Contents Before you begin
v
Overview: The National Quality Framework
1
Chapter 1: Supporting children to develop an understanding and respect for the natural environment
3
1A Understanding the natural environment 1B Providing natural and recycled materials 1C Creating spaces that develop life skills Chapter summary Assessment activity 1: Supporting children to develop an understanding and respect for the natural environment
Chapter 2: Identifying areas for change
5 11 16 23 24
27
2A Identifying sustainable practice 2B Developing strategies for improvement Chapter summary Assessment activity 2: Identifying areas for change
Chapter 3: Supporting others in implementing sustainable practices 3A Involving children in sustainable practices 3B Encouraging others to get involved Chapter summary Assessment activity 3: Supporting others in implementing sustainable practices
29 34 38 39
41 43 44 47 48
Final assessment: Support children to connect with their world 51 Foundation skills
54
Appendices55 Appendix 1: How the learner guide addresses the unit of competency Appendix 2: Foundation skills
55 58
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
iii
Chapter 1 Supporting children to develop an understanding and respect for the natural environment The natural environment is full of wonders and joys that children can explore with you. The beauty of natural colours and textures can be coupled with a range of reused and recycled items to provide a variety of activities and open-ended experiences. In this chapter you will learn about: 1A Understanding the natural environment 1B Providing natural and recycled materials 1C Creating spaces that develop life skills
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
3
Chapter 1 Supporting children to develop an understanding and respect for the natural environment
1A
Understanding the natural environment
PC 1.1 PC 1.2 PC 1.4
Most children have a fascination with the environment and the things they find living in it. They interact with natural materials and can be encouraged to appreciate their value and beauty. However, caring for and appreciating the natural environment is far more important to children than how it looks and what treasures it can hold. The future of our land, our health, plants and animals all reside in the knowledge children hold and the actions they take to care for the environment and maintain its health. This is known as sustainability.
Ecosystems At the foundation of environmental education is understanding ecosystems. This is about the interdependence of people, plants, animals and the land. Each of these parts needs the others if they are to remain healthy. An ecosystem has several points that describe it: • Ecosystems are made up of soil, atmosphere, heat, light, water and living things. • Everything in the natural world is connected – if one part suffers, this impacts other parts. • The healthier an ecosystem, the less likely it can be damaged easily.
The role of each part Each part of an ecosystem has an important role to play. For example: • Soil provides nutrients for plants and holds water for plants and animals. • The atmosphere provides air for plants and animals (and people) to breathe; without the atmosphere we would have no life at all. • The sun heats up water to cause it to evaporate, sending it into the atmosphere to make rain; sun also provides warmth. • Water makes up a large part of the cells of living things, including people, and is necessary for drinking and helping plant life to survive. • Biodiversity refers to the variety of living things; living things contribute to the ecosystem as they provide food for other living things; for example, plants are food for animals and people.
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
5
Chapter 1 Supporting children to develop an understanding and respect for the natural environment
1B
Providing natural and recycled materials
PC 1.3
A learning environment that respects the environment should reflect nature as much as possible. It will include items from nature (pine cones, leaves, pebbles and logs) and also equipment made from natural materials (hessian, timber train sets and cane baskets). The environment should be coloured with the tones of wood, cane, leaves and sand. It should be pleasing and relaxing to the eye and calming to the mind. Your service may already provide an environment that is aesthetically pleasing. It may already have a relaxing set-up that links the indoor and outdoor environment, or it may be part way to discovering the beauty of nature. It is unusual for all materials to be natural, but by creating a balance between natural, man-made and recycled resources, you will notice a change in the feel of the space and how the children use and respond to it.
Presenting materials When you present materials and resources to children, you must think about the message being sent. You want them to feel safe, involved, comfortable and intrigued by the set-up. An uncluttered, simple display without distractions allows children to focus on play and learning and, where possible, to concentrate on the process of the experience. Natural materials allow you to easily set up a space that sends out this message. The resource aesthetics are positive and reflect a calm feeling. When you couple these natural elements with recycled objects and items, the play space is transformed into a wonderland of enjoyment. Children are better able to focus and the environment will be better used for exploration and open-ended experimentation. You can still have purposeful, goal-orientated and intentional teaching; but the children can also enjoy something more than what you immediately provide.
Children may use recycled materials in a collage experience. CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
11
CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world PC 1.4 PC 1.5
1C
Creating spaces that develop life skills
Ongoing discussion about the environment is important to the development of life skills in a child. It is important for children to know about: • growing and preparing food • waste reduction and recycling.
