UN Sustainable Development Goals in the Library

In September 2015, the member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The agenda comprises of 17 ambitious Sustainable Development Goals, also known as Global Goals, to tackle the world’s biggest problems. The 2030 Agenda outlines a plan for achieving a sustainable future for all. We incorporate the UN Sustainable Development Goals in our learning and teaching.  This is linked strongly to our vision and mission statement at MIS.  We look to develop learners who: contribute positively within and beyond the school”.

Libraries play a major role in helping to provide knowledge and curating resources on the SDG to support our community. In Information Literacy, we read stories/books that would act as a provocation, allow learners to feel empathy with the characters and help them to identify   the goal. Our learners exercised their creativity in making posters that promote an SDG and redesigning their own SDG Panda. The SDG Pandas are stickers that are designed to promote the SDGs via WhatsApp conversations.

Here are some reflections from our learners –

SDG12 – Responsible consumption and production

Today’s story, ‘Follow that Bottle,’ gave us a message that we should not throw away plastic in the thrash but recycle them. Deana P1.

My Mum and I collect all the plastic from our house and send them to a factory where they recycle plastic. I also have a doll made from plastic. Zaara P1.

SDG3 – Good Health and well-being

I read the story, ‘Maddie’s Fridge’ and the story helped me understand good health and well-being by…. I think the book is saying to eat healthy food because in Sophie’s fridge I could see vegetables. I enjoyed this book because it was fun! – Jioh P2.

Through the books, I learnt how to do Yoga and stay healthy. I enjoyed drawing the SDG Panda a lot. I learnt how to eat healthy food and vegetables – Jaivardhann P2.

A few books shared with P4 were- Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli, No more Plastic (Epic), The Boy who grew a forest by Sophia Gholz.

The stories helped me to understand SDG13 better because all the books told me information and I learned from them because I paid attention to the book. I enjoyed making the poster because I like art. I like how information literacy is connected to art. Lina P4.

The stories did help me understand SDG13 better because they gave me a better understanding of SDG13, and it was a fun way to understand SDG13 with a book. I really enjoyed making a poster because I love to be creative and make fun posters. I would really like to have more tasks like this one. Saanika P4.

Book shared with P5: Drum dream girl by Margarita Engle.

This story is connected to SDG 10 because there is no rule that only boys can play drums because everyone has the same right. Gaon P5.

The drum dream girl story promotes SDG 10 (Reduce inequality) because it is about a girl and how she wants to play drums but, on her island, girls are not allowed to play drums. She showed how well she could play, and she became one of the most famous musicians. Rhea P5.

All these experiences link to our Definition of learning in that they are examples of two principles of our Definition – contextual and emotional. Students’ learning is made meaningful through the context of a story that is relatable and enjoyable. Making connections to stories also help create an emotional response. Reading, sharing, and discussing stories that bring the SDGs to life help create an emotional response, which further strengthens learning.

Works cited-

Mahindra International School. “Definition of learning.” Definition of Learning. Pune: Mahindra International School, May 2018. PDF.

Mahindra International School. “Vision Statement and Rationale”, May 2017.

The Global Goals. www.globalgoals.org/resources. Accessed 28 Jan. 2022.

United Nations. “The 17 Goals.” United Nations, 2015, sdgs.un.org/goals.

Book covers Images taken from Destiny Discover, Epic and Sora.

PYP Library Team