Industry is the production of goods or related services within an economy. Innovation is a new idea, device or method. Infrastructure refers to the fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city or area, including the services and facilities necessary for its economy to function.
About 2.6 billion people in the developing world are facing difficulties in accessing electricity full time. 2.5 billion people worldwide lack access to basic sanitation and almost 800 million people lack access to water, a huge part of them in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. 1-1.5 billion people do not have access to reliable phone services. In developing countries, barely 30% of agricultural production undergoes industrial processing, while in high-income countries, 98% of it is processed
Why Education is crucial to achieving SDG-9
Allocating resources for research is key to addressing each country’s specific needs in the field of industry and infrastructure, and in order to improve its technologies. Enhancing scientific research, encouraging innovation and increasing the number of researchers will help upgrade the technical capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries. (Access to Learning objectives for SDG-9)
Early Childhood Care and Education
- At this level, learners develop the basic understanding of infrastructure and industries and how these affect individual lives, e.g. the industries their families work in or the public transport they use on a daily basis. They learn to identify and describe the purpose of the different places in their vicinity and community and appreciate the value of community involvement in their management. (Access Educational materials here)
Primary Education
- At this stage, the concepts of sustainability, industry, economic development or human wellbeing are introduced. Learners develop their ability to analyse the benefits and drawbacks of different forms of infrastructure and industry, focusing primarily on their sustainability. (Access Educational materials here)
Secondary Education
- Learners at this level deepen their understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of different types of infrastructure, from an environmental, social and economic perspective, thus unlocking the potential for a transdisciplinary analysis of infrastructure. The awareness and consciousness of the need for sustainability is strengthened. (Access Educational materials here)
Multimedia Educational Resources
Pedagogical Resources
- Technology Justice Belief Circles - This activity aims to help students to explore their own values and viewpoints and those of their classmates, towards Technology Justice.
- Technology: What Are My Needs? - This activity focuses on Technology needs and wants.
- The Nepal Earthquake – April 2015 - This resource is designed to be delivered as an assembly about the impact of the earthquake on Nepal and how young people in the UK can respond to this event with suggestions on organizing a fundraising event.
Ideas for Classroom Activities
- How To Do A Science Fair Project - Topic ideas to undertake a science fair project.
- Monsoon Proof Roof - This activity is aimed to children aged 9-11 and focuses on the final part of the house, the roof. Children will investigate whether a local material, straw, is the best material to use or if a different material would be better; something which is an issue, not just in Bangladesh.
- The Squashed Tomato Challenge - A fun hands-on and brains-on challenge suitable for KS2–5 students based on a real transportation problem facing farmers living on the mountains of Nepal.
Multimedia Educational Resources
- Beat The Flood! - When you live in a flood-prone area having somewhere safe to live, which will survive a flood is important. Ortis Deley looks at how people in Bangladesh have considered the different properties of materials to determine which are the right ones for the job.
- Marvellous Microbes! - Microbes have an important role to play in making biogas, a good source of renewable energy. This video explains how microbes convert kitchen waste into biogas, and how the process improves the lives of people in Bangladesh.
- Pump It Up! - When you don't have clean water 'on tap' you need to pump it up from underground. This video, presented by Ortis Deley, explains the science behind how a water pump works and why it is important to the lives of people in Bangladesh.
Get Inspired
- Promoting environmental and human welfare - A recycling project at the school has been developed. The Protea Park primary school project reflects the gradual disappearance of rubbish dumps in the school’s neighborhood. This initiative has allowed recycled waste to be sold to a local firm, thus increasing the school’s income for installing recreational facilities for students.
Pedagogical Resources
- Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure: Why It Matters - Technical Note presenting SDG 9, why we should care about this goal, what the problem is, what the price for inaction is, and how we can help.
- ICTs: A Technological Fix? - This resource aims to prove that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can reduce poverty with examples from Kenya.
- Materials 4 A Sustainable Future - An education pack for students (age 14-17) promoting the importance of advanced materials in our everyday lives. Links with Science, Art and Design and Sustainability Studies.
Ideas for Classroom Activities
- Understanding Sustainable Living - This resource aims to:
- Explain the concept of sustainability;
- Evaluate various lifestyle choices for sustainability using an online ecological footprint calculator to real-life data;
- Identify actions students can take to make their lifestyle more sustainable.
- Designing For A Circular Economy - This resource aims to:
- Learn about companies that have adopted the circular economy framework;
- Design a product or service based on the circular economy.
- Redesigning Plastic Packaging - This resource aims to:
- Improve skills in communication & teamwork, problem solving, creativity, presenting and scientific inquiry;
- Deepen awareness of the challenges around plastic packaging and how to overcome them by redesign.
Multimedia Educational Resources
- SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation And Infrastructure - This video presents the need for citizenship to engage in efforts to promote industry, innovation and infrastructure.
- The Story Of Stuff - The Story of Stuff, originally released in December 2007, is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. It exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues.
- Office Buildings That Are Saving The Planet - To celebrate World Environment Day on June 5, the website Euroffice put together the infographic below to celebrate some of the most environmentally friendly office buildings in use today.
Get Inspired
- Recycling our waste and reducing our landfill- Foundation for Environment Education - Three years ago it cost us £15,000 a year to pay for waste to go to landfill; now we only spend £3,500 a year. This saved £12,000 a year goes back into the education of the pupils. Girls are much more aware of recycling/landfill issues than they used to be. Many of them have taken these ideas home and have encouraged their parents to recycle. Most of our waste is being recycled or re-used now.
