Throughout our first two inputs in the sustainable development module we have been discussing and expanding our knowledge of the environment. The enviorment is broken down into two sub topics: the natural environment and the urban environment. I was generally interested in this topic as I have now become more aware of certain things happening in my surroundings that I never knew about before hand. I was surprised by how little I actually knew about sustainability and was hesitant when asked to think of a definition, I seemed to only be aware of global warming facts that most people these days are aware of. Mckeown and Hopkins(2010) discusses that sustainable development covers the physical, social and economic environment which I now feel I have more knowledge in. As a future educator, I have the responsibility of teaching the future generation about these important issues that are becoming a serious matter in todays society. I must be able to teach learners to have respect and awareness of their environment with confidence.
In the first workshop of this input we followed various activites and experiments that built on various different skills as well as my knowledge of the natural environment. One of my favourite activities was examining snails: their eating habits, their preferred habitats as well as their physical appearance. I found this activity extremely beneficial as it not only gave me insight into my natural enviroment but a lesson plan that I could use in the future. I then developed and applied science skills that can be used as part of a science lesson in the classroom. The hypothesis would be the aim of the experiment such as to investigate the snails preferred habitat, the learners would then carry out the investigation collaborate their results, record them and finally report back to the rest of the class. These are the main science skills that I will be developing throughout this module to be able to teach science experiments effectively in the future. In addition to this, we completed various other activities such as dissecting flower petals and taking bark rubbings to explore the various different trees and investigate barks purpose.
In the second workshop, we went outdoors to do outdoor learning. I was extremely excited for this workshop as I have never really been outdoors during my time at university, However this workshop gave me the ability to think about lessons I could do with a class using the outdoor environment as a way of learning. Outdoor learning in school grounds can allow children to develop their learning of sustainability as well as the connecting with nature. Therefore, allowing the children to explore their school grounds will help develop a positive attitude towards the environment (Scottish Government, 2012). 
I also gained a few tips for outdoor learning some being, always give parents of learners a warning in advance to allow children to come prepared and cut up a yoga mat into small squares for children to sit on outside. This allows pupils to gain full advantage of the outdoor enviroment despite the Scottish weather. During this activity we completed a sensory walk where we went a walk taking in our surroundings through our senses. For example, my group and I considered that the nearer the road we were the noisier it was where as the further away we were the more quieter and peaceful it was. Another activity I completed was to look and find certain bugs and insects in the environment and see how many I could find. I used the ready made bug hotel to do this as well as looking for places that I thought the most suitable habitat for insects would be. We then spoke about the different lesson ideas this could follow onto for example, a research task for groups to consider different insects, their habitats and diet. Following on from this, this activity can lead onto many other areas of the curriculum such as maths and literacy. This can be used in a maths lesson to count up the amount of insects they’re living in one area and compare that with another area using addition and subtraction and using pictures of insects as a form of symmetry . 
My group and I also came up with a literacy activity involving the insect hotel(see picture to left) where learners could rate the hotel and why other insects should or shouldn’t visit this. I feel these activities would be beneficial for not only the learners literacy and numeracy skills but developing their awareness of their natural environment.
This week our directed study task consisted of learning about our urban environment and completing a blog post considering various different factors. After this activity i felt much more appreciative of my surroundings and the amount my urban environment offers. After carrying out research in my urban environment I have expanded my knowledge on many things I didn’t even know existed in my urban environment. I felt this task would allow learning to develop a better understanding of their own urban area and for them to become more environmental friendly to protect their surroundings. Learners would be able to discover more of their environment like I did and feel more involved in their local community. (Scottish Government, 2012) discusses that the use of community buildings such as the school or centres should encourage people to come together as a whole community, increasing sustainability. However, as I discussed in my urban environment task (Orofino, 2014) believes that it is becoming a recurring problem of public spaces being taken over as spaces for new builds. I feel that it is essential for learners to learn about their urban environment to be able to understand this topic.
In my blog I created a lesson plan that will be appropriate for a Primary 5 class that will cover an art lesson as well as the experience and outcome:
‘Having explored my local area, I can present information on different places to live, work and relax and interesting places to visit. SOC 2-10a’
To start this lesson, I would take the learners outdoors to explore the surroundings and really get a feel for the environment they live in ensuring I have made a safe route that gives answers to the lesson I have created. The pupils would have access to an iPad or some form of camera where they can capture photos of where they find the most interesting. Once we returned to the classroom I would divide the class into small groups where they needed to make a review to of their findings and rate it out of five stars. I would give out poster paper so they can be as creative as they want. This would give pupils the chance to explore in detail whats good about their environment and allow them to appreciate just as much as I have today.
To conclude, I feel that this input has not only broadened my knowledge but my understanding of the environment as a whole. I feel that I now have the ability to teach learners to appreciate their surroundings and the impact they have on making the environment more sustainable.
References
Scottish Government (2012) Learning for Sustainability: The Report of the One Planet Schools Working Group. Edinburgh: Scottish Government [Online] Available at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/ACE/OnePlanetSchools/LearningforSustainabilitreport [Accessed 28 September 2017]
Orofino, A.(2014). It’s out city. Let’s fix it. [ video ] Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/alessandra_orofino_it_s_our_city_let_s_fix_it [Accessed 22 Sep 2017]
The main road (A76) runs through the middle of the town leading to other small villages and Dumfries which is used my thousands per day , see yellow road in picture left. In my town there is a large primary school that holds around 800 kids, a library, five convenience stores, a games hall and a museum that are all the main attractions in this small town. There are many other coffee shops, hairdressers and take away style shops. As the main road coming from kilmarnock runs through the town the town is always busy making retail in my urban environment a strong aspect. There are many parks that attract local football teams to train and children to have a safe place outdoors to congregate.
In addition to this, Mauchline is a town tourists are often attracted to as it as a home town of Robert Burns. This brings in a lot of people due to the famous monuments and the museum of things belonging to Robert burns. The Fairborn hotel allows tourists to stay in the small village and enjoy the historical aspects as well as a small B&B that holds up-to 5 bedrooms. I have just recently noticed blue plaques put up around Mauchline, that allows tourists to gain information on the different buildings that Robert Burns; stayed in, where he went to church, where he met his wife and many more historical sights. I feel this brings the town its historical image back, educating tourists about the famous Robert Burns.
as so may tourists from all over the world and love the thought of a Scottish souvenir. Since then, she has opened an art gallery for Scottish artists to exhibit their work as well as a coffee shop next door. This shows the huge job opportunities that can be developed in my urban environment.