11 - 14 years (Key Stage 3)
Our lesson ideas are intended to enhance learning and embed sustainability into your teaching.
They are ideas designed to inspire and provoke further questioning and investigation by young people into social and environmental issues. They can be adapted in a variety of ways to suit your needs. See 17. Save heat energy, our lastest lesson plan linking Energy and Maths.
To see which subject areas the lesson ideas cover and how they link to the curriculum download our KS3 curriculum grid. To find out how they fit with the Eco-Schools nine topics, download our Eco-Schools KS3 topic grid.
Can't find what you're looking for? We have some more Key Stage 3 resources based around global citizenship and community cohesion developed in partnership with the Love Where You Live campaign. Visit our campaigns area to find out more.
There are also lots more free teaching resources on the Pod at www.jointhepod.org
Lesson Ideas
1. Eco Cities (download pdf)
Students design their own Eco City in order to understand how a community can become self-sufficient by considering ways to produce energy and food and manage transport and waste in a sustainable manner.
2. Energy to change lives (download pdf)
To appreciate that 24/7 electricity is a luxury for us in the UK and that by investing in renewable energies and sharing knowledge we can work towards global access to electricity.
3. How well travelled is my lunch? (download pdf)
To understand where students' lunch comes from, calculate its ‘food miles’ and to suggest ways in which the school might be able to make the lunch in a more sustainable way.
4. Mentor a business (download pdf)
To take the role of a sustainability consultancy for a small local company and create and present a sustainability evaluation report and strategy to the company.
5. Our school's carbon footprint (download pdf)
To understand the school’s carbon footprint, compare this to other building footprints and to calculate the emissions per year.
6. Solar in the community (download pdf)
To explore other areas in the community where solar panels could be fitted and engage the community in considering whether their community could use more solar power.
7. Water in our lives (download pdf)
To create an art piece/installation to represent and highlight the importance of water in our lives.
8. Beat the celeb (download pdf)
To find a more environmentally friendly way for Beyonce to travel and complete her European tour.
9. Come dine with us (download pdf)
To plan and cook a healthy, sustainable and well-designed lunch for members of the community.
10. No more bees? No more people (download pdf)
To understand that human actions have serious consequences for other species and decide which endangered species students would like to save and why.
11. Perfect playgrounds and playing fields (download pdf)
To analyse the school’s grounds, playgrounds, playing fields and recreational areas and consider alternative designs using sustainable methods.
12. The best way to go (download pdf)
Students work out the best way for them to travel to school taking into account environmental issues, health, safety and time. Students work out a strategy to overcome barriers preventing them from taking a better route.
13. The gift of giving (download pdf) (download powerpoint slide)
To understand your position as a consumer and to evaluate what effect the gifts you choose will have on others. Can be used as a Christmas lesson - but also suitable for other times of year.
14. Water Quality Testing – Practical Investigation (download pdf)
To investigate the quality of a local water course and determine the possible sources and affects of pollution.
15. The Importance of Water (download pdf)
Discover why water is important and the impacts of a shortage of water in other parts of the world. Find out what can be done to reduce water use.
16. Green Products – Debate (download pdf)
To understand your position as a consumer and to evaluate the affect products you choose will have. The aim of this lesson is to help students reflect on and appreciate their position as a consumer and to evaluate what their choices will mean for health and the environment.
17. Save heat energy (download pdf)
Use maths skills to calculate potential savings in school. Take part in an advanced energy review of raditors and heat energy.
Download all our lesson ideas as a .zip file