Teaching Geography for a Sustainable Future: Understanding and Analyzing Regions in the Classroom—A Didactic Proposal

Abstract

This work analyzes the educational role of geography in Spain in addressing climate change and the environmental crisis. While all subjects should address ecological issues, geography, due to its content, objectives, and methods, must take a central role in environmental education through innovative pedagogical approaches. To contribute to this revitalization, a didactic proposal is presented, aimed at raising students’ environmental awareness in the subjects of geography and history. Designed for the third year of secondary education (ESO) in the Canary Islands, this proposal is flexible and applicable to other educational and territorial contexts. Based on methodologies such as Project-Based Learning and Service-Learning, it organizes a teaching unit adapted to the new curricular requirements. Students analyze the socio-territorial reality of their municipality, assess its sustainability, and design strategies to promote sustainable development. The implementation of this didactic proposal is highly valued, as it has increased the students’ knowledge about their locality, the possibilities and richness of geography as a discipline, and also sustainability as a goal applicable to a local context. In this way, the value of education as a continuous reflection and a practical problem-solving tool is reaffirmed, incorporating sustainability as an essential principle.

1. Introduction

1.1. Geography Education in Times of Change: The Sustainability Paradigm

Education about sustainability has, in recent years, become both a legal and moral imperative within the context of an environmental crisis that threatens humanity’s very existence. The formation of a critical, ecologically aware citizenry has been introduced into school curricula as a cornerstone, permeating all pedagogical activities (Valero & Febres, 2019). This necessitates a high level of commitment from the entire educational community to transform schools into spaces that actively promote the importance of environmental preservation. This involves encouraging the responsible use and enjoyment of natural resources within the planet’s limits, thus ensuring the rights of future generations to live in a sustainable environment (BOE No. 340, 2020).

There is a broad consensus on sustainability as a transversal theme in education (O’Flaherty & Liddy, 2018), which should not be confined to a single subject but integrated into all teaching and learning processes. However, geography, by its very nature and its historical focus on analyzing the interaction between the physical environment and humanity, emerges as an essential discipline for addressing ecological challenges in educational and social contexts (Firth & Winter, 2007; Meadows, 2020).

The global environmental crisis and the need to preserve the planet, although not new (Grove, 1990), have reached unprecedented levels of importance in many countries (Sprenger & Nienaber, 2018; Miao et al., 2022). In Spain, awareness of sustainability’s importance has permeated society (Lázaro et al., 2019; Center for Sociological Research, 2022). This heightened interest is largely attributed to scientific findings on climate change linking it directly human activity (Lynas et al., 2021). The impacts of climate change manifest in phenomena such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, the retreat of the cryosphere, and the spread of diseases to previously unaffected areas (IPCC, 2022). Human intervention has also led to environmental degradation, including greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem destruction, necessitating profound changes in energy production, transportation, and land-use planning (Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, 2020).

In recent times, denialist movements have emerged that question the existence or severity of climate change, often lacking a scientific basis, and rejecting measures aimed at sustainability (Abellán, 2021). However, global institutional consensus underscores the urgency of channeling environmental awareness to make progress toward resilient, climate-adapted, and sustainable territories. In this context, Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs—highlight the importance of local action, proposing a global strategy that advocates for inter-scalar collaboration on environmental initiatives (Power, 2003; United Nations, 2003). Agenda 2030 marks a milestone for its ambition and specificity, moving beyond the vagueness that has characterized the concept of sustainable development for decades (Ugalde, 2016). Moreover, some governments have published guides for localizing Agenda 2030 which promote the implementation of sustainability actions in local settings (Ministerio de Derechos Sociales y Agenda, 2020).

Education is also recognized as a key driver for sustainability in international documents such as the Incheon Declaration and the Framework for Action on achieving SDG 4, where education is not only a goal but also a vehicle for achieving other SDGs. UNESCO (2015) emphasizes a holistic and humanistic vision of education that fosters multiple values, including social cohesion, democracy, respect for diversity, justice, human rights, and environmental preservation, among others.

This situation necessitates a redefinition of how geography is taught, which has traditionally focused on describing territories. According to various studies (Pena i Vila, 1992; Núñez, 2010; De La Calle, 2012; Morote & Olcina, 2021), it is essential to move away from traditional pedagogical approaches and adopt innovative methods that respond to contemporary challenges. In this regard, geography emerges as a key discipline for equipping students with the knowledge and tools needed to adopt sustainable, resilient, and healthy lifestyles (Widener et al., 2016; Yli-Panula et al., 2020).

