Transport to and from school contributes to the school’s greenhouse gas emissions. Investigations can lead to students using travel modes with lower environmental impacts such as walking bus programs or increased cycling.

Sustainability action process learning resources

The sustainability action process is a five-step process that supports problem-solving through active student participation. These resources provide a structured and consistent approach to teaching sustainability across the curriculum and support learning outcomes in science, technology, geography, PDHPE, mathematics and English.

• Sustainable transport 3-6
• Sustainable transport 7-10

Assess your situation

Investigate modes of transport and travel distances to and from school through student surveys, examination of maps and transport planning websites and apps.

Getting there on less carbon

Analyse and identify transport modes and patterns. Calculate the greenhouse gas emissions from the different forms of transport and graph or rank them from most to least sustainable.

Use a PMI chart to analyse the more sustainable transport options such as walking bus programs and cycling. Identify the opportunities and barriers as they apply to your school’s location and accessibility.

Participate in National walk safely to school day and National Ride2School day. Analyse the response to the events and students’ reflections on their experiences.

Take action

Contribute to a sustainable future by choosing transport options with low carbon emissions and actively encouraging others to make sustainable transport choices.

Syllabus content

Investigations into sustainable transport uses geographical inquiry skills in support of the Geography K-10 Syllabus in:

• Stage 1 People and places – people’s connections to places
• Stage 2 The Earth’s environment – protection of environments
• Stage 3 Factors that shape places – humans shape places
• Stage 4 Interconnections – personal connections
• Stage 5 Environmental change and management – environmental management.

Evaluation and planning of sustainable transport supports learning in engineered systems in the Technology Mandatory 7-8 syllabus.

Walking and cycling provide opportunities to practise sustainable living and increase daily physical activity. This supports learning in PDHPE in the content strand of healthy, safe and active lifestyles.