Topic > The importance of sustainability in the environment

In the early childhood environment, keep it in their play environment, both indoors and outdoors. Having this space in play offers them the opportunity to discover, create and imagine by challenging the ideas of others and forming new understandings (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations of the Council of Australian Governments [DEEWR], 2009). Sustainability is about conservation, but it is also about fairness and equity. Young children can begin to think about the impact their choices will have on their future lives (Early Childhood Australia, 2013). Incorporate sustainability into the program by incorporating it into everyday experiences. Plan art to include the resource by placing it in the art area for intentional teaching purposes. They can follow the progress of the breakdown through their art or use art to reflect and understand. Intentional teaching during this experience could include “strategies such as “open-ended questions, speculation, explanation, engagement in shared thinking, and problem solving to extend children's thinking and learning” (DEEWR, 2009, p. 29). Include the resource in the literacy area. Books can be about animals, people and the environment. Teachers promote care for the environment and social responsibility when they provide children with information and resources about the environment and the impact their activities have. have on them (DEEWR, 2014). Even early mathematical skills can be focused on this resource; young mathematics learners and thinkers are able to demonstrate skills in measurement, data analysis and probability (Arthur 2012). Having children take regular photos of the resource will help them keep track of the time to break down and represent the data. Ask them how long it will take and offer various resources so they can use pictures, symbols and words to represent theirs ideas. All these experiences are