Three-Minute Reads on Sustainability

Publication Date: 
October 30, 2017

Learning Objectives

To enhance reading skills of students

To learn about sustainability issues

To learn about issues connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Standards Addressed

Varied, depending upon the topic of the one minute read

Supplies/Materials/Articles Needed

All three-minute reads are linked on this page and available for download or for students to read online. Each file is in MS Word so that edits can be made before distribution to students.

Preparation Time Needed

None, beyond downloading and printing off copies of the stories for students to read.

Class Time Required

Each sustainability story is approximately 900 words in length, which takes on average three minutes to read. Teachers can then decide how much time they would like to spend on a class discussion, use a map to geographically locate the topic of a story, etc.

Activity Description

The following is a collection of three-minute reads on various topics relating to sustainabilty. The stories were written by undergraduate students at Penn State Brandywine studying the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the fall semester of 2017. Each link will take you to a MS Word file that has the student-authored story. The numbers after each student name refer to the SDGs listed in the chart below the list.

  • The Environment Around Us  --  J. Bente (11, 12)
  • Controlling the Meltdowns  --  J. Burton (3, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13)
  • Hurricane Harvey Damage, Still?  --  J. Clement (1, 3, 6, 15)
  • Rescuing the Parks  --  T. Coffey (6, 12, 13)
  • Climate Change is Impacting the Ocean  --  T. Cottman (13, 14, 15)
  • Action Against Climate Change  --  A. Ellison (13, 17)
  • Hurricanes  --  K. Flanagan (13, 15)
  • Adapting to New Environments  --  N. Gray (6, 11, 13, 14, 15)
  • Hurricane Irma  --  I. Herm (9, 13)
  • The Chocolate Extinction  --  A. Iannello (1, 4, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17)
  • Warming Up the Forests  --  B. Judge (3, 9, 13, 15)
  • Who Should We Protect?  --  L. Kreamer (3, 6, 14)
  • Acid Rain and Its Effects  --  J. Laffey (3, 6, 7, 14, 15)
  • The Relationship Between Climate Change and Deadly Hurricanes  --  F. Liu (3, 11, 13, 14, 15)
  • Plan Ahead for Tomorrow  --  K. MacLeod (3, 6, 12, 14, 15)
  • Make A Change for Global Warming  --  Y. Maloy (3, 13, 15)
  • Ocean Pollution: Cruel Not Cool  --  T. McCann (3, 6, 14)
  • Food is Not to Be Wasted  --  J. McGinn (2, 6, 12, 14, 15)
  • Working with Wax Worms  --  D. Murphy (12, 15)
  • Hug a Tree, Protect a Tree  --  C. Murray (12, 13, 15)
  • Sea Ice Melting  --  B. Nasella (8, 13, 15)
  • The Future of the Nile's Greatest Natural Resource  --  P. ODea (1, 6, 11, 13, 15, 16)
  • Hurricane Irma: Sea Turtle Destruction  --  W. Rodgers (9, 11, 14, 15)
  • Autumn Welcomes Red Leaves  --  J. Rodman (4, 13, 15)
  • Saving the Ocean  --  D. Smith (6, 13, 14)
  • Loss of Land  --  C. Thomas (12, 13, 15)
  • Going Hybrid  --  A. Wodack (3, 9, 13, 15)
  • Plastic Bottles  --  A. Yerk (3, 12)
  • Solar Energy Crisis  --  N. Young (6, 7, 9, 11, 13)