Sustainability Perspectives in the VELS

Overall values and principles of education for sustainable development

Key perspectives for education for sustainable development

Domain

Element of the Level 1 standard

• Basic human needs
• Care
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making
• Equity
• Ethics
• Inclusion
• Indigenous knowledge and perspectives
• Needs and rights of future generations
• Participation
• Peace
• Power
• Precautionary principle
• Quality of life
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Risk management
• Spirituality
• Stewardship
• Sustainable development
• Tolerance

Sociocultural sustainability

• Citizenship
• Cultural diversity
• Cultural heritage
• Democracy
• Health
• Human rights
• Intergenerational equity
• Social justice

Health and Physical Education

When participating in movement and physical activities, they follow rules and procedures and share equipment and space safely.

Interpersonal Development

… identify the qualities of a friend and demonstrate care for other students.

… contribute to the development of positive social relationships in a range of contexts.

… use appropriate language and actions when dealing with conflict.

… describe basic skills required to work cooperatively in groups.

Overall values and principles of education for sustainable development

Key perspectives for education for sustainable development

Domain

Element of the Level 2 standard

• Basic human needs
• Care
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making
• Equity
• Ethics
• Inclusion
• Indigenous knowledge and perspectives
• Needs and rights of future generations
• Participation
• Peace
• Power
• Precautionary principle
• Quality of life
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Risk management
• Spirituality
• Stewardship
• Sustainable development
• Tolerance

Economic sustainability

• Cost-benefit analysis
• Economic development
• Eco-efficiency
• Life-cycle analysis
• Natural capital
• Natural resource accounting
• Steady-state economy
• Sustainable consumption
• Sustainable production
• Triple bottom line

Interpersonal Development

… identify and accept that there are consequences for their actions.

… share resources fairly.

Sociocultural sustainability

• Citizenship
• Cultural diversity
• Cultural heritage
• Democracy
• Health
• Human rights
• Intergenerational equity
• Social justice

Health and Physical Education

… explain the contribution rules and procedures make to safe conduct of games and activities.

… use equipment and space safely.

Interpersonal Development

… identify the feelings and needs of other people.

… identify and accept that there are consequences for their actions.

… take appropriate steps to resolve simple conflicts.

… work in teams in assigned roles, stay on task and complete structured activities within set time frames.

… share resources fairly.

With teacher support, they describe their contribution to the activities of the team.

Overall values and principles of education for sustainable development

Key perspectives for education for sustainable development

Domain

Element of the Level 3 standard

• Basic human needs
• Care
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making
• Equity
• Ethics
• Inclusion
• Indigenous knowledge and perspectives
• Needs and rights of future generations
• Participation
• Peace
• Power
• Precautionary principle
• Quality of life
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Risk management
• Spirituality
• Stewardship
• Sustainable development
• Tolerance

Ecological sustainability

• Biodiversity
• Habitat
• Carrying capacity
• Conservation
• Ecological footprint
• Ecology
• Ecospace
• Ecosystems
• Interspecies equity
• Natural cycles and systems

Civics and Citizenship

… explain why protection and care for the natural and built environment is important.

… participate in activities to protect and care for the natural and built environment.

Health and Physical Education

… describe how physical and social components in the local environment contribute to wellbeing …

The Humanities

… describe how aspects of places in their local area have changed over time.

From direct observation or observation of a variety of media, they describe the human and physical characteristics of their local area and other parts of Victoria.

… describe how people use and affect different environments in Victoria.

Science

… identify and describe the structural features of living things, including plants and animals.

… identify how these features operate together to form systems which support living things to survive in their environments.

… distinguish between biotic and abiotic factors in their environment and describe interactions that occur between them.

… describe natural physical and biological conditions, and human influences in the environment, which affect the survival of living things.

… explain how features of the landscape are altered by processes of weathering and erosion.

… plan, design, conduct and report collaboratively on experiments related to their questions about living and non-living things and events.