Physical geography is the branch that analyzes the various components of nature at different scales (López-Bermúdez, 2002). Elements such as soils, climates, landforms, water, and living organisms have become, over the decades and with scientific development, the core subjects of this subfield. Since climate change and the path to sustainability directly or indirectly affect these elements—which are the foundation upon which human activity is built—physical geography has increasingly focused on analyzing the causes and consequences of environmental degradation, as evidenced by the prolific research activity of physical geographers in this area (Martín-Vide & Moreno-García, 2020; Dorta & López-Díez, 2020; Camarasa-Belmonte, 2021).

In conclusion, geography offers a broad and effective theoretical and practical approach to meeting the goals set out in national and international sustainability legislation in the educational field. While a cross-disciplinary approach involving various fields is required, geographical knowledge and techniques are indispensable for promoting sustainability. As Pena i Vila (1992) emphasizes: “Geography must be the field that brings together and directs the necessary interdisciplinary contributions to provide a functional approach to Environmental Education”.

1.2. The Educational Context in Spain and the Canary Islands

From a legal standpoint, any analysis of education in Spain must necessarily begin with the Constitution (1978). Article 27.1 proclaims the right to education and freedom of teaching, emphasizing education as a tool for developing a well-rounded human personality, respectful of democratic principles and fundamental rights. Additionally, Article 45.1 enshrines the right to an adequate environment for human development and the duty to conserve it. Article 45.2 establishes the obligation of public authorities to ensure the rational use of natural resources to protect and improve the quality of life and safeguard the environment.

This legal framework imposes a duty on lawmakers to include competencies and content in the education system that contribute to environmental preservation, while fostering the development of sustainable values and principles among students. In line with these principles, the LOMLOE (BOE No. 340, 2020), which amends the Organic Law 2/2006 on Education, emphasizes in its preamble the need to incorporate education on sustainable development and global citizenship into educational programs. This legislation directs education toward providing both intellectual and practical tools, enabling students to take an active role in addressing global environmental challenges. Simultaneously, the LOMLOE highlights the importance of acting locally, ensuring that students understand the impact of their daily actions on sustainability and develop a deep empathy for their natural and social surroundings. Article 110.4 of the law states that educational communities must serve as drivers of social and community transformation (BOE No. 340, 2020).

This legislative approach underscores that the education system cannot remain detached from the challenges of climate change. Schools must become custodians of environmental care, promoting sustainable lifestyles and respectful ecosystem practices. Sustainability, therefore, is defined not as a mere academic objective, but as a fundamental principle that permeates the organization and the functioning of educational institutions. In this context, education is conceived as a means to contribute to ecological transition with the criteria of social justice, promoting environmental, social, and economic sustainability (BOE No. 340, 2020).

At the national level, the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2021–2030 highlights the importance of raising awareness and educating about the impacts of climate change, encouraging citizen participation in analyzing and designing solutions (Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, 2020). Additionally, the Action Plan for Environmental Education for Sustainability 2021–2025 reinforces educational curricula with competencies that are aligned with the SDGs, promoting the active participation of students and teachers in public environmental campaigns and social interventions, as well as integrating SDG-related competencies into the educational curriculum (Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico y Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional, 2021).

Furthermore, as already mentioned, the latest national education law places significant emphasis on sustainability. This has driven various academic initiatives aimed at designing models, competencies, and methodologies that foster this objective (Murga-Menoyo & Bautista-Cerro, 2019; Corrales et al., 2020; Puertas et al., 2022; Correa et al., 2023). The construction of a planetary identity (Murga-Menoyo, 2009), which is a complex global challenge, cannot be addressed exclusively through a single discipline. However, geography, as a science studying the relationship between humans and their environment, bears a fundamental responsibility for raising public awareness, particularly in school education (Tilbury, 2002).

There is a notable integration of environmental content into the curricula of university geography programs, reinforcing the discipline’s relevance in addressing sustainability. Examples include the Bachelor’s Degree in Geography, Territorial Development, and Sustainability at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, and Geography and Global Change at the University of Barcelona (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 2023; Universitat de Barcelona, 2023). This reflects a revitalization of geography as a whole, not only in its physical branch, but also in areas such as urban geography, tourism, perception, and transportation, which have adapted to address the challenges posed by sustainability (Bernex, 2008; Leichenko, 2011; Gómez-Martín, 2017).

