Germany Jahrgangsstufe 11 Social-Practical Education (WSG-S track)
Chapters: 5
1. Handling digitalisation responsibly
Responsible use of digital technology
- Digital Footprints and Netiquette – A digital footprint is the trail of data we leave online. Active footprints are shared on purpose (posts, comments, forms); passive footprints are collected without us noticing (cookies, browsing history, location, IP address). Footprints are hard to erase and can be seen by others later. We live in a digital society where learning, banking, shopping and government services are online; a responsible user of it is a digital citizen (netizen). Net etiquette means being ethical (respect copyright, share reliable information), respectful (privacy, diversity, no bullying) and responsible (avoid oversharing, don't feed trolls). Communication etiquette asks us to be precise, polite and credible; social media etiquette asks us to choose passwords and privacy settings wisely, think before uploading, and verify before sharing.
2. Forecasting and researching the future
Futures research and sustainability
- Environment and Sustainable Development – The environment gives us resources, soaks up our waste, supports life and gives beauty. When we take resources faster than nature renews them, or throw waste faster than it can absorb, we cross its carrying capacity and face an environmental crisis. India faces land degradation, air and water pollution, forest and biodiversity loss. Burning fossil fuels traps heat and causes global warming; CFCs thin the ozone layer. Sustainable development meets today's needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs, using clean energy, less waste and traditional knowledge.
3. Old age and care as shared responsibility
Ageing and elderly care
- Demographic Change: Births, Deaths, Migration and Ageing – Demography is the study of population. A population changes through births, deaths and migration: change = (births − deaths) + (immigrants − emigrants). Rates are given per 1,000 people per year. Most countries pass through a demographic transition: first death rates fall, then birth rates fall, so growth is fast in the middle and slows at the end. A population pyramid shows the age and sex structure: a wide base means a young population, a narrow base and wide top mean an ageing one. Ageing comes from fewer births and longer lives. It raises the old-age dependency ratio and makes care of older people a shared task for families, communities, employers and the state (pensions, health care, accessible cities). Migration, driven by push and pull factors, moves mostly young people and reshapes the age structure of both places.
4. Health promotion as a social task
Health promotion as social policy
- Public Health – Public health is the work of keeping whole communities healthy: preventing disease, promoting healthy living and making sure everyone can get care. Infectious diseases spread through air, water, food, touch and insects; hygiene, clean water, sanitation and vaccination break the chain. When enough people are immune, herd immunity protects the rest. Health systems work in levels (primary, secondary, tertiary) and use surveillance data to spot outbreaks early.
5. Town and village development as social task
Town and village development
- Urban Planning and the Quality of Urban Life – Urban planning means deciding in advance how land in a town or city will be used, where roads, homes, jobs, parks and services go, and how the place will grow. Without planning, cities sprawl over farmland, traffic jams grow and slums lack water and drains. Planners use land-use zoning, public transport, the right density and green space to raise the quality of life. They measure it with factors such as housing, jobs, clean air, services, transport and safety. Modern ideas include the liveable city, the 15-minute neighbourhood, smart cities and city branding. Villages and small towns are planned too, as a shared social task.