Economic sustainability

• Cost-benefit analysis
• Economic development
• Eco-efficiency
• Life-cycle analysis
• Natural capital
• Natural resource accounting
• Steady-state economy
• Sustainable consumption
• Sustainable production
• Triple bottom line

Health and Physical Education

… explain some physiological, social, cultural and economic reasons for people’s food choices.

The Humanities

… describe how people use and affect different environments in Victoria.

Sociocultural sustainability

• Citizenship
• Cultural diversity
• Cultural heritage
• Democracy
• Health
• Human rights
• Intergenerational equity
• Social justice

Civics and Citizenship

… demonstrate understanding of the contribution of people from the many culturally diverse groups that make up the Australian community.

… sequence and describe some key events in Australia’s democratic history.

… describe symbols and emblems of national life in Australia and identify values related to symbols and national celebrations and commemorations.

… describe the purpose of government, some familiar government services and the roles of some leaders and representatives.

… explain the difference between rules and laws and describe the qualities of a good law.

… explain why protection and care for the natural and built environment is important.

… contribute to the development and support of class rules and participate in celebrations and commemorations of important events.

… describe some of the roles and purposes of groups in the community.

… work with other students to identify a local issue and plan possible actions to achieve a desired outcome.

… describe the benefits of action at the local level and the democratic aspects of the process.

… participate in activities to protect and care for the natural and built environment.

Health and Physical Education

… work with others to achieve goals in both cooperative and competitive … games’ situations …

… explain the concept of fair play, and respect the role of officials.

… follow safety principles in games and activities.

…identify basic safety skills and strategies at home, school and in the community, and describe methods for recognising and avoiding harmful situations.

… identify healthy eating practices …

The Humanities

… describe and sequence some key events in Australian history, some key commemorations and celebrations including Anzac Day, and key aspects of the histories of cultural groups that make up their class, community and nation.

From direct observation or observation of a variety of media, they describe the human and physical characteristics of their local area and other parts of Victoria.

… describe how people use and affect different environments in Victoria.

Interpersonal Development

… demonstrate respect for others and exhibit appropriate behaviour for maintaining friendships with other people.

… support each other by sharing ideas and materials, offering assistance, giving appropriate feedback and acknowledging individual differences.

… work with others to reduce, avoid and resolve conflict.

… cooperate with others in teams for agreed purposes, taking roles and following guidelines established within the task.

… describe and evaluate their own contribution and the team’s progress towards the achievement of agreed goals.

Science

… explain how scientific knowledge is used, or could be used, to solve a social issue or problem.

Personal Learning

… contribute to the development of protocols that create a positive learning environment in the classroom.

Overall values and principles of education for sustainable development

Key perspectives for education for sustainable development

Domain

Element of the Level 4 standard

• Basic human needs
• Care
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making
• Equity
• Ethics
• Inclusion
• Indigenous knowledge and perspectives
• Needs and rights of future generations
• Participation
• Peace
• Power
• Precautionary principle
• Quality of life
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Risk management
• Spirituality
• Stewardship
• Sustainable development
• Tolerance

Ecological sustainability

• Biodiversity
• Habitat
• Carrying capacity
• Conservation
• Ecological footprint
• Ecology
• Ecospace
• Ecosystems
• Interspecies equity
• Natural cycles and systems

The Humanities – Geography

… identify and describe Australia’s significant natural processes.

… describe the reaction of people to these processes including the management of natural disasters.

… compare the various ways humans have used and affected the Australian environment.

… recommend ways of protecting environmentally sensitive areas in a sustainable way.

Science

… identify and explain the relationships that exist within and between food chains in the environment.

… describe the composition of layers within the Earth.

… explain the function of the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere.

… explain how sustainable practices have been developed and/or are applied in their local environment.

Economic sustainability

• Cost-benefit analysis
• Economic development
• Eco-efficiency
• Life-cycle analysis
• Natural capital
• Natural resource accounting
• Steady-state economy
• Sustainable consumption
• Sustainable production
• Triple bottom line

Design, Creativity and Technology

… generate and communicate alternative design ideas in response to a design brief and use words, labelled sketches and models, to demonstrate that they are aware of environmental and social constraints.

