These lessons were created by teacher candidates in the Environmental Education concentration of the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University (2024-25), instructed by Dr. Heather McGregor.
They show how teachers can draw inspiration from youth-created art and stories to build meaningful classroom activities--creating a cycle where young people's ideas spark new learning, and that learning, in turn, nurtures future possibilities.
These lessons were created to demonstrate how teachers can be inspired by youth-created art or stories to develop teaching materials, creating a cyclical teaching and learning experience.
The art and stories that inspired the lesson plans were created by youth (grades 7-12) for the Youth Imagine the Future festival in Kingston, Ontario. Each lesson invites students to envision a hopeful future in the face of climate change: one beyond fossil fuels, where biodiversity flourishes, and where communities thrive through care and connection.
Thanks to Jerri Jerreat and the Youth Imagine the Future team for supporting this lesson plan initiative and securing permission to use these artworks and stories. Thanks to April McInnes for designing the lesson plan template. Thanks to the Environmental Sustainability Committee of the Faculty of Education for their support. We hope teachers will be as inspired by young people’s visions of the future as we are!
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Grade 9
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Grade 5: Visual Art & Science
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Grade 3: Science and Visual Arts
Let's "Greenify" our Communities - Lesson Plan & Resources