn new things?
- What is the difference between play and work?
- Creating a world where everyone can learn and grow.
ACTIVITIES
- What work do your mummy and daddy/ parents do?
- How do your mummy and daddy/parents play?
- What are schools for?
GENDER EQUALITY
- Exploring what makes us different.
- What is a family? And who is in yours?
- Everyone is special.
- Creating a world where everyone can choose who they want to be.
ACTIVITIES
- Create your own family tree.
- How we are different gallery.
CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
- Understanding where water comes from.
- Wee and Poo and where does it go?
- Why clean water matters?
- Creating a world where everybody has clean water.
ACTIVITIES
- Saving and recycling water
The use of water around the world. - What can we do to look after the water?
AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
- Understanding different types of energy.
- Understanding what energy is used for.
- Learning about saving energy.
- Creating a world where everybody has access to enough energy.
ACTIVITIES
- Exploring how energy is used in my own house.
- Learning how to save energy?
- Learning about energy use around the world.
DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
- Why is work important?
- What roles and jobs make our communities work?
- Doing what you need and love.
- Learning about work around the world.
- Creating a world where everybody has enough work.
ACTIVITIES
- What jobs are important to our community?
- What jobs are the same/different in communities around the world?
INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
- What is different/special about our own communities?
- Why is it important that we can work together?
- Why do we need new ideas and things?
- How do people share new ideas and things?
- Creating a world where we think about other people.
ACTIVITIES
- What could we do to work better together?
- What new thoughts and ideas do you have?
- How can we share and try out our ideas?
REDUCED INEQUALITIES
- Learning about how everybody is different and special.
- Learning about different backgrounds.
- Learning about how words can hurt.
- Taking care of others.
- Creating a world where everybody matters.
ACTIVITIES
- What makes us look or feel different?
What makes us crumple? (Words that hurt us)
Everybody is good at something – what are you good at?
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
- What is special about where you live?
- How do we get about?
- Why spending time with nature matters?
- Creating a world where everybody has a nice place to live.
ACTIVITIES
- Learning about different homes and communities.
- Learning about transport systems around the world.
REDUCED INEQUALITIES
- Learning about food systems.
- Learning about clothes systems.
- Learning about waste and recycling.
- Creating a sustainable world.
ACTIVITIES
- Learning where the food you eat comes from.
How food is grown and transported around the world.
CLIMATE ACTION
- Learning about habitats.
- Learning about weather.
- Learning about ecosystems.
- Creating a world where everything is in balance.
ACTIVITIES
- Learning about jungles and hot areas of the world.
- Learning about antarctica and cold areas of the world.
- Why things need to be in balance.
LIFE BELOW WATER
- Learning about the ocean.
- Learning about fish and shellfish.
- Learning about coral reefs.
- Creating a world where the oceans are clean and healthy.
ACTIVITIES
- Learning about plastic.
- Learning about fishing.
LIFE ON LAND
- Learning about soil.
- Learning about plants.
- Learning about different species.
- Creating a world where the land is clean and healthy.
ACTIVITIES
- Exploring the Human Kingdom.
- Exploring the Plant Kingdom.
- Exploring the Animal Kingdom.
PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
- Learning about feeling safe.
- Learning about right and wrong.
- Learning about caring for each other.
- Creating a safe and peaceful world.
ACTIVITIES
- Who looks after us in our communities?
- What scares you and why?
- Learning about asking for help.
PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALS
- Learning about collaboration.
- Learning about your own voice.
- Caring about others.
- Caring about the planet.
- Creating a happy and healthy world.
ACTIVITIES
- Why is it important for people to work together?
- What does nature need us to do?
- Why do children matter?
The Flourish Values Model (FVM) is a new and powerful framework for understanding and mapping human values and wellbeing that promotes community engagement and whole-systems thinking www.flourishproject.net
Copyright ©Flourish Project 2021