A student reads a game card titled Biodiversity

Lesson Plans and Resources

Cover photo: a student reads a card from the game Interconnected.

MCIC Resources

Sustainable Foundations

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Welcome to Sustainable Foundations: A Guide for Teaching the Sustainable Development Goals

This guide is designed for educators or anyone who would like to teach young people about the  United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals — also known as the SDGs or the Global Goals — cover a wide range of sustainability issues; highlighting local, national and international priority areas to end poverty and hunger, improve health and education, make cities more sustainable and combat climate change.

This guide will provide you with information, educational resources and other supports to help you in your efforts to educate and engage young people so that they support sustainable development and are inspired to turn that support into action. This guide will also explore how to incorporate the different topics covered by each goal into lessons across multiple subjects. 
You don’t need any prior knowledge or experience of the United Nations, international development, or the Sustainable Development Goals to use this guide. It can be referred to in whole or as individual parts to suit your curriculum.

If you would like to order a print copy of the Sustainable Foundations guide, please contact us at info@mcic.ca or 204 987-6420.

Download a copy of our English classroom poster (18”x24”), featuring all 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their targets

Download the Full Guide

  • Introduction
  • 1: No Poverty
  • 2: Zero Hunger
  • 3: Good Health and Well-being
  • 4: Quality Education
  • 5: Gender Equality
  • 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
  • 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
  • 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • 10: Reduced Inequalities
  • 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
  • 13: Climate Action
  • 14: Life Below Water
  • 15: Life on Land
  • 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • 17: Partnerships for the Goals
  • Glossary

Sustainable Foundations: A Guide for Teaching the Sustainable Development Goals by Manitoba Council for International Cooperation is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Fondations durables

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Bienvenue à Fondations durables: Un Guide d’enseignement des objectifs de développement durable

Ce guide est conçu pour les éducateurs ou toute personne qui aimerait enseigner aux jeunes les objectifs de développement durable des Nations Unies.

Les objectifs de développement durable – également connus sous l’acronyme ODD ou les objectifs mondiaux – couvrent un large éventail de questions relatives à la durabilité, et mettent en lumière les zones de priorité internationale pour mettre fin à la pauvreté et à la faim, améliorer la santé et l’éducation, rendre les villes plus durables et combattre le changement climatique.

Ce guide vous donne des informations claires, des ressources pédagogiques et d’autres soutiens pour appuyer vos efforts d’éducation et de motivation des jeunes pour qu’ils appuient les objectifs de développement durable et se sentent inspirés à transformer leur appui en action. Ce guide explore aussi comment vous pouvez incorporer à vos cours les divers sujets couverts par chaque objectif dans de multiples matières.

Vous n’avez besoin d’aucune connaissance ou expérience préalable des Nations Unies, du développement international ou des objectifs de développement durable pour utiliser ce guide. Il peut être consulté en tout ou en parties individuelles qui conviennent à votre curriculum.

Si vous désirez commander une copie papier du guide des fondations durables, veuillez nous contacter à info@mcic.ca ou 204 987-6420.

Téléchargez Le Guide Complet

Pour télécharger une copie de notre affiche français en classe (18 x 24”) présentant les 17 objectifs de développement durable et leurs cibles, cliquez ici.

Fondations durables : Un Guide d’enseignement des objectifs de développement durable du Conseil manitobain pour la coopération international est sous licence CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Classroom Activities

Fast Fashion: The T-Shirt board game

NEW! An engaging and educational board game where players assume the role of T-shirts to experience how our clothing is used and discarded. This workshop aims to inspire students of all ages to reduce the environmental impact of our clothing choices.

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Go For The Goals!

#GoForTheGoals classroom challenge to Manitoba Gr 7-9 students to re-design the $20 bill based on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of their choice. This activity is a great way to introduce the SDGs to your classroom.

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Starting the SDGs

Teaching the Sustainable Development Goals and don't know where to begin? Use this SDG Lesson Plan Bundle for the ultimate introduction to sustainable development, adaptable for any grade! 

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Forced to Flee

NEWLY UPDATED: Created by Canadian Foodgrains Bank, this workshop for grades 7-12 allows students to simulate the experience of being a refugee crossing borders for a better life. SDG10

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Breaking the Cycle

Breaking the Cycle develops the understanding of the poverty cycle, suitable for grades 3-6. SDG2

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Building a Good Life

This workshop for grades 3-9 will have students analyzing the essential elements of a good life and considering types of poverty. SDG1

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Interconnected

Interconnected teaches students about biodiversity and how all life on Earth are deeply interconnected and reliant upon each other through an interactive board game. Suitable for grades 5-10. SDG15 

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Amanzi: Access to Water

Created by Development and Peace, this workshop for grades 5-12 teaches students about the importance of access to clean water in an interactive and fun manner. SDG6 

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Designing for the Future

With a focus on sustainability and inclusive communities, students work together to problem-solve and come up with solutions for designing sustainable structures, protecting heritage & culture, and tackling the effects of climate change. SDG11

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Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea

This lesson plan is for students in K-3 classrooms, telling the story of Iqbal who creates an invention to address multiple global issues. Explore themes of sustainability, problem solving, innovation and infrastructure. SDG9 

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Banana Webs

Inspired by SeedChange, Banana Webs is a workshop for students in grades 1-5 to introduce fair trade and understand the path from field to consumption of a banana. SDG8 

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Understanding Child Labour

For grades 5-12, this workshop helps students learn about the right to good working conditions, child exploitation and how globally, this is still a problem for many young workers. SDG4 

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Climate Justice

Climate Justice, for grades 7-10, teaches students about climate change, its consequences, and unjust impacts through simulating community impacts. SDG13

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SDG Scavenger Hunt

Explore the work being done in your community toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals! This activity is designed to be suitable for all ages, but some activities may require supervision. 

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Plans de cours

Justice climatique

Thème : ODD 13, Mesures relative à la lutte contre le changement climatique
Niveau : 5-12

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Additional Resources

Student Reading List

Our reading list for global classrooms from Kindergarten to Grade 12

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Sustainable Foundations Poster

Printable poster of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets

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Autres ressources