Grade 6 · Social Studies · Lesson 24

Sustainable economics

Conventional economics focuses on short-term growth — making and selling more this year than last year. Sustainable economics asks a longer question: can we keep doing this for another fifty or one hundred years without damaging the planet, the people who produce our goods, or the well-being of future generations? Sustainability is not anti-growth; it is about smart growth.

What this lesson teaches

1Define sustainability as meeting today's needs without harming the future
2Contrast a linear take-make-waste economy with a circular economy
3Explain how fair trade and ethical consumption support producers and the planet
4Plan small everyday actions that reduce a household's environmental footprint

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