At the regional level, in the Canary Islands, the curriculum decree stipulates that the study of regional and global environments fosters an ecological attitude and an understanding of the need to preserve the planet. Moreover, knowledge and the preservation of natural, social, cultural, and historical heritage are used as pedagogical tools to instill sustainable values (BOC No. 58, 2023). The curriculum also emphasizes the importance of geographical thinking to contextualize learning in local and global settings, fostering a critical understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This paper introduces the framework of a didactic unit called “TerritorySDGs: Know, Explain, and Value the Territory to Promote Sustainability from the Classroom”. This unit is structured around three central steps that students will address through teamwork: (1) a socio-territorial diagnosis of the municipality where their school is located, from a geographical perspective; (2) an analysis of the sustainability level of their locality; and (3) the design of a Local Strategy for Sustainable Development. Ultimately, this unit aims to equip students with geographic knowledge and competencies while fostering a committed and proactive attitude toward their surrounding environment.

2. Materials and Methods

This work aims to reflect on the potential of geography education as a tool to foster adequate student training in sustainability. It does so through a didactic proposal that enables the acquisition of knowledge and skills via the analysis and formulation of ideas oriented towards improving the socio-territorial reality of a geographical area, from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in line with what Murga-Menoyo (2015) calls “curricular sustainability”. In this sense, the research question formulated is as follows: How can socio-territorial analysis and sustainable strategy design activities in the classroom which foster geographic competencies and a commitment to sustainability in secondary school students?

The pedagogical proposal presented here consists of a teaching unit designed for the third year of compulsory secondary education, ESO, where the curriculum includes—as in other years of ESO—the subjects of geography and history, with three weekly teaching hours. However, the flexibility of the learning situation and the variety of activities and dynamics it contains allow for its partial or full implementation in other secondary school years, or even in the subject of geography in the second year of the Spanish baccalaureate—Bachillerato. Thus, it is conceived as a collection of freely implementable dynamics aimed at contributing, through geography, to environmental education.

This type of teaching unit is associated with self-regulated learning, where the student is the ultimate protagonist. In this model, students plan, monitor, and regulate their own learning, developing the ability to understand and control their processes, pace, and methods to achieve the intended competencies. This approach directly connects to metacognition, or the awareness of what and how one learns (Pinto & Palacios, 2022).

The fact that the project focuses on analyzing a real and familiar context for the student helps to increase engagement and expectations, given that scientific evidence suggests motivation is closely linked to interest, the satisfaction of personal needs and interests, and the perception that what is taught is applicable and useful in various contexts (Anaya-Durand & Anaya-Huertas, 2010).

Moreover, Project-Based Learning—PBL—forms a cornerstone of the proposed teaching unit. This methodology, as described by authors like Martí et al. (2010), enables students to actively engage by designing, implementing, and evaluating projects with real-world applications beyond the classroom, based on a guiding question.

Thus, this methodology steers the teaching–learning process toward producing a final product—a presentation, object, action, etc.—during which research skills, analytical and synthetic abilities, project commitment, teamwork, and more are developed (Martí et al., 2010). The numerous didactic proposals associated with PBL developed in recent years within geography and history education confirm the suitability of these dynamics for deepening the content of and competencies in these subjects (García-Luque & Rueda, 2017; Abarca, 2017).

Additionally, the group dynamics conducted throughout the activity highlight its link with cooperative learning, which authors like Gil-Montoya et al. (2007) associate with the development of skills such as critical and logical thinking; information searching, selection, organization, and evaluation; conflict resolution; negotiation; tolerance; empathy; assertiveness; and more.

The socio-territorial diagnosis of the municipality involved in this proposal is closely tied to Service-Learning (SL), a methodology that aligns learning with providing a service to the community, connecting academic success with social commitment so that students perceive their work as meaningful and beneficial to their environment (Batlle, 2020).

Furthermore, it is essential to mention the core competencies for sustainability outlined by Murga-Menoyo (2015): (1) critical analysis—critical thinking, ethical commitment, and intellectual engagement; (2) systemic reflection—relational and holistic thinking, along with a sense of belonging to the community of life; (3) collaborative decision-making—argumentative and participatory skills, democratic commitment, and adherence to universal human rights; and (4) a sense of responsibility towards present and future generations—ethical and social commitment, anticipatory thinking, synchronic and diachronic thinking, universal responsibility, differentiated responsibility, and, ultimately, compassion.

