World Environment Day 2014 : Schools

http://www.unep.org/

"Planet Earth is our shared island, let us join forces to protect it."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

(at the launch of the 2014 International Year of Small Islands and Developing States)

Today is World Environment Day! It's a day to raise global awareness and to encourage people to take positive environmental action. Here are some simple actions you can take that can make a difference for the planet

On June 5, 1973, the world first celebrated World Environment Day. The date was chosen by the United Nations to honor the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment, a landmark summit in conservation and environmental awareness.

The UN calls World Environment Day “the biggest day for positive environmental action.” It is a day for public outreach as well as personal responsibility - an “opportunity to care for the Earth and become agents of change.”

Every year, World Environment Day is hosted by a different city or region, with a different theme. Kigali, Rwanda, hosted the 2010 World Environment Day, with the theme “Many Species. One Planet. One Future.” The theme for 2007, hosted in Tromso, Norway, was “Melting Ice—A Hot Topic?” 

http://www.un.org/

World Environment Day, with a focus on the world’s small islands, which contribute little to climate change but are highly vulnerable to its impacts.

Don't forget ! Deadline will be happy to know if there is a winner 

Host country : Barbados

WED 2014 is being globally hosted by Barbados, a small Caribbean island leading the way in solar energy.

As one of the smallest independent states in the world, Barbados faces many challenges like climate-induced sea level rise and  vulnerability to natural disasters.  The country is steadfastly overcoming these challenges through its work in transitioning to a green economy.

Education:

Our decisions today will shape the world our children and grandchildren will live in. Let's make the change we wish to see in the world. It starts with you and I. What positive pledge can we make as educators to contribute to combatting climate change?

World Environment Day (WED) is a day for people and educators from all walks of life to come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for themselves and future generations.

Students involve in creative green projects that they share with school mates, families, friends and internnational pen-pals. They have become the new #ecologistgeneration, not only #selfiegeneration.

Everyone can make a difference in caring for the planet on World Environment Day, through simple steps. 

Activities:

• WED A to Z

Students will have awesome ideas to develop in the classroom, at school, at home. Let them look for the most interesting activity.

• World Environment Day Booklet (PDF) : English ; Arabic.

Organize clean-up campaigns, walk-to-school days, plastic purges, art exhibits, tree-planting drives, concerts, dance recitals, switching off the lights, recycling drives, social media campaigns and different contests. — every action counts. When multiplied by a global chorus, our individual voices and actions become exponential in their impact.

http://issuu.com/

Thousands have pledged to take action for #WorldEnvironmentDay. What can you do as teacher? Check on:

• UNESCO Climate Change Lifestyle Guide online for tips on integrating environmentally-friendly reflexes in everyday life in school education as well.

• The UN Islands Photo Call 2014 of course ! The closing date for entries  is today June 5, 2014.

Level: All levels. 

Every teacher will prepare different activities.

Curricula: Cross-curricula Languages, Sciences; Arts (Design, Photography, Multimedia).

Devices: iPads, smartphones, tablets.

• Register your activity here

Every action counts. When multiplied by a global chorus, our individual voices and actions become exponential in their impact.

Get your School on board ! Share if you’re supporting World Environment Day!

G-Souto

05.06.2014

Copyright © 2014G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

World Environmental Day 2014 : Schools by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Civics Education: Mandela International Day

"Nelson Mandela’s achievements came at great personal cost to himself and his family. His sacrifice not only served the people of his own nation, South Africa, but made the world a better place for all people, everywhere… He showed the way. He changed the world."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Today is Mandela International Day. Every year, on Mandela Day, people around the world are asked by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to devote 67 minutes of time to helping others, as a way to mark Nelson Mandela International Day.

18 July 2013 – The United Nations today marks Nelson Mandela International Day, celebrating the South African leader’s 95th birthday and honoring his dedication to public service, social justice and reconciliation, inspiring millions around the world.

In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared 18 July "Nelson Mandela International Day" in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.

The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. “Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.”

By devoting 67 minutes of their time – one minute for every year of Mr. Mandela’s public service – people can make a small gesture of solidarity with humanity and a step towards a global movement for good.

UN staff around the world have made a difference through a variety of activities in the past – from offering school supplies to children, to preparing meals for the elderly, helping out in an orphanage, cleaning up parks, and delivering computer literacy workshops.

http://www.mandeladay.com/

Education:

“The heart of Nelson Mandela International Day is good works for people and the planet. Its theme…is meant to mobilize the human family to do more to build a peaceful, sustainable and equitable world,” (...) . “This is the best tribute we can pay to an extraordinary man who embodies the highest values of humanity.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Students are enjoying summer holidays. But "Mandela Day" is every day. So, when they return in August/ September, teachers can invite the students to take action and inspire change by celebrating a "Mandela Day at school". 

