Home learning ideas linked to UN Sustainable Development Goals

Home learning ideas prepared by UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man that link to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or Global Goals.

The ideas have also been sent to Girlguiding Isle of Man and the Scouting Association Isle of Man, who carry out tasks relating to the SDGs to earn their UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Badges.

1 Poverty

Some of us have enough money to live on and some of us don’t. The United Nations says one in eight people around the world live in poverty (that is, they are extremely poor). Write about how being poor affects young people’s lives and chances?

2 Hunger

The Isle of Man Food Bank supports people who are hungry in the Isle of Man. Design a colourful poster for the Food Bank, advertising its services.

3 Good health and wellbeing

The Olympics may be off for this year, but that doesn’t mean we forget about keeping fit and healthy. If you are lucky enough to have a garden, why not stage your own sporting event and get those you live with involved? If that isn’t possible, make a list of all the things that keep us healthy and see how many you are able to do while our lives are slightly different.

4 Quality education

School life is different around the world, and one in 10 children don’t get the chance to go to school at all. Write a letter to an imaginary friend in another part of the world, who doesn’t go to school, about your day at school.

5 Gender equality

Girls and boys have the same abilities and should be treated the same. Look back to history to find out why this hasn’t always happened. 

6 Clean water and sanitation

Manx water is pure and tasty. How does our water get from the skies to our homes? Make an infographic, or a video, or draw a picture, about the water’s journey. You might want to ‘tap’ into Manx Utilities’ website for information.

www.manxutilities.im

7 Affordable and clean energy

How are things powered and why are some forms of power ‘clean’ and others ‘dirty’? Tell us in words, pictures or a video.

8 Decent work and economic growth

What job do you hope to have when you are older? What skills and qualifications do you need to achieve it? How much do you expect to get paid? What job opportunities are available to young people in other parts of the world and what barriers are there to them gaining employment?

Or

Interview a parent or guardian about their working life and what skills and qualifications they need to do their work.

9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Design a new gadget that helps us in our daily lives but doesn’t harm our planet. What does it look like, what does it do and what is it called?

10 Reduced inequalities

Write a story about the life of a young person who has fewer chances in life than you. How does that young person’s life differ from yours?

11 Sustainable cities and communities

If you could design a town from scratch, it would probably be quite different to the ones we have now. Design a brand new town and tell us what is in it and how people and nature both benefit from living in it. Don’t forget to tell us what your town is called.

12 Responsible production and consumption

The Isle of Man produces lots of food and drink and this doesn’t travel far and keeps money on our Island. We all benefit from that. Come up with a menu for a special family meal that is made of only food and drink from the Isle of Man.

13 Climate action

We need ‘things’, but transporting them can harm our planet, as fuel use leads to increased temperatures – and a whole lot of damage to nature. Grab a notebook and pen and list all the ‘things’ in your house. Find out where they came from and how far they travelled. Which came from furthest afield, which came from closest to your house. Get your favourite 10 ‘things’ and see how far they have travelled in total. Maybe learn about their countries of origin, too?

14 Life below water

The Isle of Man has 10 Marine Nature Reserves, all special for different reasons. Why not visit the Government website and see which is nearest to you, find out a little about it – and even visit it on your exercise? You could write a story or draw a picture about what lies beneath the waves.

https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/environment-food-and-agriculture/ecosystem-policy-and-energy/wildlife-biodiversity-and-protected-sites/protected-sites/marine-nature-reserves/

15 Life on land

Late spring and early summer are wonderful times for appreciating the outdoors. Design a poster to advertise a place on the Isle of Man that is special for nature/wildlife. 

16 Peace, justice and strong institutions

We are lucky enough to live in a beautiful, peaceful, Island. But young people in other parts of the world are not as fortunate. They may live in a country that is at war, or in a culture where they face other hardships. Get a map, pick a country that is far away at random, and find out about how young people live there?

17 Partnerships

Working together to make the world a good place requires us all talking to each other. Imagine a life without all the technology we have at our fingertips (our phones, tablets and social media channels). Partner up with a family member or a friend online to discuss how people contacted each other in the past? And what amazing developments will there be in the future?

Find great educational resources:

www.worldlargestlesson.globalgoals.org

Please send your words, pictures, videos and photos of your activities to Biosphere@gov.im if you are happy for them to be shared in our newsletter and on our social media channels.