Exploring Sustainability in Early Childhood Education Assignment

This assignment focuses on the significance of introducing sustainability concepts to children from an early age. It begins with a discussion of why early exposure to sustainability is vital, emphasizing the lasting impact of these lessons on future generations. The assignment then presents three pictures, each prompting a story about learning opportunities within the natural environment. These stories highlight the interdependence between people, plants, animals, and the land, illustrating how children can learn about coral reefs, animal care, and the importance of trees. The assignment underscores the role of educators in fostering environmental awareness and instilling values that promote conservation and responsible stewardship of the planet. The provided solution demonstrates how children can be taught to appreciate the natural world and understand their place within it.

Assessment Task 1: Written questions
QUESTION 1
In approximately 200 words. Discuss why it is important for children to be introduced to
sustainability issues, concepts and practices from an early age.
The values which are taught to the students at their early ages are reflected in them when
they grow old. The sustainability issues which are imposed on the child takes form of the
permanent roots which will be instilled in them for their entire life. For making the next
generation take care of the environment it is very important to let them learn the various
concept of sustainability issues from the very beginning. By the help of the various
curriculum and activities which will be designed to take care of the environment the children
must be taught to take care of the planter Earth. The things which will be taught to the
children in their early life will be used by them to take care of the ecosystem in their future.
The children will be using them as the references from which they will know what necessary
steps need to be taken in the future for preserving the ecosystem of the Earth. Children must
know the interdependence between the Earth and the human beings as it will be helping
them to make sure that every step they take will not be harming the planet. The future
generation needs to correct the wrong which the present generation has done to the
environment.
Source - http://themodernape.com/2014/07/25/sustainable-practices-must-taught-early-age/
QUESTION 2
Look at the following three pictures.
Write a story for each picture (100-200 words each) about opportunities for learning about
the natural environment and the interdependence between people, plants, animals and the
land that could be happening in each of the pictures.
a) Picture 1:

Source: EYLF Postcards http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/eylf-postcards.pdf
One day a teacher decided to teach their students about the life of corals. Corals are an
important part of our Earth. The various patterns which the corals hold are mesmerizing and
breath-taking. The children were awestruck by the various layers of the coals. The teacher
decided to explain them the way a coral is formed. The process by which the formation of
coral occurs was explained in a very amazing way by the teacher and the children found it
very engaging and listened to it carefully. The teacher explained that the pollution which is
being caused to the sea is depleting the corals of the oceans and seas. She also said that
the beautiful cover on the bed of the water bodies are slowly melting away due to the things
we are doing. The children took the oath that they will be making sure that they will never do
anything that will be pollution the oceans. As Sylvia Earle has stated “Ice ages have come
and gone. Coral reefs have persisted.” the teacher tells the children that the humanity must
work towards the preservation of the coral reefs. The children got the idea about the
connection of the human beings and ocean life which will be helping them in the future to
preserve it.
b) Picture 2:

Source: EYLF Postcards http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/eylf-postcards.pdf
A teacher decided one day to take her students to a field trip. On the field trip they come
across a number of chicks. One of her students took a chick in her hand and she looked very
much happy. The lesson which the child learned from this instance is how tender animals
are. The teacher explains in this world the connection between the animals and humans
have been existing from ages. She also states owing to overpopulation and globalisation we
are slowly taking the homes of the animals away from them. The child learned how to love
animals and take care of them from her very childhood. The child came to know how to be
gentle to animals as they too need our help to survive. The tenderness of the chick has
amazed the child and she is instantly in love with the chick. The various process by the help
of which these practices will be helping the child is that she will be coming to know how
gentle animals are and they too need our live and attention. As James Herriot said "If having
a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude then animals are better off
than a lot of humans".

c) Picture 3:
Source: EYLF Postcards http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/eylf-postcards.pdf
A teacher once took his students to a park in which he along with his two students sat under
the shade of tree on a small bench. The aim of the teacher was to make the children learn
the various ways plants help us. Slowly the forest cover in the world are being removed by
the people to make more places for them to live. The children will be learning from the very
small age about the ways they will be able to protect the trees. The teacher also thought that
the students will be learning the various values and the various ways by the help of which
plants serve us and what they can do in return to protect them. The values and the ethics

which was taught by the teacher will be helping the students in working towards the
conservation of plants in the future. As Mokokoma Mokhonoana said “Plants are more
courageous than almost all human beings: an orange tree would rather die than produce
lemons, whereas instead of dying the average person would rather be someone they are
not”.