Ask your students to make small gestures of solidarity with humanity by spending 67 minutes in a week. Introduce Civics activities in a cross-curricular plan.

http://whitesci.co.za/

Some activities:

• Make a new friend. Get to know someone in the school from a different cultural background and through mutual understanding rid intolerance and xenofobia.

• Read to someone who can't. Visit a local home for old people or for blind people and open up a new world for someone else.

• Help someone at the supermarket, on the street or someone who is a bit lost in the city or can't find the right bus, for example.

• Visit an hospital and speak to ill people or ill children. Take a little time to have a chat and bring some sunshine into their lives.

• Grab blankets that you no longer need from home and give them to homeless people.

• Help out at a local animal shelter. Dogs and cats without homes still need a walk or a bit of love.

• Make a Peace concert at school by writing some lyrics about peace, social inclusion and adjusting to a tune that students love. Invite the local community to listen it.

• Deliver computer literacy workshops to older people in school (grandparents, neighbours,  community).

Literacy is probably the most important skill for an individual to acquire and develop. An empowerment tool that gives access to further education and new opportunities. 
ICT skills complete the education of all in our days. 

However, humanity is the most important value.

Google doodle 2014

doodler : Kate Wu

https://lh4.ggpht.com/

In July 18, 2014, Google is celebrating the anniversary of #Mandela’s birth with an interactive Doodle. Starting with an illustration of the former leader, visitors can click through a number of his most well-known quotes, coupled with illustrations depicting stages of his 'Long Walk to Freedom'.

We could not miss it ! Please think on this subject to make the difference at your school.

"We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference"

Nelson Mandela

G-Souto

16.07.2013

Copyright © 2013G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Update : Google doodle, 18 July 2014

18.07.2014

Civics Education: Mandela International Day by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

World Environment Day in School Education

https://www.unenvironment.org/

“Although individual decisions may seem small in the face of global threats and trends, when billions of people join forces in common purpose, we can make a tremendous difference.” 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon

World Environment Day is an annual event on 5 June that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. 

World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and focuses political attention and action.

World Environment Day activities are involving everyone from everywhere. 

World Environment Day is also a day for people from all walks of life to come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for themselves and future generations.

http://www.unep.org/

Theme 2019:

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebrations is  Think.Eat.Save. 

Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your footprint. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. 

This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.

Each year, Clean Up the World Members participate in a range of activities to celebrate World Environment Day.

https://www.unenvironment.org/

Education:

World Environment Day (WED) is also a day for people from all walks of life to come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for themselves and future generations.

Here we are writing about Civics and Environmental education at schools. So important to help our your students became engaged citizens.

Yes! Because World Environmental Day is not about a day! WED is about every day! Schools have an important role. 

Educators must teach environmental values in different moments of their lessons, providing some thoughts and digital educational resources, educate young people for a sustainable future and inspiring them being a good example. 

Of course you can't forget to invite your students to use their devices (iPad, smartphone, tablet) for developing interactive activities.

Students will evolve in creative green projects that they will share with colleagues, families, friends and pen-pals. They will become good young ecologists.

https://www.unenvironment.org/

Level: All levels (adapt to the level everyone is teaching).

Curricula: Cross-curricular: Languages, Sciences; Arts (Design, Photograph, Multimedia).

Devices: iPad, smartphone, tablet.

Some Activities for students:

• Make a video with your class: invite students to write the script (Languages curriculum and Multimedia);

• Start a slogan contest on Twitter. Every student will write a slogan and publish it on Twitter on the hashtag #WED2013;

The best 5 slogans of every class will have a prize (ask for help to a librarian or tech store); 

• Plan and create a page on Facebook (school or class account) and invite other students from the school to interact with on thematic subjects, videos, songs, famous environmentalists);

• Invite students to write stories, poems, interviews, drama, letters to pen-pals about environment and publish them on a green class blog;

• Make some photos (outdoor class) and publish them on a green class blog;

• Organize a school clean-up or neighborhood school clean-up;

• Start a campaign to stop using plastic bags at school, home, and ask the community to do the same;

• Stop food waste at school canteen, home, markets.

Whatever you do, tell UNEP about it! All your activities will be posted on the website. 

Registration here

For years, I shared my green ideas with my students. Today, I know they are young citizens who care about environment. And some of the oldest are now involved in volunteering in different NGOs.

"It would be absolutely useless for any of us to work to save wildlife without working to educate the next generation of conservationists."

Jane Goodall, primatologist, anthropologist

Really agree! 

So think before you eat and help save our environment!

G-Souto

03.06.2013

Copyright © 2013G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

World Environmental Day in School Education by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International