SDG 14: Life below Water

This Learning World focuses on understanding the role of oceans for our climate, how humanity influences and depends on life below water and how maritime ecosystems are in need of protection. The Learning World provides ideas and components that you can integrate into your teaching: An interactive boardstory with complementary exercises, a glossary with the most important terms of the Learning World, additional exercises to consolidate and further reflect on the contents of SDG 14 as well as examples of the connections between this SDG and others.
Boardstory for interactive learning
Educational Material
The Learning Objectives outline the key competencies students will develop by completing this Learning World. They also highlight connections to other topics, encouraging further exploration and discussion beyond this module.
Learning Objectives
Acquiring competencies for sustainable development is part of a lifelong learning process. The boardstory and exercises provided in this learning world initiate this process and help students gain knowledge, reflect and think critically, and take meaningful action. After completing this unit, it is recommended to foster the development of the desired competencies for sustainable development e.g. by teaching further learning worlds. Thus, expanding students’ skill sets further.
With this in mind, the learning objectives of this specific learning world first and foremost aim to develop a basic understanding of the respective SDG and related connections for students aged nine to eleven. Gaining and expanding competencies for sustainable development further is desirable, but can only be achieved through continuous immersion and persistence.
Following the interaction with this Learning World, the students will be able to:
describe how oceans contribute to moderating our climate by absorbing carbon emissions and producing oxygen.
explain how ocean acidification reduces the oceans' ability to act as a carbon sink, thereby contributing to the acceleration of global warming.
recognize that people's livelihoods might depend on the sea (provider of food, jobs, tourism, sports).
explain how human activities impact oceans and life below water in a negative way through pollution, acidification, biomass loss and the extinction of species.
explain that marine ecosystems are relatively fragile and how even small changes can have big influences in their balance and might even lead to their collapse, e.g. the perishing of coral reefs and the increase of dead zones (zones where marine life is dying due to no more oxygen in the water).
identify no-fishing zones, marine reserves, strict fishing quotas and moratoriums on species in danger of extinction as essential practices in the effort to preserve life below water as well as ensure that we can safeguard having clean and healthy oceans.
recognize how sustainable dietary habits align with limited resources of seafood.
examine how a country’s economy can be dependent on the sea.
demonstrate solidarity for the protection of life below water.
Connection to other SDGs
The 17 SDGs complement each other and should not be viewed in isolation. As such synergy effects can occur, for example an improvement in one of the SDGs can in turn have a positive effect on another. At the same time, prioritizing measures for one SDG can also lead to another goal being neglected. The following overview provides examples of connections between SDGs which can be used to open up new conversations and linking points to take the topic beyond this learning world.
Learning World
SDG 01: No Poverty
Learning World
SDG 02: Zero Hunger
Learning World
SDG 03: Good Health and Well-being
Learning World
SDG 06: Clean Water and Sanitation
Learning World
SDG 07: Affordable and Clean Energy
Learning World
SDG 08: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Learning World
SDG 09: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Learning World
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Learning World
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Learning World
SDG 13: Climate Action
Learning World
SDG 15: Life on Land
Learning World
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Learning World
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Learning World
SDG Dilemmas
Learning World
SDG Wedding Cake Model