3 Powerful Ways to Teach the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the IB PYP

If you're struggling to bring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) authentically into your IB PYP classroom, know that you’re not alone. Many teachers wonder how to make these 17 global goals relevant and age-appropriate for younger learners.

In this post, my guest blogger is Amber Reynolds from @scribble_satisfaction_ is  an experienced IB PYP teacher, currently working in Albania. She creatively walks us through how to unpack what the Sustainable Development Goals are, how they connect naturally to the IB Primary Years Programme and shares three practical, classroom-ready strategies for bringing them to life through inquiry and authentic action. By the end, you’ll see that teaching the SDGs isn’t “extra” work but rather it’s a meaningful, integrated part of developing international-minded, caring global citizens.

Why It’s Important to Teach the SDGs from a Young Age

PYP Concepts: Connection, Responsibility
ATL Skills: Social, Thinking, and Self-Management Skills

Introducing the Global Goals for Sustainable Development early helps children connect what they learn at school to the wider world. Sustainability in schools is more than recycling projects. It's about nurturing empathy, awareness, and a deep sense of responsibility for people and the planet.

When young students explore ideas like clean water for all or life below water, they begin to understand their role as part of a global community. They realise that their small choices such as saving water, caring for animals, or showing kindness can contribute to a better, fairer world.

Through this lens, the classroom becomes a space for agency and action, where students feel empowered to make a difference, however small. This builds not only academic understanding but emotional intelligence and ethical decision-making.

3 Practical Strategies to Integrate the SDGs into Your Curriculum

1. Start with Curiosity and Inquiry

PYP Concepts: Causation, Perspective
ATL Skills: Research and Thinking Skills

You don’t need to add new content to your already full curriculum. The SDGs align beautifully with our existing transdisciplinary Units of Inquiry.

Start by framing your inquiries around big, conceptual questions that spark curiosity:

• “Why do some people not have access to clean water?” (SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation)

• “How can we protect life below water?” (SDG 14 – Life Below Water)

• “What makes a community fair and safe for everyone?” (SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities)

Invite students to research, wonder, and explore multiple perspectives. Use KWHL charts, wonder walls, or concept maps to record their evolving thinking. Inquiry journals and classroom discussions help make their learning visible while encouraging students to connect their discoveries across subjects.

Try this:
Use the Mastering the Global Issues Task Cards (Grades 3–5) to guide discussions and research. Each card focuses on a specific goal and concept, helping students unpack complex issues through approachable, inquiry-based prompts.

2. Make It Hands-On and Action-Oriented

PYP Concepts: Function, Responsibility
ATL Skills: Communication and Self-Management Skills

Children learn best by doing. When they see their ideas take shape in the real world, learning becomes purposeful and lasting. Encourage your students to design and carry out mini-action projects connected to your units of inquiry and the SDGs.

Here are a few simple ideas:

• Plant a school or classroom garden to explore Zero Hunger (SDG 2) and Life on Land (SDG 15).

• Track classroom energy use and create posters about Climate Action (SDG 13).

• Design campaigns to reduce plastic waste linked to Life Below Water (SDG 14).

• Collect gently used books or school supplies as part of Quality Education (SDG 4).

Each action reinforces the concept of responsibility and understanding the impact of our choices and taking ownership of positive change.

Try this:
Incorporate SDG Craft Shields into your projects. Each shield invites students to combine art, writing, and the PYP Key Concepts to reflect on a specific goal. Display them as part of a Global Goals Wall or add them to student portfolios to celebrate learning and progress.

3. Connect and Reflect through Collaboration

PYP Concepts: Reflection, Connection
ATL Skills: Social and Communication Skills

Meaningful reflection helps students internalize what they’ve learned and connect their experiences to global contexts. Build in time for collaborative dialogue and shared reflection.

Try using Global Goals Discussion Cards (Grades 1–2) or a Think-Pair-Share routine to guide conversations such as:

• “What did we learn about fairness and access to education?” (SDG 4)

• “How might our actions today help people or the environment tomorrow?”

• “Which goal do you feel most connected to, and why?”

Students can document their reflections in journals, create digital posters, or share short presentations at a “Global Goals Assembly.” These reflective moments strengthen communication skills and reinforce the concept of connection—how local actions contribute to global change.

Examples of SDG Learning in Action

Here’s how these ideas can look in authentic classroom practice:

• SDG 4 – Quality Education: Students investigate access to learning worldwide and brainstorm ways every child can have an equal opportunity to learn.

• SDG 13 – Climate Action: Young researchers study changing weather patterns and propose simple actions—turning off lights, reusing paper, or planting trees—to reduce their carbon footprint.

• SDG 14 – Life Below Water: Through picture books and documentaries, students explore ocean ecosystems and design campaigns to reduce single-use plastics at school.

Each example invites inquiry, creativity, and student agency, embodying the PYP philosophy that learning should lead to meaningful action.

Ready-to-Use SDG Classroom Resources

To make this even easier, I’ve designed a collection of ready-to-use SDG resources that align perfectly with the IB PYP framework:

• Mastering the Global Issues Task Cards (Grades 3–5): Deepen inquiry and reflection through differentiated prompts for each of the 17 goals.

• Global Goals Discussion Cards (Grades 1–2): Scaffold big ideas for younger learners using developmentally appropriate language.

• SDG Craft Shields: Combine creativity and conceptual understanding with cross-curricular art and writing tasks.

You can find all of these resources in Amber's TPT store - each one designed to help your students explore the PYP and Sustainable Development Goals with confidence, curiosity, and purpose.

Why It Matters

When we teach the Sustainable Development Goals in schools, we nurture empathy, global awareness, and a sense of agency. These lessons are more than units; they’re stepping stones toward lifelong global citizenship.

Every discussion, project, and reflection helps children understand that they have the power to shape a more sustainable, just, and compassionate world.

By embedding the Global Goals into everyday learning, we aren’t just teaching about the future, we’re helping to create it.

Ready to bring the Global Goals for Sustainable Development into your PYP classroom?
Explore this complete collection of inquiry-based SDG resources.  It is designed to help your students question, connect, and take action for a better world.

If you’re already teaching the SDGs, I’d love to hear what’s working for you! Share your experiences and classroom ideas in the comments below or tag me on social media so we can continue to inspire one another toward a more sustainable future through education.

Let’s keep shaping young changemakers, one inquiry at a time.

P.S. Be sure to watch the FREE webinar, Concept Seekers: Practical Strategies for Concept-based Inquiry,  webinar, now up on the blog!