… describe the impact products and technological systems have on people and the environment.

Health and Physical Education

… analyse and explain physiological, social, cultural and economic reasons for food choices and analyse and describe food selection models.

… describe how to prepare and store food hygienically.

Humanities - Economics

… describe the nature of the economic problem (scarcity) and explain how selected goods and services are produced and distributed.

… describe the difference between needs and wants, and their own roles as producers and consumers of goods and services.

… explain the need to be an informed consumer.

Humanities – Geography

… recommend ways of protecting environmentally sensitive areas in a sustainable way.

… research, collect, record and describe data obtained through field study surveys and measurements to form conclusions about the use of resources.

Sociocultural sustainability

• Citizenship
• Cultural diversity
• Cultural heritage
• Democracy
• Health
• Human rights
• Intergenerational equity
• Social justice

The Arts

… interpret and compare key features of arts works made in a range of times, places and cultures.

Civics and Citizenship

… describe the nature of Australia’s democracy that developed as a result of Federation.

… describe the three levels of government and some of the key functions at each level.

… explain the basic elements of Australia’s federal parliamentary system and key democratic principles and values such as freedom of speech and equality before the law.

… explain the concept of multiculturalism and describe the contribution of various cultural groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to Australian identity.

… demonstrate understanding of the process of making and changing laws.

… demonstrate understanding of the roles and responsibilities of leaders, and of democratic processes, when engaging in school and community activities.

… present a point of view on a significant current issue or issues and include recommendations about the actions that individuals and governments can take to resolve issues.

… demonstrate understanding that there are different viewpoints on an issue, and contribute to group and class decision making.

Health and Physical Education

… work in a group to create a game, and establish rules and procedures for its safe conduct.

The Humanities - Economics

… describe the difference between needs and wants …

… use the inquiry process to plan economics investigations about economic issues in the home, school or local community and form conclusions supported by evidence.

The Humanities - History

… demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of significant events in Australian history …

… demonstrate an understanding of the histories of some cultural groups which make up Australia today.

… make links and appropriate comparisons with contemporary Australia.

… demonstrate an understanding of key aspects of an Asian country or countries within the Australian region.

… explain the values important to other societies and their own …

… compare and contrast the values and beliefs of Australians and people of other cultures.

Interpersonal Development

… demonstrate, through their interactions in social situations, respect for a diverse range of people and groups.

… describe the impact of bullying.

… accept and display empathy for the points of view and feelings of their peers and others.

… identify and use a variety of strategies to manage and resolve conflict.

… work effectively in different teams and take on a variety of roles to complete tasks of varying length and complexity.

… work cooperatively to allocate tasks and develop timelines.

… accept responsibility for their role and tasks.

… explain the benefits of working in a team.

… provide feedback to others and evaluate their own and the team’s performance.

Languages Other Than English (Pathway 1)

… show awareness of the language and cultural requirements related to a given topic …

… apply relevant conversational rules and expectations …

… demonstrate understanding of cultural differences in writing conventions …

… interact with members of the language community in Australia …

… identify ways in which the language and culture has impacted on Australia …

Personal Learning

… actively develop, monitor and refine protocols that create a positive learning environment in the classroom.

Science

… analyse a range of science-related local issues and describe the relevance of science to their own and other people’s lives.

Overall values and principles of education for sustainable development

Key perspectives for education for sustainable development

Domain

Element of the Level 4 standard

• Basic human needs
• Care
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making
• Equity
• Ethics
• Inclusion
• Indigenous knowledge and perspectives
• Needs and rights of future generations
• Participation
• Peace
• Power
• Precautionary principle
• Quality of life
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Risk management
• Spirituality
• Stewardship
• Sustainable development
• Tolerance

Ecological sustainability

• Biodiversity
• Habitat
• Carrying capacity
• Conservation
• Ecological footprint
• Ecology
• Ecospace
• Ecosystems
• Interspecies equity
• Natural cycles and systems

Civics and Citizenship

… participate in activities to contribute to environmental sustainability or action on other community issues.

