Welcome to Berlin
Introduction

Divide students into groups of four. Ask students if they have heard the term sustainability. Allow students time to discuss in small groups and report back to the class. Record student comments.

Students will read Sustainability Introduction Part 1 of the Companion Reader below. Allow students a few minutes to consider how they would rewrite the definition of sustainability. Then encourage students to discuss their ideas in the small group. Ask them to rewrite the definition of sustainability in their own words and then give examples of sustainable activities from their own experiences. Students should share their answers with the class through the digital platform of your choice.

Suggested Activity:
If this is the first exposure to the concept of sustainability, The Fish Game is recommended as a starting activity. Allow an additional class period for the game. An electronic version is available from The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education. The game may also be played using paper fish or fish-shaped crackers or candy.

Students will continue working in groups of four. Students will read Sustainability Introduction Part 2 of the Companion Reader below. The readings introduce the students to the Graf family. After the first reading, distribute a digital or paper copy the Chart of Berlin’s Sustainability Goals. Ask students to work collaboratively to find examples of individual sustainability actions taken by the Graf family.

Students identify actions the Graf family has taken to live more sustainably.
Students could use the digital platform of your preference (e.g., Flipgrid, Seesaw) to cite reasons orally through the microphone or the video feature to share their answers.

Ask students to add the examples of sustainability actions to the Chart of Berlin’s Sustainability Goals.

Compare and contrast actions taken by the Graf family with actions taken by the students’ families. Students should list questions they still have.

Identify actions that German families take to live more sustainably.