Sustainable development

Lesson Plan 1

Organising an event

Learning Objectives

Pupils should be able to:

understand the meaning of sustainable event management.
explain ways to practise social and environmental responsibility when attending different events.
understand how labelling can help inform people to enable them to make sustainable choices.
recognise how sustainable measures can reduce environmental impact and encourage sustainable development and responsible citizenship.

Cross-curricular links:

Resources

Vocabulary

Event - a public, social, or sporting occasion.

Sustainability - the ability to provide for the needs of the world's current population without damaging the ability of future generations to provide for themselves. When a process is sustainable, it can be carried out over and over without negative environmental effects or impossibly high costs to anyone involved.

Recycle - to use again, to re-process

Resources - things that can be used

Reduce - to make or become smaller or less.

Starter

Class activity:

Consider what an event is, and what types of events pupils have attended (both as individuals and as a class).

Create a mind-map of pupils’ ideas – there will be different ideas, for example birthday parties, going to the park, shopping, and sporting events.

Next ask pupils to consider what has to happen in order for any event to take place. Encourage them to think about the necessary pre-planning and hard work that goes into organising events, however big or small.

Teaching sequence

To provide a familiar context for the pupils, take the example of a birthday party. Ask pupils to create a birthday party event, using the activities below.

Activity 1

Pupils complete and draw the cartoon storyboard in Activity sheet 1 illustrating what they did before, during and after their chosen event (based on their previous experiences). This activity can be completed as a whole class, or as independent work, depending on the age and abilities of pupils.

Pupils need to consider:

How did they behave? What did they do? They should be encouraged to note down as many details as possible – what transport they used to get to the event, did they buy anything - if so, how did they go about choosing what they brought? What happened to any wrappers from the items they brought? How did they behave before/during/after the event to a) the people at the event they were with, b) the people around them at the event they were with? (Did they say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ for example).

Activity 2

Ask pupils to evaluate how sustainable their event was. Explain that for the next activity, they will plan a birthday party event that is sustainably managed. Discuss how they could reduce the impact that their event has on resources and the environment – remind pupils to consider both the immediate, visible, impact, and the long term impact, including potential effects outside their own communities.

Then complete Activity sheet 2 using examples from their birthday party case study work.

Using the findings from activity sheet 2, pupils should also be encouraged to think about other people’s needs and how their choices affect these people. Discuss with the class why it is important to listen to other people’s views and form a balanced opinion.

Activity 3

Ask pupils what they would need to be responsible for when planning an event. How could they make people attending your event more considerate of their environmental impact? How could they make their event more sustainable?

Consider what you would do when planning a sustainable party for their friends in the class. How could you go about doing this?

Consider the following questions:

Before the event

Transport
Would you try and consider how they were getting to your event?
Would they be walking or sharing cars?
Could you arrange to have your party in a place where it would be easy for people to walk or take public transport to?
Timing
At what time of day will you have your party?
How could this influence how sustainable your party would be?
Resources
How would you write your invites? If you are having food at your party, where has it come from, and have the farmers who produced it been paid fairly?
How has the environment been affected in the production of the food at your party, or the presents that people might buy for the party?
What sustainable presents could people bring to a party?
Where have the clothes come from for your party?
How could you make sure your party clothes were more sustainable?

During the event

How could the behaviour and activities of the people at your party affect other people – locally and globally?
Consider:
- Music:
  - If you are going to play music loudly, it would be considerate to ask local neighbours if they don’t mind – maybe invite them along so they don’t feel left out. Consider timing and music selection – for example playing louder music for only as long as your guests will be dancing, with quieter music for the rest of the time.
- Activities:
  - Will you be playing games – if so which ones? What do they involve? Where do the toys, materials and other resources for your games come from? Where do they go after the party? Can they be re-used or recycled? For example, could you give some of the toys to the local charity shop?
- Food and drink:
  - How much packaging is there with the food and drink for the party? How could this packaging be reduced? Is the food of a good quality that people like and nutritionally balanced?

After the event

What could guests do in order to show their appreciation for the event? Consider how people could show their thanks by – for example – helping to collect rubbish in order to sort it for recycling at the end of the party. What else could be done?
Do guests need ‘thank you’ bags for coming to the party?
What sorts of mementos could be taken that would reduce the levels of consumption but allow guests to have a reminder of the party? Consider for example, photographs, everyone making a piece of art/drawing to do with the party, writing poems or comments that can then be reproduced and sent to those people who attended the party.
How else can people reduce their impact on the environment after a party?

Look up further links about living sustainably (e.g. Oxfam, Centre for Alternative Technology, Tide, Wastewatch - Pupils complete another cartoon storyboard (Activity sheet 3), this time highlighting how they would be more aware and change their practices to be more sustainable at their chosen event.

Extension:

Consider how you could promote sustainable event management to different people in your local community.

Consider:

Creating posters
Writing a report for the local newspaper
Writing and performing a short piece of drama that you could show in class/during school assembly/for a local TV news team

Plenary

Feedback from pupils – ask the class questions and draw out why events are important for all cultures and all people around the world. Explain that however big an event – from a small birthday party to a large international event, organisers have to think about how they can plan and manage the event sustainably to ensure the safety and enjoyment of people attending the event, as well as the people not attending, and the planet itself.