The Humanities – Geography

… explain, using examples, how the interaction of physical processes and human activities create variations within the regions (of Australia and those surrounding it: Asia, the Pacific and Antarctica).

Science

… explain the relationships, past and present, in living and non-living systems, in particular ecosystems, and human impact on these systems.

… analyse what is needed for living things to survive, thrive or adapt, now and in the future.

… use time scales to explain the changing Earth and its place in space.

… use physical and theoretical models to investigate geological processes.

In field work, they demonstrate use of basic sampling procedures and represent relationships in ecosystems graphically.

… use simulations to predict the effects of changes in an ecosystem.

Economic sustainability

• Cost-benefit analysis
• Economic development
• Eco-efficiency
• Life-cycle analysis
• Natural capital
• Natural resource accounting
• Steady-state economy
• Sustainable consumption
• Sustainable production
• Triple bottom line

Civics and Citizenship

… participate in activities to contribute to environmental sustainability or action on other community issues.

Design, Creativity and Technology

… describe and analyse the social and environmental impacts of their own and others’ designs, products and technological systems.

Health and Physical Education

… analyse a range of influences on personal and family food selection, and identify major nutritional needs for growth and activity.

The Humanities -Economics

… explain the nature of the economic problem and how economic choices involve trade-offs that have both immediate and future consequences.

… explain key factors that influence the Australian economy, including the quantity and quality of factors involved in production, resource use, ownership and management, and types of businesses.

… make informed economic and consumer decisions, demonstrating the development of personal financial literacy.

… use the inquiry process to plan economics investigations, analyse and interpret data, and form conclusions supported by evidence.

… form and express opinions on economic issues that interest and/or impact on them personally, or locally and/or nationally.

The Humanities – Geography

… demonstrate understanding of environmental issues based on inquiry and propose ways of ensuring the sustainability of resources.

Sociocultural sustainability

• Citizenship
• Cultural diversity
• Cultural heritage
• Democracy
• Health
• Human rights
• Intergenerational equity
• Social justice

Civics and Citizenship

… explain the origins and features of representative government.

… identify significant developments in the governance and achievement of political rights in Australia.

…explain key features of the Australian Government including the responsibilities of the levels of government, the houses of parliament, political parties and the ways that citizens are represented, using some contemporary examples in their explanations.

… describe the purposes of laws and the processes of creating and changing them.

… identify and question the features and values of Australia’s political and legal systems.

… present points of view on contemporary issues and events using appropriate supporting evidence.

… explain the different perspectives on some contemporary issues and propose possible solutions to problems.

… use democratic processes when working in groups on class and community projects.

… participate in activities to contribute to environmental sustainability or action on other community issues.

The Humanities - Economics

… identify and describe ways the government influences economic outcomes at the personal, local and national level.

The Humanities – Geography

… describe differences in culture, living conditions and outlook, including attitudes to environmental issues, in (Australia, Asia, the Pacific and Antarctica).

The Humanities – History

… explain the influences of ancient and medieval societies on contemporary societies.

Interpersonal Development

… demonstrate respect for the individuality of others and empathise with others in local, national and global contexts, acknowledging the diversity of individuals.

… select and use appropriate strategies to effectively manage individual conflict and assist others in resolution processes.

… accept responsibility as a team member and support other members to share information, explore the ideas of others, and work cooperatively to achieve a shared purpose within a realistic timeframe.

… reflect on individual and team outcomes and act to improve their own and the team’s performance.

Languages Other Than English (Pathway 1):…

… adapt language and gesture appropriately for the role, audience and purpose of the interaction, demonstrating awareness of the cultural and language requirements …

… actively participate in the creation and maintenance of the language and cultural ambience in the classroom.

… interact with a variety of  speakers of the language from different countries and communities, including Australia, to gain understanding of diverse views and beliefs within and between these communities.

Languages Other Than English (Pathway 2):…

… describe and use culturally specific gestures and body language.

... actively contribute to the establishment of a physical and language environment in the classroom that reflects the language and culture.

