As this year draws to an end and our lives are still dominated by the Covid pandemic, it is easy to think about how restricted our lives have become, but while I have had time at home I have researched the Sustainable Development Goals as a way of putting together a book club/wide reading list for my young students to explore during 2022 and I have realised that my life is just fine. Acting on these goals is even more important than ever if the world is is to recover from the pandemic.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognise that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. More importantly than ever, the goals provide a critical framework for COVID-19 recovery.
What are the goals?
I plan to do what many other schools and teachers have already done and use picture books and reading as a means to create discussion of the goals. As my students are young, under eight years old, I plan to do this with the aid of adults, either the students' teacher or a parent. The parents can borrow from our school library and many of the teachers already ensure that sustainability is a perspective when planning units of inquiry. I have combed through the catalogue looking for suitable books for each of the goals and I will affix a sticker to the book with the icon of the apt goal. I have put together a booklet that will serve as a reading record and then it is 'Let's read and discuss 17 books'. It could be a book a week, a book a fortnight or as the UN SDG Book Club suggests one a month.
The SDG Book Club aims to use books as a tool to encourage children ages 6-12 to interact with the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a curated reading list of books from around the world.
I will share my booklists with you over the next 17 days, so that you too can use these books to start something similar with your students.
A fabulous resource that deserves to be shared widely. Huge thanks (on behalf of others) for all your work on this very worthwhile project!
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