Growing and preparing food An edible garden is a fantastic learning experience. Many different concepts can be introduced; for example: • life cycles of plants and the bugs and creatures in the garden • where foods come from • how we care for plants • what foods look like before they come to the plate • how to prepare foods • what role bees play • how the garden ecosystems work • roles and responsibilities; for example, who is in charge of watering, who needs to weed • counting, measuring and comparing seeds and garden beds • sequencing (what comes first, second, next) • time (how long it takes for each plant to grow fruit, which days of the week are to be set for weeding or fertilising) • horticulture (the names of plant species, companion planting, landscaping, propagation and cultivation).
Garden experiences The garden space is something pleasant to look at, smell, watch and care for. It can be as small as a pot plant or window box or as large as your fence length, and built with raised garden beds or made from recycled materials. Children love to get involved in the process of developing a garden. They can help you: • plan the space • list items they need • collect the items on an excursion or help write a letter to a supplier • place the items • shovel, dig, rake and hoe • set out the plants, seedlings or seeds 16
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world
Assessment activity 1 Supporting children to develop an understanding and respect for the natural environment Your trainer or assessor may require you to complete this assessment activity and will provide you with instructions as to how to present your responses. They may provide alternative or additional assessment activities depending on the circumstances of your training program. The following table maps the assessment activity for this chapter against the element and performance criteria of Element 1 in CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world. Part
Element
Performance criteria
A
1
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5
B
1
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5
Purpose This assessment activity is designed to assess your skills and knowledge in supporting children to develop an understanding and respect for the natural environment.
Requirements To complete this assessment activity, you need: • access to a particular service or simulated environment • to answer the questions and submit responses as directed by your trainer/ assessor/training organisation • to ensure you maintain confidentiality as required.
Part A Prepare a group experience for pre-school children: • Sorting game • Discussion • Brainstorming • Poster/book The experience can be delivered as a single session with one group, or you can break it up into smaller segments if it is too long for the children you are working with.
24
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world
The following table maps this chapter to the National Quality Standard and Belonging, being & becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. National Quality Standard Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice Quality Area 2: Children’s health and safety
Quality Area 3: Physical environment Quality Area 4: Staffing arrangements Quality Area 5: Relationships with children Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities Quality Area 7: Leadership and service management
Early Years Learning Framework Principles Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships Partnerships High expectations and equity Respect for diversity
Ongoing learning and reflective practice
Practice Holistic approaches Responsiveness to children Learning through play
Intentional teaching
Learning environments Cultural competence Continuity of learning and transitions Assessment for learning
Outcomes Children have a strong sense of identity
Children are connected to and contribute to their world Children have a strong sense of wellbeing Children are confident and involved learners Children are effective communicators
28
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
Chapter 2 Identifying areas for change
2A
Identifying sustainable practice
PC 2.1 PC 2.2
Sustainable practices are the actions you take to enable the long-term survival of any system or product. It is about taking things that you need now without damaging their availability in the future.
Sustainability concepts To practise sustainability, you need to consider the cost of everything you do. This includes the cost of your actions on people, the planet and profit. These three terms are commonly linked to sustainability and are called the triple bottom line. The following is an example of how you can apply these sustainability concepts in your service. Sustainability concept
Examples in your service
People
••
Workforce and social sustainability
Taking care of yourself and others to avoid burnout, stress and negative feelings
••
Taking care of others where possible
••
Adapting to change as positively as you can
••
Upholding the rights of everyone in your service
Planet
••
Reducing waste
Environmental sustainability
••
What chemicals are used for cleaning and how are they used (all chemicals in the service must have a safety data sheet (SDS) that tells you about their dangers)
••
Reducing how many materials you consume (for example, paper)
••
Your willingness and ability to reduce, re-use and recycle
••
How well you maintain equipment and resources to ensure their long-term viability
••
Reducing how much energy you use
••
Reducing the amount of water used
••
The costs involved and budget available for running the program
••
The WHS needs that the budget must cover
••
Whether the service can maintain best practices over the long-term with regard to:
Profit Economic or cost sustainability In this context, the word ‘profit’ does not just relate to making money. It means the basics of affordability – can you afford to keep up this practice or system in the long term?