… demonstrate understanding of aspects of interpretation and translation by using appropriate language and levels of respect in different circumstances thus reflecting the relationship between the speakers of the language.

... interact with a variety of speakers of the language, possibly from different countries and communities, including Australia, to gain understanding of diverse views and beliefs within and between these communities.

Personal Learning

… demonstrate an awareness of different cultural and societal beliefs, values and practices, identifying and discussing the effect of ethical issues on learning and working with others.

… consider both their own and others’ needs when making decisions about suitable learning processes and the creation of positive learning environments within and outside the classroom.

Science

… identify, analyse and ask their own questions in relation to scientific ideas or issues of interest.

Overall values and principles of education for sustainable development

Key perspectives for education for sustainable development

Domain

Element of the Level 4 standard

• Basic human needs
• Care
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making
• Equity
• Ethics
• Inclusion
• Indigenous knowledge and perspectives
• Needs and rights of future generations
• Participation
• Peace
• Power
• Precautionary principle
• Quality of life
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Risk management
• Spirituality
• Stewardship
• Sustainable development
• Tolerance

Ecological sustainability

• Biodiversity
• Habitat
• Carrying capacity
• Conservation
• Ecological footprint
• Ecology
• Ecospace
• Ecosystems
• Interspecies equity
• Natural cycles and systems

The Humanities - Economics

… analyse the role and significance of exchange, trade and globalisation in influencing Australia’s standard of living.

The Humanities – Geography

… explain the operation of a major natural system and its interaction with human activities.

… evaluate the consequences of the interaction and develop a policy to address an issue related to it.

Science

… demonstrate the link between natural selection and evolution.

… explain how the coordination and regulatory functions within plants and animals assist them to survive in their environments.

… explain how the action of micro-organisms can be both beneficial and detrimental to society.

Economic sustainability

• Cost-benefit analysis
• Economic development
• Eco-efficiency
• Life-cycle analysis
• Natural capital
• Natural resource accounting
• Steady-state economy
• Sustainable consumption
• Sustainable production
• Triple bottom line

Design, Creativity and Technology

… synthesise data, analyse trends and draw conclusions about the social, cultural, legal and environmental impacts of their own and others’ designs and the products/systems, and evaluate innovative new technology in the manufacturing industry.

… take account of function and performance, energy requirements, aesthetics, costs and ethical and legal considerations that address the requirements of design briefs.

Health and Physical Education

… analyse and evaluate the factors that affect food consumption in Australia.

The Humanities - Economics

… analyse how goods and services are produced and how markets work.

… predict how prices will change when there is either a surplus or a shortage, and explain how this might affect the behaviour of consumers and producers.

… discuss and explain what it means to be an ethical consumer and producer and identify ways values can affect the economic decision making of consumers, producers and governments.

… explain the impact of macroeconomic and microeconomic policies on themselves and others, including businesses.

… use economic reasoning, including cost-benefit analysis, to research and propose solutions to economic issues and problems of global significance, and to clarify and justify values and attitudes.

… plan and conduct investigations in order to research an economic problem and/or argue the validity or otherwise of their own hypotheses.

… use relevant economic concepts and relationships to evaluate economic propositions, proposals and policies, and debate the costs and benefits of contentious economics-related issues of local, national or international concern.

… interpret reports about current economic conditions, both national and global, and explain how these conditions can influence decisions made by consumers, producers and government policymakers.

The Humanities – Geography

… describe global patterns of development from a range of perspectives and identify and describe the factors that determine these patterns.

… analyse development issues and formulate and evaluate comprehensive policies, including those for sustainable use and management of resources, to alter development patterns at a range of scales.

Science

… identify and classify the sources of wastes generated, and describe their management, within the community and in industry.

… use a specific example to explain the sustainable management of a resource.

Sociocultural sustainability

• Citizenship
• Cultural diversity
• Cultural heritage
• Democracy
• Health
• Human rights
• Intergenerational equity
• Social justice

Civics and Citizenship

… describe the origins and nature of Australia’s federal political system and present a considered point of view on an issue about change in the political system and the law.

… explain how the Australian Constitution affects their lives, and human rights issues, both national and international.

