1. eco archiveslessons for teaching sustainability & design innovation
CURRICULUM
™
awakening solutions in the minds of the next generation

2. Energy 101
Intro to Design Solutions: Classroom Blackout
Extended Learning: Harnessing Human Power
Design Lab: Solar Oven
Food 101
Intro to Design Solutions: Farm Fresh Foods
Extended Learning: What Am I Eating?
Design Lab: Global Bucket Garden
Transportation 101
Intro to Design Solutions: Stopping Traffic
Extended Learning: Joy Ride
Design Lab: Get on the Bus
Waste 101
Intro to Design Solutions: The Story of Electronics
Extended Learning: Trash Exchange
Design Lab: Plastic Bottle Planter
Water 101
Intro to Design Solutions: Global Water Innovations
Extended Learning: Inspired by Nature
Design Lab: DIY Drinking Water
Public Spaces 101
Intro to Design Solutions: Making Smart Spaces
Extended Learning: Green Space for All
Design Lab: Modeling a Green School
Air 101
Intro to Design Solutions: Out Of Breath
Extended Learning: Hanging Gardens
Design Lab: A Living Wall
ENERGY
FOOD
TRANSPORTATION
WASTE
WATER
PUBLIC SPACES
AIR
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EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum

3. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 1
eco archives
Essential Questions
How do human beings consume energy and how does it impact the planet?
How can we use human ingenuity to reduce energy consumption?
ENERGY 101
Resource list of websites, books, films and short videos about energy issues.
INTRO TO DESIGN SOLUTIONS: Classroom Blackout
Students identify and measure power loads of electronics within their classroom, then
imagine how to reduce usage and supplement with renewable energy options.
EXTENDED LEARNING: Harnessing Human Power
Students analyze how human kinetic energy can be harnessed as an energy resource,
and design a method of harnessing human kinetic energy that reduces the impacts of
energy consumption.
DESIGN LAB: Solar Oven
Students design and construct a solar powered oven and connect how solar energy can
be applied to energy consumption issues.
ENERGY

4. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 2
“Sustainable Energy, Choosing Among Options” Peters, Drake, Driscoll, Golay and Trister 2005
“Sustainable Energy, Without Hot Air” David MacKay 2009
“The Renewable Energy Handbook” William Kempt 2009
Kilowatt Ours
Fuel
Gasland
Gashole
TED TALKS
Living With Renewable
Energy
Energy Crossroads
www.kilowattours.org
www.topdocumentaryfilms.com/fuel
www.gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking
www.gasholemovie.com
www.ted.com Bilal Bomani: Plant fuels that could power a jet
www.meanmore.com/market/catalog/Living-with-Renewable-Energy-
DVD-p-144.html
www.amazon.com/Energy-Crossroads-burning-change-course/dp/B000SNWA2
A?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1203896018&sr=8-4
Explore the resources below so that students will be able to
- Identify traditional and alternative sources of energy
- Analyze environmental, cultural, and social impacts of non-renewable
energy production
- Assess existing ways to conserve energy
Department of Energy
Energy Savers
Energy Information
Administration
Smart Grid
Advocacy organizations
Energy Teachers
Institute for Sust. Energy
www.energy.gov
www.energysavers.gov
www.eia.gov
www.energy.gov/oe/technology-development/smart-grid
www.apolloalliance.org
www.energyteachers.org/Links.php?LinkTopic
www.easternct.edu/sustainenergy/education/learnAboutEnergy.htm
ENERGY 101

5. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 3
Time Frame:
55-90 mins.
Topics:
Energy
consumption
Power loads
Design Step:
Identify
Explore
Create
Materials:
PowerPoint
Activity Sheet
Examine the wattage chart on the student worksheet. If your classroom
contains any appliances that are not listed, research the wattage usage in the
resources below:
• https://energyaudit-sdge.sempra.com/appcalc/pg1.asp?ID=0
• http://www.absak.com/library/power-consumption-table
• http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/yourhome/freeResources/archives/
homeEnergyUse.pdf
• http://www.oksolar.com/technical/consumption.html
• http://www.otpco.com/SaveEnergyMoney/applianceEnergyUsage.asp
• http://www.txspc.com/documents/WattageAppliance.pdf
IN ADVANCE
OBJECTIVES
Assess how much energy is being used in the classroom.
Create strategies for reducing conventional energy consumption.
Introduce the following classroom challenge:
As energy consultants, you have been hired to conduct an energy audit of the
classroom. Your task is to assess the current energy consumption and identify
easy solutions to make the classroom a model for how the entire school could
reduce its energy consumption.
Explain what it would mean to be an energy consultant, and why such a person
may be hired. Saving energy would make the school greener and save money
for the school at the same time, so a good consultant would be well worth the
school’s time and money.
POSE THE CHALLENGE
5 mins.
Begin the PowerPoint and present a series of images about energy and design
solutions that address alternate sources of energy, consumption and efficiency.
Discuss what they like or don’t like about the solutions that other designers
have created to address energy. Students should take notes or draw ideas that
inspire them from the viewing.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE...
PRESENTATION &
DISCUSSION
15-25 mins.
classroom blackout!
Intro to Design SolutionsENERGY

6. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 4
classroom blackout!
Intro to Design SolutionsENERGY
Turn off the lights in the classroom and allow a few seconds for everyone’s
eyes to adjust.
Ask the students to consider the following questions:
• Keep in mind the difference between comfort and necessity.
What is a NECESSITY to successfully conduct class?
• What could be eliminated, reduced or redesigned to use less
conventional forms of energy?
Turn the lights back on. Have students revisit their charts to determine what
can be eliminated or reduced. Have the students recalculate the necessary
energy consumption after implementing these changes (question 3). Invite
students to share the wattage comparison with the rest of the class.
CLASSROOM
BLACKOUT!
10-20 mins.
Encourage students to be creative about how the classroom could be
reorganized to make the best use of available resources (sunlight, natural
ventilation, etc.) and potentially harness alternate forms of energy.
Have students draw on the back of their worksheet what this new energy-
efficient classroom could look like, or write notes on how class could operate
every day to reduce its dependence on conventional energy.
RAPID SKETCHING
10-20 mins.
Invite students to share ideas they have about their redesigned classrooms.
Create a mind-map on the board that charts the students’ ideas about alternate
sources of energy and creative ways of reorganizing the classroom.
WRAP-UP
5-10 mins.
ADDITIONAL NOTES

7. WORKSHEETNAME: BLOCK:
ACTIVITYSHEET
EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 5
As energy consultants, you have been hired to conduct an energy audit of
the classroom. Your task is to assess current energy usage and identify easy
solutions to transform the classroom into a model of how the entire school could
reduce its energy consumption.
1. Fill in the following Energy Usage Chart, making sure to include everything in
your classroom that uses energy. If the exact wattage is not listed above, ask
your teacher for a wattage estimate or look for labels on the appliances. For each
appliance, estimate the total number of hours per day and then calculate the total
wattage used per day.
2. What is your classroom’s total energy usage per day?
3. Cross out the things on your energy usage chart that you decided are not absolutely
necessary, and reduce the total wattage for appliances that you can use less
frequently. Recalculate this new necessary energy usage for the classroom.
4. On the back of this sheet, draw how you could redesign the classroom to be more
energy efficient. Think about how you could take advantage of available resources
and include alternate sources of energy.
classroom blackout!
Intro to Design SolutionsENERGY
APPLIANCE
WATTAGE PER
HOUR
HOURS PER DAY
TOTAL WATTAGE
PER DAY
APPLIANCE
WATTAGE PER
HOUR
APPLIANCE
WATTAGE PER
HOUR
Laptop 20-50W per hr Air-Conditioner 1500W per hr
Desktop 70W per hr Projector 190-420W per hr
Ceiling 100W per hr Fan 10W
Lamps check lightbulb Inkjet Printer 25W per hr
Mini-refrigerator 145W per hr Laser Printer 60W per hr + 500W
when in use

8. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 11
Essential Questions
How does the food we produce and consume impact our bodies, our cultures, and our
environment?
How can we use human ingenuity and innovation to design solutions to counter some of the
negative impacts of food production and consumption?
FOOD 101
Resource list of websites, books, films and short videos about food issues.
INTRO TO DESIGN SOLUTIONS: Farm Fresh Foods
Students analyze the impacts of food production and consumption issues, and design an
advertising campaign to promote farmers markets.
EXTENDED LEARNING: What Am I Eating?
Students analyze the current food labeling system, and design a new food label that
represents the nutritional, social, and environmental impacts of processed foods.
DESIGN LAB: Global Bucket Garden
Students construct gardens in 5-Gallon buckets with a self-watering, water-catchment
system.
FOOD
eco archives

9. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 28
Essential Questions
How do people transport themselves around a community?
How can design be used to create more environmentally friendly transportation?
TRANSPORTATION 101
Resource list of websites, books, films and short videos about transportation issues.
INTRO TO DESIGN SOLUTIONS: Stopping Traffic
Students identify how they transport themselves throughout the week, measuring the
collective impact of the class and discussing the pros & cons of transportation methods.
EXTENDED LEARNING: Joy Ride
Students design new public transportation options that will make it more appealing to
the public.
DESIGN LAB: Get On the Bus
Students use basic modeling techniques to build prototypes of bus stops that would be
more attractive and user-friendly.
TRANSPORTATION
eco archives

10. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 39
Essential Questions
How does waste impact human health and the environment?
How can we use design and innovation to meet our needs and reduce the impact of waste
on health and the environment?
WASTE 101
Resource list of websites, books, films and short videos about waste issues.
INTRO TO DESIGN SOLUTIONS: The Story of Electronics
Students watch a short video investigating the life cycle of our electronics and then write
an imaginative life-story of their cellphone and its journey.
EXTENDED LEARNING: Trash to Treasure
Each student brings a personal item to school which no longer has a “purpose”.
Students swap items, brainstorm creative product re-purposing, and design an
“upcycled” product.
DESIGN LAB: Plastic Bottle Planter
Students repurpose plastic bottles and build self-watering planters.
WASTE
eco archives

11. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 47
WATEREssential Questions
How can we use design to create new sustainable ways to conserve and treat our water?
How does nature create innovative solutions to water issues and how can we emulate that?
In what ways do human beings in different parts of the world use and conserve water?
WATER 101
Resource list of websites, books, films and short videos about water issues.
INTRO TO DESIGN SOLUTIONS: Global Water Innovations
Students break into teams, learn and compare issues around water availability, filtration,
purification, reuse & conservation.
EXTENDED LEARNING: Inspired By Nature
Students think outside the box, mix and match unusual ideas and attributes to create
new water solutions inspired by nature.
DESIGN LAB: DIY Drinking Water
Students build a UV water purification station that uses solar energy to purify water.
eco archives

12. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 64
PUBLIC SPACES
Essential Questions
What is a public space, who uses it, and how is it used?
How do vibrant and interactive public spaces contribute to a community?
PUBLIC SPACES 101
Resource list of websites, books, films and short videos about community design.
INTRO TO DESIGN SOLUTIONS: Making Smart Space
Students examine how different types of people use public spaces and develop ideas for
how to improve public space use.
EXTENDED LEARNING: Green Space for All
Students map and redesign an outdoor space on campus to be greener, more inviting,
and useful for more people and purposes.
DESIGN LAB: Modeling a Green School
Students identify an outdoor space on campus to redesign to be greener and more
inviting, and then create a model of their new design for the space.
eco archives

13. EcoRise Youth Innovations – Eco Archives Curriculum 78
Essential Questions
How is human health impacted by the air quality in indoor environments?
How do plants impact the quality of air in indoor spaces?
How can design impact indoor air quality, and what factors have to be considered?
AIR 101
Resource list of websites, books, films and short videos about air quality issues.
INTRO TO DESIGN SOLUTIONS: Out of Breath!
Students design a public service campaign to promote behavioral changes addressing air
quality.
EXTENDED LEARNING: Hanging Gardens
Students sketch, diagram and brainstorm where a plant wall could be installed and
troubleshoot potential challenges with stakeholders, maintenance and materials.
DESIGN LAB: A Living Wall
Students construct and install a simple plant wall in classroom.
AIR
eco archives