––
additional staff
––
higher ratios of children to educators
––
nutritional diets for children
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
29
CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world
Practice task 8 Extend the research you completed in Practice task 7. Follow these steps. 1. Develop a list of positives and negatives to show how you have evaluated each strategy with your supervisor. Suggested change: Most sustainable alternatives:
Origin
Strategy
Positives
Negatives
Original strategy – non-sustainable New strategies
2. Evaluate the options with your supervisor. Identify which option the service would choose to implement. 3. Record this evaluation by writing down details of the discussion you had with your supervisor.
Chapter summary 1. Sustainability links to the need for us to consider the cost of everything we do. This includes the costs relating to people, the planet and profit. 2. It is important to have policies and procedures to maximise the sustainable practices within the service, and to review and improve these periodically. 3. Consultation and collaboration are required to develop or review any policy. When sustainability is the focus, there are a variety of community services that can support and advise. 4. An environmental audit is a practical way to look at the current practices and systems within your service and analyse them to identify areas for improvement. 5. When researching, you may wish to involve your supervisor. An evaluation of positives and negatives can lead you to best practice results, which can be very rewarding.
38
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world
Try and put this information into a simple document. The following table is an example of how you might do this. This process will help to organise your thoughts. It will also lead to a much more positive response from both families and community members.
Example Starting a compost heap Benefits
Recycling and reducing waste; creating mulch and fertiliser for the garden; involving parents and children; and ecosystem and biodiversity learning.
Preparation
Educators to read Garden Greenies compost page online at: www. yates.com.au/kids-gardening/in-the-garden/how-to-make-compost/. Identify the best position. Help children create a poster about the things that can go into the compost heap. Build or buy a compost container.
Resources
Compost container, child-sized shovels and rakes.
Implementation
Scraps to go into the compost heap, children or educators to turn over the heaps every few days.
How to involve children
Discussion Discuss biodiversity and ecosystems Discuss what happens in the compost heap Learning experience Empty the scraps into the heap Bring scraps from home for the heap
Practice task 9 1. Find three resources that encourage children to participate in discussion and learning experiences about sustainable practices. For each one, include: ••
the type of resource
••
what the children will learn from the discussion topic.
2. Ask your supervisor how the service already involves families and the community in sustainable discussions, learning and sharing. Find out if any other ideas are planned. 3. Ask your supervisor what the normal process of the service is when they want children and adults to participate in implementing new sustainable practices in the service.
46
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world
Assessment activity 3 Supporting others in implementing sustainable practices Your trainer or assessor may require you to complete this assessment activity and will provide you with instructions as to how to present your responses. They may provide alternative or additional assessment activities depending on the circumstances of your training program. The following table maps the assessment activity for this chapter against the element and performance criteria of Element 3 in CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world. Part
Element
Performance criteria
A
3
3.1
B
3
3.1, 3.2, 3.3
Purpose This assessment activity is designed to assess your skills and knowledge in supporting others in implementing sustainable practices.
Requirements To complete this assessment activity, you need: • access to a particular service or simulated environment • to answer the questions and submit responses as directed by your trainer/ assessor/training organisation.
Part A Keep a log book for one week (5 days) while you are working with children. Make a note of any discussions or learning experiences about sustainable practices. Organise the information in a table similar to the following. Topic of discussion/ type of experience
48
Number and age of children
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
Location
Strategy
Outcome
Final assessment Support children to connect with their world Your trainer or assessor may require you to complete this assessment activity and will provide you with instructions as to how to present your responses. They may provide alternative or additional assessment activities depending on the circumstances of your training program. The following table maps this final assessment activity against the elements and performance criteria of CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world. Part
Element
Performance criteria
A
1, 2, 3
1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3
B
1, 3
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 3.1, 3.2
C
2, 3
2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.2, 3.3
Detailed mapping of this learner guide against the methods of assessment, the elements, the performance criteria, performance evidence and knowledge evidence is available in the Aspire Trainer’s and assessor’s guide for this unit.
Purpose The following activity forms part of your assessment of competence. You may also need to provide various workplace documents or third-party reports. Your trainer will give you guidance in this area. This assessment activity is designed to assess your skills and knowledge across the whole unit CHCECE012 Support children to connect with their world.
Requirements To complete this assessment activity, you need: • access to a children’s services environment • to be observed demonstrating performance as outlined in Part A • to complete the tasks outlined in Part B and C and submit responses as directed by your trainer/assessor/training organisation • to ensure you maintain confidentiality as required.
CHC Version 1.1 (Aspire Version 1.1) © One World for Children Pty Ltd
51
