Science and education for sustainability have recently become estranged. Both of these learning areas are also experiencing issues that are affecting students' understandings in these areas. This paper presents a framework of learning containing 12 components that reconstructs the relationship between these two areas and could have the potential to overcome their current issues. A 15 week science/education for sustainability programme that was undertaken by 22 New Zealand students aged 11-12 years was analysed in terms of the components of the proposed framework. An interpretive analysis of the learning that took place showed beneficial effects on students' understandings. Not only did these students demonstrate understandings of sustainability and development of their scientific literacy, they also showed an emerging politicisation in that they were able to take action on an issue in a number of ways. It was also suggested that further components could be added to the proposed framework in order to develop additional knowledge and skills that could enable students to gain a deeper understanding of and ability to make decisions about the multifaceted environmental issues found in today's world.