The Future Generations

Description

The pupils describe and produce their own grandchildren. 

The description includes the topics that are in focus in the specific development goal.

Objectives 

Students’ Grandchildren

Students describe their future grandchildren.

This is done with inspiration from the storyline method:

It is important that students get some ideas about their own grandchildren in order to be able to understand the possibilities and limitations of future generations for their living conditions.

Introduction

10 minutes

Students’ grandchildren and year.

Students are asked to imagine how many grandchildren they will have. Afterwards, on a piece of paper, they make a rough timeline where they put the year on the following:

Current year and their age; 

The year when they believe they will have children; 

The year for when their children will have their own children; 

The year for when their grandchild will have the same age as they have today.

Summary: 5 min

The class talks about how many children each student will have and define a common average year, wherein their grandchildren will have the same age as they. (50 years – 2 generations). 

The Chosen Grandchild

10 minutes

Now, the students will think of their own grandchild. They describe the child:

Age, sex, name, the child’s own family, the number of siblings, which school they go, where they live. (This can be determined by the teacher. This will depend on the sustainable goal of the lesson. In many cases, it may make sense to have it as the same place where the students live now).

See attached template.

The grandchildren are given life

Ca. 30 minutes, depending on the format

The students “produce” their grandchildren. This can be done in different ways (the class does not have to work in the same way):

A: As Paper Dolls:

     The students are given a basic model of cardboard and make    

     fabric and yarn available.

B: As a cartoon character in a cartoon program – eg., they can create their grandchildren using the online website, “Pixton,” a comic creation program, https://www.pixton.com/

C: Drawings on a piece of paper 

D: Draw in a drawing program and insert on an online educational software/website, e.g, on “Padlet”: https://padlet.com/

Who is my grandchild?

10 minutes

Continue the work in the template that describes the child. 

Example: 

• favourite food; 
• leisure activities; 
• wishes for his/her birthday; 
• what he/she would like to do with his/her friends; 
• how does he/she get to school; 
• what he/she likes about going to school; 
• where does he/she go for vacation with his/her family and how do they get there;  
• what education would he/she like to take; 
• what do you think are the things they would like to do that you also do right now;
• what are the things he/she does differently from you? 

If you work with a specific UN sustainability goal, relate the questions to these: 

Example: 

What clothes do they wear, and what are they made of? 

What do they eat that is similar to what we eat today and what can't they eat? 

How are girls and boys together in their spare time? 

10 minutes: 

The students present their grandchild to a group in the class. Students write and edit their descriptions on the template.

Background

20 min - 30 min. (Can be omitted) 

From these responses, a background is created which shows something about the grandchild. The student can work on “Padlet” (www.padlet.com). Make a new page on Padlet.

Class Timeline

5 min: 

The teacher prepares a common timeline visible in the classroom. The students set up their “grandchildren” on a group on the number line that fits two generations. This can also be a print of the cartoon character. The children's group can also be assembled virtually (e.g. Padlet).

Conflicts of interest between this and future generations:

When the grandchildren are described, the teacher may use these to direct attention to conflicts of interest between this and future generations.

What are the consequences of students 'and their parents' choices and actions for grandchildren?

Opportunities and constraints for future generations

10 min.

Pair students and have them come up with dilemmas about things they think their grandchildren can and things they cannot. The dilemmas relate to the areas that fit the UN Sustainable Goal and the area being worked on.

What can your grandchild do, as you do today?

What can your grandchild do, that you cannot today?

What else can they do?

Pay attention to issues that cover both economic, social and ecological aspects. The teacher may also find some suitable dilemmas e.g. Life underwater:

• Can you swim in the fjord in the summer? (Pollution) 
  
• Can you fish in the fjord and eat the fish? (Do they still exist or are they too polluted)
• Can you stay close to the fjord? (rising seawater level)
• Can you eat mussels grown in the fjord? (Who can use the fjord)
• Can you fish for crabs in the fjord?

Vote with your feet:

15 min

The students' dilemmas are on the board. The teacher chooses one dilemma at a time.

The students now vote with their feet:

• A corner of the class is yes, you can.
• A corner is no, they can't.

The dilemmas are read out and students go to the chosen corner. Subsequently, the teachers ask why students stand where they stand. The students argue for their position. After hearing each other's arguments, other students can move in and take a new position.

This can be a presentation of further work on the subject in relation to finding creative and innovative solutions that will enhance the opportunities of future generations or retain the valuable opportunities that exist today.

Results 

Students become better at understanding that our actions have consequences for future generations.

Students become better at understanding that there are conflicts of interest between generations and between individuals. The choices we make now are crucial for future generations.

Why is it considered a good practice?

It is essential to understand that there is a contradiction between our 

use of natural resources, and the future generation’s opportunities to satisfy one’s needs. For many students, it is difficult to put themselves in the place of others. When working with sustainability, you need to be able to put yourself in the place of future generations. It requires empathy. This empathy can be worked on by the students imagining their own grandchildren and their opportunity to develop.

Elements of replicability in other contexts

It is fundamental to be able to imagine future generations' problems and limitations of life. It provides an understanding of why we work purposefully with sustainability development. Once the grandchildren are described, one will be able to refer to these while working with all the UN sustainable goals.