Goal 11 - Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Did you know that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities? Even though cities only make up 3% of the earth’s land, more than 3.5 billion people live in cities today, and that number is only growing.
As more people make cities their homes, it is very important to focus on making cities safe, inclusive, and sustainable. Are there footpaths in your city? Are there enough jobs and homes for everyone? Is it safe for your family to walk at night? Is the air in your city clean? Are the parks taken care of?
Select a book from here.
This book, Out of the Way! Out of the Way! by Umi Krishnaswami appears on many reading lists so if your library has it, it is a very good place to start.
Here's the blurb:
A young boy spots a baby tree growing in the middle of a dusty path in his village. He carefully places rocks around it as the local mango seller rushes past shouting, "Out of the way! Out of the way!" As the tree grows bigger, people and animals traverse the path until it becomes a lane, flowing like a river around the tree -- getting out of its way. Over time, the lane becomes a road, and a young man crossing the road with his children remembers the baby tree from long ago. By the time he is an old man, the tree has become a giant. The city traffic continues to rattle past, noisier and busier than ever, but sometimes the great tree works its magic, and people just stop, and listen.
Two other books that allow for discussion of life in a city are these two by Sydney Smith.
Small in the City and Footpath Flowers
And lastly, perhaps look at a book that is about greening the city or growing things. These two both work well.
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown and Errol's Garden by Gillian Hibbs
Tasks for the booklet:
Before reading, say: How we live affects the city. Ask: What do we do that hurts the city? What do we do that helps the city?
• We read...
• This story made me want to ...
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