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MODULE 6 — France
How students at Collège Emmanuel Saldès are learning to read their island — through waves, heritage, and the everyday work of living sustainably.
At Collège Emmanuel Saldès in Sainte-Marie, Martinique, students explore what it means to grow up on an island shaped by both history and a changing climate. This module blends outdoor science, cultural heritage research, and hands-on eco-citizenship — from surf lessons that double as coastal science field trips, to uncovering the story of a 19th-century sugar plantation, to visiting local farms practising agrotourism.
- Climate change & coastal resilience — the sargassum phenomenon and its impact on Martinique’s shores
- Martinique’s historical & cultural heritage — tangible sites and intangible traditions
- Sustainable agriculture, ecotourism & multilingual eco-citizen campaigns
Module developed by:
Martinique, France
Module Presentation
Lesson Plans
Three lesson plans, developed across different classes and teaching teams at the school.
Lesson plan 1
Students take surf lessons on the beach at Sainte-Marie while observing first-hand how massive sargassum seaweed blooms — a growing consequence of climate change — are reshaping the coastline, harming marine life, and affecting local tourism and sport.
Lesson plan 2
Through classroom study and field visits — including the Habitation Lassalle plantation site — students learn to tell tangible heritage (monuments, buildings, ruins) apart from intangible heritage (Creole language, Bèlè music and dance, local cuisine), and why both matter to Martinique’s identity.
Lesson plan 3
Students partner with local associations on hands-on sustainability projects: field trips to agro-ecological farms, practical workshops on recycling and waste reduction, and a multilingual eco-gesture poster campaign designed for the whole school.
Key Learning Outcomes
- Understand local impacts of climate change on Martinique’s coastlines
- Distinguish tangible and intangible cultural heritage
- Recognise the importance of preserving Martinique’s history and traditions
- Develop youth-led, sustainable solutions for island resilience
- Practise eco-citizenship through real community and agricultural partnerships
- Communicate sustainability messages across multiple languages