Class 1: What are sustainable businesses?

Introduction:

• Ask students to brainstorm individually what characteristics a sustainable business would have and what they think corporate social responsibility means.
• Ask students to volunteer some of their answers with the class.
• Show the short video, Little Green Bags: True Business Sustainability, to give students an overview of sustainable businesses and Corporate Social Responsibility

Begin Research & Project-Based Activity:

• Ask students to brainstorm individually what businesses or products they think would be considered “green” or eco-friendly.
• Once the students have finished brainstorming, have students share their answers and create an ongoing list from the examples they provide.
• Assign groups of students to look up and read through the Sustainable Business or Green Business? article and explore content on “What’s a Green Business?”. Tell students to find a definition to a green business and what characteristics they would have.
• Ask each group to report back to class on what their definition of a green business is.
• Facilitate class discussion using the following guiding questions:
  • What would you consider to be a green business?
  • Legally, what do promotional words such as natural, eco-friendly, or green have to mean?
  • What is greenwashing?
  • What is Corporate Social Responsibility?

Independent Assignment (Homework):

• Assign students into groups. Within their groups, students will decide what type of business they will focus on, choosing from Goods or Services and Small or Large. Students will come up with categories and a rating system as they research to identify local green businesses, products, and services.

Class 2: Presentations

• Each group presents the brochure they created to the class, explaining the categories and rating system they created to identify local green businesses, products, and services.