Finally, it is advisable to indicate the conditions under which this didactic proposal was implemented and how its results were analyzed to address the research question. Thus, the activities described in the Results section were carried out between January and March 2023 at a public educational center in the northern part of the island of Tenerife. The group consisted of 27 students, all of local origin, including 4 with special educational needs, which necessitated the adaptation of certain activities to ensure their integration within the group.

Basically, the effectiveness of the implementation was analyzed through direct observation of the students, as well as by comparing the differences identified between the initial and final surveys, which showed the acquisition of diverse geographical knowledge and a high satisfaction with the proposed activities.

3. Results and Discussion

The didactic unit consists of eighteen sessions grouped into five steps, representing approximately six weeks of instruction in the subjects of geography and history (Figure 1) for the third year of ESO (compulsory secondary education). This timeframe is justified by the wide range of topics and competencies covered. In summary, all steps are directed towards the completion of a project culminating in the presentation of a report comprising three main sections: a socio-territorial diagnosis of the locality, an analysis of the municipality’s sustainability, and, finally, the design of a strategy to promote the area’s progress toward sustainable development.

3.1. Step 1: Do I Really Know My Municipality?

Throughout the first step, the project should be explained to the students in order to communicate the expected learning outcomes and the final objective. For this purpose, in the first session, the teacher will give a brief presentation on the SDGs, aiming to assess the students’ prior knowledge. In addition, a simple survey will be distributed covering concepts such as sustainability, local development, the Sustainable Development Goals, etc., with the aim of assessing the students’ baseline level and being able to evaluate, at the end of the didactic proposal, the impact of the activities on the class’s geographic knowledge and competencies.

In the second session, the study area around which the entire project revolves—corresponding to the municipality where the educational institution is located—is introduced. Here, the teacher will provide a worksheet for students to complete with socio-demographic, economic, and cultural data of interest. At the end of the session, the actual data of the locality will be presented, confronting students with any misconceptions they may have about the area, which is known in pedagogical terms as cognitive conflict (Sotomayor & Chaparro-Sánchez, 2023).

It is important to note that the worksheet, and the project as a whole, will be organized around four main pillars. Although the SDGs officially recognize five pillars—people, prosperity, planet, peace, and partnerships (Brown & Rasmussen, 2019)—the last two are integrated into a single pillar that generally refers to governance, a concept better suited to the local scale.

3.2. Step 2: I’m Starting to Know My Municipality

The second step of the activity focuses on creating a characterization of the municipality. Each of the first four sessions in this step will center on a specific thematic pillar previously outlined—people, prosperity, planet, and governance. In each session, the teacher will facilitate three short group discussions or reflections on the municipality’s situation and characteristics in relation to each pillar, based on a set of suggested topics. In these discussions, student groups will share insights after having consulted information on the given topic.

The proposed dynamic for the sessions is as follows: after a brief introduction to the pillar, groups will have about ten minutes to search for information on some of the suggested topics. After this time, they will share the information they have gathered and discuss or clarify as needed. This procedure will be repeated twice more in each session to complete the three discussions planned within each block.

In the final session of this step, groups will work independently to compile and write up all the information they have gathered about the locality, which will then be submitted as a report. Alongside the main points, they will design a simple conceptual map or outline that concisely conveys the municipality’s situation within each of the blocks. For this purpose, three digital tools are recommended for creating concept maps easily: Cmaptools, Canva, and GoConqr.

The report, titled Socio-territorial Diagnosis of the Municipality, will serve as the first of the three parts that will comprise the final project. The teacher will review the submitted documents and provide feedback on areas for improvement and suggestions for enriching the report; therefore, it will not receive a numerical grade.

3.3. Step 3: Sustainability in My Municipality

After completing the socio-territorial diagnosis of the municipality, the third step, lasting three sessions, focuses on analyzing the sustainability of the locality through the study of the achievement level of the SDGs.

In the first session, the teacher will activate prior knowledge by reviewing the SDGs and discussing with students the concept of sustainability, the number and themes of the SDGs, etc. Based on the proposed sustainability goals set forth in the Canary Islands Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 (Government of the Canary Islands, 2023) and the information gathered in previous sessions, each group will analyze the status of the seventeen SDGs in the municipality, proposing two facts for each Goal, which must be supported by real data—not just students’ perceptions. Each group will write and post on a shared board two ideas for the first seven SDGs, answering the following question: what is the municipality’s status regarding this SDG? (Figure 2).

In the second session, the same dynamic will continue until all seventeen SDGs have been addressed. This will gradually contribute to a collective brainstorming session about the socio-territorial reality of the municipality from a sustainability perspective, implicitly covering numerous geographic topics.

