Sustainability Study

In the fall, the 5th grade social studies curriculum focuses on sustainability and systems thinking. Students examine their own relationship to their natural environment and the access and equity of resources through class discussions, multiple forms of media, and projects. By viewing sustainability as a system in which the actions of one group affect everyone, 5th graders begin to appreciate the relationship between humans and their environment. Field trips to such places as Earth Matters Compost Learning Center and Hudson River Park inspire students’ own projects, including initiating a school-wide campaign for a plastic-free lunch day. The Sustainability Study prepares students to apply their learnings to the study of ancient civilizations as they consider the year-long question, “How do humans use environmental resources to build and develop civilizations?”