… explain how citizens influence government policy through participation in political parties, elections and membership of interest groups.

… explain the development of a multicultural society and the values necessary to sustain it.

… describe the election processes in Australia and how to vote.

… explain the roles and responsibilities of courts at state and federal levels and evaluate a change in the law.

… take a global perspective when analysing an issue, and describe the role of global organisations in responding to international issues.

… draw on a range of resources, including the mass media to articulate and defend their own opinions about political, social and environmental issues in national and global contexts.

… contest, where appropriate, the opinions of others.

… develop an action plan which demonstrates their knowledge of a social or environmental issue and suggest strategies to raise community awareness of it.

… participate in a range of citizenship activities including those with a national or global perspective, at school and in the local community.

The Humanities - Economics

… explain how markets, government policies, enterprise and innovation affect the economy, society and environment in terms of employment, economic growth, the use of resources, exports and imports, and ecological sustainability.

… analyse the role that governments and other institutions such as banks, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) play in the economy, and evaluate their performance in achieving appropriate economic outcomes for individuals and for society.

… predict the economic consequences of proposed government policies and make informed choices among alternative public policy proposals.

… demonstrate an awareness of the impact of values and beliefs on economic issues, and how differences may be identified, negotiated, explained and possibly resolved.

The Humanities – History

… analyse events which contributed to Australia’s social, political and cultural development.

… evaluate the contribution of significant Australians to Australia’s development.

… evaluate the impact of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the fight for civil and political rights and land rights.

… analyse significant events and movements which have resulted in improvements in civil and political rights for other groups of Australians such as the eight-hour day and the right to vote for women …

Interpersonal Development

… demonstrate awareness of complex social conventions, behaving appropriately when interacting with others.

… describe how local and global values and beliefs determine their own and others’ social relationships.

… evaluate their own behaviour in relationships, identify potential conflict and employ strategies to avoid and/or resolve it.

… work collaboratively, negotiate roles and delegate tasks to complete complex tasks in teams.

… working with the strengths of a team they achieve agreed goals within set timeframes.

… describe how they respect and build on the ideas and opinions of team members and clearly articulate or record their reflections on the effectiveness of learning in a team.

Languages Other Than English (Pathway 1)

identify ways in which intentions and ideas are expressed differently in different languages… communicate information in translation and interpretation activities, demonstrating careful consideration of the needs of the listener or reader, and sensitivity to cultural similarity and differences in meaning and intent… deduce relationships, mood, attitudes and social context from visual stimuli… demonstrate understanding of cultural influences on the way people behave and use language… contribute to discussions about the general concept of culture and the relationships between cultures, including the effects of travel and migration, by presenting illustrative examples…identify general cultural patterns that flow across specific settings and times… recognise nuances in meaning and demonstrate an awareness of the dynamic nature of  language through the language and mannerisms they use in interactions in a range of cultural settings… demonstrate an understanding of variations in cultural perspectives between speakers of the language in different settings, by effectively interacting with members of the language community in Australia

Languages Other Than English (Pathway 2)

… identify ways in which intentions and ideas are expressed in different languages.

... communicate information in translation and interpretation activities, demonstrating careful consideration of the needs of the listener or reader, and sensitivity to cultural similarity and difference in meaning and intent.

… demonstrate understanding of cultural influences on the ways people behave and use language.

… contribute to discussions about the general concept of culture, and the relationships between cultures, including the effects of migration and travel, by presenting illustrative examples.

... identify general cultural patterns that flow across specific settings and times.

… recognise nuances in meaning and demonstrate an awareness of the dynamic nature of language through the language and mannerisms they use in interactions in a range of cultural settings.

Personal Learning

… identify the ethical frameworks that underpin their own and others’ beliefs and values and describe how the conflicts and dilemmas they identify may affect learning.

… determine the factors that contribute to the creation of positive learning environments and establish, follow and monitor protocols for a variety of learning situations.

Science

… use the relevant science concepts and relationships as one dimension of debating contentious and/or ethically based science-related issues of broad community concern.