In the third and final session, the contributions made for each SDG will be discussed. Then, the groups will proceed to draft a deliverable summary titled Analysis of the Municipality’s Sustainability, which will summarize the locality’s situation from a sustainability perspective. This text will form the second part of the report started in the previous step.

3.4. Step 4: I Can Change My Municipality!

The fourth step has a markedly propositional character, so that each group must design a set of measures aimed at increasing the sustainability of the municipality. This constituent part of the final report, whose title will be Municipal Strategy for Sustainable Development, will include five specific actions to be promoted by the local administration to advance towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, so that each action is linked to at least one different SDG. In these five measures, the four thematic axes should be represented, either individually—one proposal per axis—or through cross-cutting proposals.

The aim of the activity is therefore for students, after a geographical analysis of the reality and sustainability of their daily living environment, to propose alternatives aligned with sustainable development that will lead to an improvement in the conditions of the locality and its inhabitants. In this way, a process of local change will be devised, basing the proposals on the data already collected and adding new information, if deemed appropriate. Students will be encouraged to include graphs, images, and diagrams that contribute to visually enriching the results.

In any case, during the first session, each team must agree on the proposals they wish to develop and communicate them to the teacher, who will assess their feasibility and suitability. Each proposal should then be developed on approximately one sheet of paper, not counting the figures and references included.

3.5. Step 5: Now I Know My Municipality

The fifth and final step is aimed at integrating the three main parts worked on—a socio-territorial diagnosis of the municipality, an analysis of the situation of the SDGs, and, finally, the proposals for progress towards sustainability—in a final report entitled TerritorySDGs: knowing, explaining and valuing the territory by promoting its sustainability from the classroom. The structure of the work will be as in Figure 3:

The first three sessions of this step will be devoted to the preparation of the final report by the groups. At this point, the headings to which they should pay the most attention will be the introduction, the discussion, and the conclusions.

In the two final sessions, each group will have to present, in about fifteen minutes, the work carried out, supported by a simple presentation reflecting a synthesis of the structure of the written report.

3.6. Evaluation

The following table (

Table 1. Means, techniques, and instruments of evaluation.

Means of Evaluation	Evaluation Techniques	Assessment Tools	Weighting
Written (report)	Documentary analysis	Specific rubric for the written work TerritorySDGs: knowing, explaining and valuing the territory by promoting its sustainability from the classroom	30%
Oral (presentation)	Presentation analysis	Specific rubric for group presentations	20%
Practical (supervised work)	Group observation	Specific rubric for group work	20%
Practical (supervised work)	Direct observation of the student	Specific rubric for individual performance and progress	20%
Written	Self-assessment	Self-assessment sheet for the entire process	5%
Oral	Peer assessment	Peer evaluation sheet for the presentation	5%

Source: own preparation.

) shows the different means, techniques, and instruments of evaluation, as well as the weighting attributed to each of them, based on the proposal by Hamodi et al. (2015):

3.7. Implementation

The development of this didactic proposal has highlighted the importance of geography as a discipline for sustainability education within the context of compulsory education in Spain. As a science that examines interactions between humans and their environment, geography not only facilitates an understanding of global and local environmental challenges but also promotes social responsibility in building more sustainable territories. This aligns with current educational regulations, such as the LOMLOE, and the objectives established by Agenda 2030. For this reason, the designed product addresses the need to include tools in the school curriculum that empower students to adopt an active and conscious role in caring for their environment.

By applying the active methodologies included in the proposal, such as Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Service-Learning (SL), ecological awareness can be fostered among students, along with a comprehensive understanding of the key environmental challenges at the local level. This aligns with findings from other studies (And & Sheaffer, 2006; Nation, 2008; Genc, 2015; Ayerbe-López, 2021). Additionally, implementing these methodologies in the classroom not only equips students with specific knowledge about sustainability or climate change, but also promotes the development of key skills such as analytical and synthesis abilities and teamwork.

Furthermore, when comparing this initiative to similar practices (Cahuas & Levkoe, 2017; Iranzo-García et al., 2022), it becomes evident that many comparable approaches in environmental education within geography also employ PBL and SL to encourage student engagement with local issues and to connect the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to their surroundings (Aramburuzabala & Cerrillo, 2023). However, this proposal stands out for its focus on the local scale, enabling students to observe the direct impact of their initiatives and engage with their community. This proximity makes the acquired knowledge more meaningful and reinforces students’ perceptions of their ability to positively influence their immediate environment.

