Big Ideas of Enduring Understanding Essential Question

Sustainability
Community: • Communities are made up of the people, ani- • What is a community?
a group of liv- mals, and plants that live in them. • How can we help our com-
• There are human and natural communities and munity?
ing and non-
they are interconnected. • What makes a sustainable
living things • Individuals can make a difference in their com- community?
sharing a com- munity. • What is your responsibility
mon purpose • There are different kinds of communities to the community?
or space • Each person is part of a community/ multiple • Who lives in our human
communities and natural communities?
• I shape, and am, shaped by my community
• Community is an outcome of relationships
Systems: • Systems operate in human and natural com- • What role do economics
parts that are munities. play in shaping our world?
• Individuals can be part of multiple systems. • What is a system?
connected
• Many smaller systems are connected in larger • What systems are you a
through larger systems. part of?
patterns • Change in any part of a system will affect the • How does change happen
whole system. in a system?
• Individuals can affect a system. • How do systems and
• Human systems can learn from natural sys- changes in systems affect
tems. you?
• Human systems consist of people, structures, • How do you affect and
and processes that work together to make an make changes in systems?
organization more or less healthy. • What patterns can we find
• Natural systems include various elements such in our community?
as air, water, movement, plants, and animals • How are human and natu-
that work together to survive . ral systems connected?
• Humans are part of natural systems.
• Actions of humans have an impact on natural
systems.
• Understanding systems allows us to see a more
complete picture and make better informed
choices.
• Understanding a system a allows us to identify
leverage points and create change.
• Parts of systems are generally systems them-
selves and are composed of other parts, just as
systems are generally parts of other systems.

a project of Shelburne Farms www.sustainableschoolsproject.org

Big Ideas of Enduring Understanding Essential Question
Sustainability
Diversity: • Diversity is essential to the health of communi- • In what ways is human di-
all systems and ties & systems. versity related to biodiver-
sity?
places function • Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosys-
tems; Diversity is a measure of the health of sys- • What makes a place di-
because of tems. verse?
variety • A diverse human community is more creative • How does the diversity of a
and can better adapt to change. system affect its health?
• Multiple perspectives/inputs contribute to the • What is our community
resiliency and strength of a system/place. made of?
• Organisms, communities, places and systems • Why is diversity important?
would cease to function with out diversity.
• Diversity happens on multiple scales.
• Diversity is essential in both human and natural
systems.
• Diversity is a fundamental ecological principle.
Inter- • All things are connected. • How do our choices affect
dependence: • Every organism depends on others. us, our community, and the
• Every system depends on others. world?
all living things
• Every place depends on others. • How are human and natu-
are connected, ral systems interrelated?
• Human communities can learn from natural sys-
every tems and other human systems. • What can communities
organism, • Human systems depend on natural systems. learn from natural systems
system, and • Our choices have multiple impacts on human to improve our common
place and natural communities. future?
depends on • In what ways do you de-
pend on others?
others
• In what ways do you de-
pend on natural systems?
• How are we all connected?
• Who or what depends on
you?
Cycles: every • Many cycles are found in the natural world. • What cycles can we find in
organism and • Humans can impact natural cycles. our community?
every system • Humans are part of natural cycles. • In what ways do we impact
• Every living thing has a life cycle. cycles?
goes through • What cycles are we a part
• Living things have different needs at different
different stages life stages. of?
• There is no “away” or end to a cycle • What and how are cycles
• Cycles will continue unless acted upon or inter- related to one another?
rupted by an outside force
• Humans can impact cycles and vice versa
• There are all sizes and shapes, types and lengths
of cycles (i.e. butterfly life cycle, seasons, a prod-
uct, phases of the moon).
• Cycles are the foundation for systems, under-
standing of cycles is the foundation for under-
standing systems.
a project of Shelburne Farms www.sustainableschoolsproject.org
Big Ideas of Enduring Understanding Essential Question
Sustainability
Change over • Living things must adapt to changes in their • What can we learn from
time: environment in order to survive. the past?
• Systems are constantly changing . • Whose story is it?
all organisms, • We can learn from the past. • How do living things adapt
places, and • Humans shape and are shaped by the land. to changes in their envi-
systems are • Individuals/communities/organisms can bring ronment?
constantly about or slow change. • How do we shape the
changing • Change occurs at different rates and on differ- land? How does the land
ent scales. shape us?
• Change impacts ecosystems & communities in • How has our community
different ways. Some ways are healthy and changed over time?
some ways are unhealthy. • How have you changed
• Change may not always be seen as it occurs. over time?
• Change is constant.
• Change in any part of a system affects all other
parts of a system.
Limits: • Every system has a limit/carrying capacity, • Why do living things move
every system which if exceeded will results in loss of balance from place to place?
in the system. • Who decides what limits
has a carrying
• There are limits to environmental, social, and something?
capacity economic systems. • What determines limits in
• Systems have a natural rate of change and set the natural world? In eco-
of limitations. nomic
• A system’s limitations help keep that system in • systems? In social systems?
balance. • What happens when a sys-
• Natural selection limits the total number of in- tem reaches its limits?
dividuals in any group.
• The earth, and other closed systems, has a fi-
nite amount of resources.
Ability to • Our choices impact ourselves, our communi- • How do our choices affect
make a ties, and our world. ourselves, our communi-
• I can make a difference. ties, and the world?
difference: • We can make a difference. • What is your responsibility
everyone has • Everyone has the ability to make a difference to yourself, your commu-
the ability to to themselves, their community, and their nity, and the world?
change or place. • How can one individual
impact a • No one can do everything, but everyone can make a difference?
system, do something. • How can a group of indi-
• Everyone can, and does, affect systems posi- viduals make a difference?
community, tively or negatively. • What does it mean to be a
and citizen in our neighbor-
themselves hood?
• What can you do to make
change in a system?

