In central and northern Europe, Didaktik is sometimes seen as the professional science of teachers. In its humanistic version it has a strong connection to the Bildung concept. This theoretical paper focuses didactic (Didaktik) models and modelling in science education, and especially those models aiming at contributing to a sustainable world. Which benefits and limitations do they have? Didactic models can help teachers in their didactic choices and have the possibility to give them a professional language when talking about didactical dilemmas (sometimes related to sustainability issues). Furthermore, they can be used in the design, action and analysis of teaching, but also for critical meta-reflection about teaching traditions. When used systematically they can help in teacher professional development and have potential to contribute to research-informed teaching. Several examples will be given on didactic models and modelling in science education for sustainability, e.g., relevance models, content models, models for improved practice, and models for how to work with didactic models in practice, e.g. via teacher-researcher collaborations. The highlighted and problematized models include concepts such as relevance, visions of scientific literacy, humanized science education, problem-oriented approaches, sustainability in science education, eco-reflexivity, and action research.