Regarding the work presented by the students, the effort made around the socio-territorial diagnosis of the municipality is highly valued. Thanks to the information obtained from official sources, they have defined the most notable characteristics of the locality in terms of demographics, employment, mobility, participation, etc. This analysis has later been linked to the study of sustainability, where they have adopted critical positions about local deficiencies in waste management, ecosystem preservation, inequalities, and adaptation to natural risks. Finally, they have proposed concrete measures—some of which are probably unfeasible at the local level—to advance towards achieving the SDGs; among the most attractive ideas, the proposal to design climate shelters (which are currently non-existent) or the implementation of some nature-based solutions as a measure of adaptation to climate change stand out.

After completing all the planned activities, an evaluation of the entire process was conducted. The students’ satisfaction with the dynamic reached a score of 9.4 out of 10, particularly highlighting the interaction with other classmates, with whom they were able to get to know better, as well as gaining a greater understanding of their locality, which many were previously unaware of. In this regard, an increase in group cohesion was observed, as was good inclusion of students with special educational needs. Despite the fact that the students live and interact within their municipality and are thus aware of some of its sustainability shortcomings, in the early sessions they demonstrated a considerable inability to gather all the information they knew and link it to specific concepts such as “waste”, “mobility”, or “gentrification”.

Furthermore, beyond having gained a deeper understanding of their environment, they have highly valued the comprehension of an analysis methodology that can be extrapolated to other fields and subjects. In this regard, most students had never considered carrying out an academic task reflectively, but rather by following specific instructions. As a result, the sequence followed, which encouraged starting by thinking about what is known about the topic, then dissociating all the parts to be analyzed, and finally bringing together the gathered information coherently, and has proven to be very useful for the students.

One of the most notable and surprising findings is related to the change in opinions and attitudes towards geography. In this regard, most students were surprised to learn how the discipline can contribute to analyzing real-world problems, and not just the physical aspects of the world. Until the implementation of this didactic sequence, they were unaware that geography also deals with issues such as climate change or water management, which they had previously associated more with biology or other related sciences. The activities carried out marked a turning point in the teaching–learning process, so that the delivery of the remaining course content throughout the term could be carried out in a more dynamic and fluid manner. Additionally, a greater commitment from the students towards sustainability was identified, with them promising to include this approach in all their work and daily actions. Furthermore, they wanted to present the results of their work to the town council, which has positively valued their efforts and has committed to considering some of the proposed measures.

Consequently, based on the results of the surveys distributed and the students’ own comments during the final class sessions, it can be stated that the proposed activities have increased their knowledge not only about their locality, but also about geography and sustainability. All the sessions were carried out as planned, and the duration of the didactic proposal, as well as its materials, were strictly adhered to.

4. Conclusions

Throughout this work, the role and positioning of geography within the framework of the current climate crisis and, in relation to it, the paradigm of environmental education have been examined. Based on the analysis, it becomes clear that this subject is highly relevant in strengthening students’ ecological awareness through the promotion of climate literacy and the implementation of educational and community experiences beneficial for both their local environment and their academic development.

Aligned with these perspectives, this work presents a didactic proposal rooted in the significant social and regulatory interest in contributing to sustainability through education. In this case, the pedagogical experience is embedded in the geography and history curriculum for the third year of ESO—compulsory secondary education—within the Canary Islands Autonomous Community. However, its flexibility and the variety of its dynamics allow for its full or partial implementation in any other educational level or autonomous community.

The design and implementation of the didactic proposal, as well as the theoretical and regulatory foundations that underscore the need for such initiatives, highlight the importance of raising awareness among Spanish students about sustainability through innovative and active methodologies. These approaches foster the individual construction of the learning process. The results from the actual implementation of some of its steps in the classroom confirm that the proposed activities promote student motivation and interest, meaningful learning, and autonomous problem solving, which were the original objectives. Additionally, increased group cohesion, more rigorous argumentative reflections on the subject, and changes in certain daily habits both inside and outside the classroom have been observed.

In conclusion, in the current context of the environmental crisis, strengthening the bonds between students and the territories they inhabit is a pressing need. Moreover, integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the classroom as a means to collectively build a more resilient future adapted to global challenges requires the rational frameworks, knowledge systems, and practices of the geographical discipline. This integration ensures the formation of a well-informed, engaged citizenry prepared to address the looming civilizational emergency.