CROSS-­‐CURRICULUM

 PRIORITY:  SUSTAINABILITY  

This  design  project  offers  strong  links  to  the  cross  curriculum  priority  of  sustainability  as  it  

provides  students  with  the  opportunity  to  consider  the  importance  of  biodiversity.  The  main  goal  of  

the  design  project  is  for  students  to  recognise  how  an  environment  or  space  can  be  designed  to  

meet  community  needs,  whilst  taking  sustainability  into  consideration.  

The  United  Nations  Sustainable  Development  Goal  that  aligns  with  this  project  is  Goal  15:  

Life  on  Land.  This  goal  recognises  the  importance  of  halting  biodiversity  loss  and  the  sustainable  use  

of  terrestrial  ecosystems.  This  project  requires  students  to  create  a  habitat  to  support  the  local  bee  

and  butterfly  populations,  both  insects  are  important  contributors  to  pollination  and  both  are  

threatened  species.  Designing  and  providing  a  garden  to  support  these  insects  is  helping  to  

contribute  towards  halting  biodiversity  loss.  

 The  project  links  closely  to  the  “Systems”  key  concept  identified  in  the  Australian  

sustainability  curriculum  which  highlights  the  role  of  ecosystems  in  allowing  living  things  to  survive.  

The  “World  Views”  key  concept  recognises  that  the  dependence  of  living  things  on  healthy  

ecosystems  is  essential  for  achieving  sustainability.  The  “Futures”  key  concept  emphasises  the  

importance  of  caring  for  our  environments  and  taking  action  to  preserve  our  environments  for  

future  generations.  To  integrate  these  key  concepts  into  this  project,  students  will  develop  an  

understanding  of  the  role  that  plants  play  in  supporting  insect  populations.  They  will  then  use  this  

knowledge  to  design  a  garden  which  will  create  a  healthy  ecosystem  within  the  school.  During  the  

first  lesson,  students  will  begin  learning  about  the  life  cycle  of  butterflies  and  bees  and  the  

important  role  that  they  have  in  our  environment.  The  knowledge  students  gain  from  this  lesson  will  

help  inform  their  garden  design  later  on  in  the  term  when  they  are  considering  the  features  they  will  

include  to  help  these  insects  thrive,  taking  action  to  help  benefit  the  environment  for  future  

generations.