a project of Shelburne Farms www.sustainableschoolsproject.org

Big Ideas of Enduring Understanding Essential Question
Sustainability
Equilibrium: • Equilibrium is achieved when all parts of a sys- • Why do animals or humans
a state of tem are in balance. move from place to place?
• A system regulates itself and tends to maintain • What makes a system bal-
balance
a stable, constant condition. anced? What throws off its
• When equilibrium is lost a system can cease to balance?
function. • How do systems achieve
• The diversity of a system impacts its equilib- equilibrium?
rium. • What happens in a system
• Systems require equilibrium to stay healthy when it is out of balance?
and/or alive. • What is the relationship
• Cycles, diversity, and change over time are between diversity and
natural forces to maintain equilibrium equilibrium?
• Human intervention can destroy or repair equi- • What happens when you
librium. or your community is out
• Changes in system can destroy or repair equilib- of balance?
rium.
• To maintain equilibrium we must operate
within a system’s limits.
Long-term • How we live today impacts how people will live • How do living things adapt
effects: in the future. to changes in their environ-
• Our elders made choices that impact how we ment?
actions will live today. • In what ways does how we
have effects • We can make choices that ensure a healthy fu- live today impact how peo-
beyond ture. ple live in the future?
immediate • I can make choices that contribute to a healthy • What choices did our eld-
reactions future. ers make that affect the
• My actions impact others’ future. way we live
• what you do now has both an immediate and • today?
long term effect on you, your community, the • How can we make choices
environment, and the economy. to ensure a healthy future?
• Change in any one system can have long term • How do your actions im-
effects on human and natural systems that limit pact the future of others?
the systems ability to regenerate.
• Human behavior can have long-term effects on
natural systems that can be irreversible.
• The impact of human behavior, choices, and
decisions isn’t always immediate.
• Short term and temporary effects are much eas-
ier to measure than long term effects.
• When we operate outside the natural limits of
our ecosystem the long term effects have the
potential to be irreversible.
• We don’t always know the long term effects of
our actions.

a project of Shelburne Farms www.sustainableschoolsproject.org

Big Ideas of Enduring Understanding Essential Question
Sustainability
Place: • Human culture shapes, and is shaped, by the • How are we shaped by the
natural and hu- land. land/How do we shape the
• Landscape impacts how we live. land?
man communi-
• Human and natural communities interact in • How do humans and the
ties together place. natural world interact?
make up one’s • We are connected to the people that lived in • How does where we live
place this place before us. impact how we live?
• Each person, living and non living thing is na- • How are people connected
tive to and influenced by a place. to the past?
• Living and non-living things influence and con- • What stories are here?
tribute to their place. • What makes up your place?
• Humans have the unique ability to chose their Who makes up your place?
place and to choose to switch places.
• The needs, concerns, systems and cycles in each
place are different and indicative of the ecologi-
cal, geological, cultural and historic cycles that
have happened and are happening there.
Fairness / • Resources must be shared across time and • Who decides what is fair or
Equity: space to meet the needs of all living things now equitable? Who should
and in the future. decide?
resources need • Environmental, economic, and social equity • What is the difference be-
to be shared to perspectives must be considered when deter- tween fairness and equity?
meet the needs mining fairness. • How should we balance
of living • Inequitable allocation of resources can lead to the rights of individuals
things—across conflict. with the common good?
places and • Actions we take now will impact the future. • What determines value?
• Equity is a uniquely human concept. • Is there a difference be-
generations • Equity/fairness requires each individual to be tween wants and needs?
aware of his or her own needs and the needs of • What happens in a system
others and to change his or her behavior ac- when resources are lim-
cordingly. ited?
• Communities need to conserve natural re- • What happens when re-
sources. sources are inequitably al-
• Not everyone gets everything they want, but located?
we try to ensure everyone has what they need. • Why is it important to think
• Equal and equitable are not the same. about the future?
• Different people/organisms have different
needs and meet them in different ways.

a project of Shelburne Farms www.sustainableschoolsproject.org