Makespace and the SDGs

1) Review the resource page & find a resource that can be integrated into both an eLearning environment and addresses STEM.

THE RESOURCE PAGE I really liked the Data Explorers on Minecraft Education resource from The World’s Largest Lesson . It lets students use data skills inside Minecraft to explore climate issues, perfect for STEM and for digital learning. Since many of our students are already into Minecraft, this is a natural way to merge play with inquiry-based science and math.

2) Add the resource to the COLLABORATIVE COLLECTION

👉 Data Explorers on Minecraft Education, helps students collect, analyze, & apply data in a fun simulation, while tackling environmental themes connected to the SDGs .

3) Add a UN Sustainable Goal section to your “Guiding Principles and Standards for E-Learning.”

When I think about my guiding principles, I’d now add: E-learning should intentionally connect classroom practice to global sustainability. Teachers should embed opportunities for students to engage with at least one SDG per unit. Digital tools (like makerspaces, coding, or Minecraft) can amplify the impact of sustainability-focused projects.

4) What role does education have in the education of Sustainable Development Goals? Education is really the driver here, it’s how abstract global challenges become real to kids. If we don’t teach SDGs, students might see sustainability as “someone else’s problem.” By bringing it into our lessons, we’re showing them they can be changemakers right now, not just someday. That totally echoes Kofi Annan’s quote: our challenge is making sustainability a lived reality, & schools are where that reality begins. In other words, education isn’t just about knowing the goals, it’s about equipping students with the skills, empathy, & problem-solving mindset to act on them in their communities.

5) How can remote or e-learning teachers integrate the concepts and ideas found within the SDGs into everyday lessons? For me, it’s about weaving the SDGs into what we already do instead of treating them like an “add-on.” In a virtual classroom, we can: Use collaborative tools (like Padlet, Jamboard, or shared Docs) for students to brainstorm solutions to SDG challenges. Link Common Core research standards to real-world sustainability topics, students can analyze sources about clean energy or gender equality. In AP Human Geography, I’ve tied SDG #11 (Sustainable Cities) into urban planning case studies, and it sparks really deep discussion. Even small touches work: exit tickets that ask, “Which SDG does today’s lesson connect to?” help normalize the goals in daily learning. Remote teachers actually have an advantage: the digital world makes it easy to connect students with global voices, simulations, & projects that bring the SDGs to life.