SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

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 ...

 

                  

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

 

Goal 8  Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.

Global unemployment has steadily decreased over the past two decades, from about 6.4% to 5.6%, but that does not guarantee that all jobs pay well, have safe work environments, or provide decent benefits for employees.

Here's the list of books to choose from.

The concept of 'work' is an interesting one for the students I teach, so I might start with a discussion of work and a picture book such as My Mum Goes to Work by Libby Gleeson.

When I ask the students what their mum or dad does for work, unless it is something with a label like 'lawyer', 'teacher' or 'architect' they usually do not know what they do. If you ask them where they work, at the moment they are likely to say 'at home', so really children under eight years old really do not know what 'work' is, let alone whether the work environment is safe or pays well. So probably here there needs to be some 'shock' factor to make them to think about work and what is fair. 

When I read My Rows and Piles of Coins by M. Tololwa Mollel  they are amazed that a child their age goes to work with his mother, that he doesn't have a bike and has to save up to get one, so reading the biography of Iqbal:A Brave Boy from Pakistan by Jeanette Winter might provide some shock factor.  Iqbal Masih spoke up against child labour in the carpet industry as recently as 1995. If you do read this story, please read the text before you read the 'foreword' or note from the author. You can read it depending upon the students' reaction to the book, knowing now that Iqbal was shot.  There is also a short novel about Iqbal written by Francesco D'Adamo.

Another book that deals with child labour is I Like, I Don't Like by Anna Baccelliere. It has minimal text and appears simple, but with an enabling adult this book allows for much discussion of perspectives of work, leisure, play, childhood.

Here's the blurb:

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child in the world has the right to play. Unfortunately, that universal right is not always respected. I Like, I Don't Like presents this reality to readers by showing how children in varying circumstances can see the same object very differently. 

Children from more affluent circumstances are shown on one side of the double-page spreads, claiming they “like” objects that are fun and/or luxurious, while on the other side, the children who have to make and/or labour over those objects say they don’t like them. Some examples include a child playing with lego bricks on one side, and a kid having to cart piles of bricks on his head on the other. There are happy children eating rice juxtaposed with children having to plant and pick the rice. 

If you want a good book to show how work has changed and will continue to change given discussion of SDG 7 and renewable energy, read Town is By the Sea by Joanne Scwartz and Sydney Smith.

Here's the blurb:

A young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch and comes home to a simple family dinner, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea. The illustrations show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig. This beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a maritime mining town will enthral children.

In the booklet:

• What do your mum and dad do for work? Do you think they are safe at work? What would make a worker feel unsafe at work? Do you think children should work? What makes you think that?

 

• We read

• This story made me think work is