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THE “GREEN SCHOOL” GUIDE TO PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
SOLUTIONS to ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
lie in the ACTIVISM and OPTIMISM of the YOUTH
Reverse Effects is a nonprofit organization working with schools to reduce their impacts on climate change. To raise awareness, project-based learning can be used to get students, educators and community partners collaborating together. Project-based learning is a hands-on teaching strategy that challenges young people to work with community partners, applying academic knowledge and skills to solve real problems. Students will gain the essential problem-solving, communication and teamwork skills needed to address environmental issues in their communities.
Integrating Scientific Practices & Project Based Learning
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction ...................................................................................................
4
Green Schools ..................................................................................................................
6
Advertisements ...............................................................................................................
8
Action Tips ..........................................................................................................................
10
Project Approaches .....................................................................................
12
Framework .........................................................................................................................
14
Link Projects to Curriculum ..................................................................
16
Underclassmen
Short project profile: ...................................................................................................
17
Long project profile: ....................................................................................................
18
Upperclassmen
Short project profile: ...................................................................................................
22
Long project profile: ....................................................................................................
24
Expanded project profile: .......................................................................................
26
..
Measure Success .............................................................................................
28
Outcomes ............................................................................................................
30
Notes ......................................................................................................................
32
Project Offers: …to help educators become effective in teaching project-based learning. …to help schools integrate project-based learning by encouraging students to address real-world problems. …to help community partners develop and implement strategies to engage schools and young people to address the issue of climate change head on.
Services:
Developed to meet the needs of school districts, state and community organizations.
Connections:
Keep up to date with our Facebook, Twitter, and our Reverse Effects e-newsletter.
Events:
Bringing together students, teachers, and community partners to share successes, while learning new skills.
INTRODUCTION
“The guide reflects an emphasis on in-school projects that can often expand to a much larger community.”
The REAL
WORLD is the OPTIMAL WORKING
ENVIRONMENT In a world facing major challenges related to transportation, energy, public health, and the environment, students must learn to be creative problem-solvers who can analyze and act on information, think critically and tackle challenges. The “green movement� is all about creating awareness among the masses to resist environmental damage. The importance of involving the teen population cannot be overemphasized. Project-based learning can help schools meet new standards by encouraging students to address real-world problems. It goes beyond community service by engaging students with meaningful, relevant projects that benefit their community.
GREEN SCHOOLS
GREEN SCHOOLS DO NOT HAVE TO BE NEW SCHOOLS Green schools are energy efficient, helping to lower utility costs, conserve resources and reduce waste. Green schools showcase a community’s commitment to its children and their future, who in turn, learn the importance and benefits of acting as responsible activists of their communities and the larger world.
“THE
GREEN SCHOOL MOVEMENT IS BIGGEST THING to happen to EDUCATION since INTRODUCTION OF TECHNOLOGY TO THE CLASSROOM.”
- Glenn Cook, Editor in Chief
There are approximately 133,000 schools across the country. As the economy forces school districts to slow or even halt improvement plans, many are focusing on what can be done to improve the efficiency and environmental quality of existing facilities. By setting policies that reduce waste, increase use of public transportation, and encourage the purchase of eco-friendly products are a few simple ways that schools are greening their everyday operations. Schools can also develop a plan to introduce and upgrade new building systems, technologies and policies over time, focusing first on high-impact strategies that yield immediate savings or have significant impact on student health and wellness.
ADVERTISEMENTS
Some of the most creative and inventive advertising
is coming from nonprofits these days. On average, America’s teens view 3,000 ads a day The following advertisements were designed to provoke feelings of guilt and to create change in how we choose to live our lives. The message in each of these ads is to “reduce, reuse, recycle,” but with a very unique and memorable twist.
ACTION TIPS
Recycling • Ask your principal to put recycle bins in classrooms. • Use bright colors and eye catching designs to draw attention to recycle bins. • Create and post posters at home and at school as reminders to recycle. • Organize a recycling center and teach your family how to use it. Have separate bins for glass, plastics, and newspaper/cardboard.
Energy • Talk to your school administration about adopting energy-saving practices. • Replace the old bulbs with with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Three CFLs will save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide and $60 per year! • Encourage your school to put all computers in energy-saving sleep mode. • Have teachers and students unplug chargers when devices are finished charging. • Encourage your school to fix leaky faucets and toilets to save gallons of water. • Host a lights-out day at your school, and then have people pledge to do the same at home. • Encourage your school to install motion sensor lights. • Set up a carpool to school.
Green Architecture • Start a school compost. • Start a garden and grow produce for healthy eating. • Host locally-grown snack stands at your school events. • Rearrange your cafeteria to feature local and fresh foods. • Encourage natural plant species to grow in your backyard.
Home • Turn off electronics, lights, and fans when you leave the room. • Use the sleep setting on your computer. • Walk, ride a bike, or skateboard, rather than using a car. • Keep doors and windows closed when the air conditioning or heat is on. • Weatherstrip air leaks around windows and doors. • Host a clothing swap with friends. • Encourage your family to reduce, reuse, recycle and around the house • Buy ENERGY STAR qualified electronics, lighting, and other products.
PROJECT APPROACHES
Project-based learning helps students achieve measurable
outcomes while fostering meaningful learning experiences, for both students and teachers. As students develop expertise in community issues and collaborate in problem solving, they develop the civic skills such as cooperation, advocacy and negotiation. Projects involving “real life” concerns can motivate students at all levels, while engaging those who don’t respond well to traditional classroom approaches and encourage high-ability students to reach beyond the set curriculum. Students gain confidence and often demonstrate unprecedented creativity and responsibility.
These steps can help ensure that your project is well-planned and carefully executed. The scope and sequence of these steps may vary depending on the nature and length of the project.
• discover needs and problems.
• research solutions.
• investigate problems.
• decide on a product.
• analyze, interpret, and share
• plan the project.
data to demonstrate problem
• implement the plan.
and show impact.
• evaluate impacts.
The projects will usually involve:
Curriculum:
Collaborative environment:
Goal: connect projects directly to curriculum.
Goal: make effective teamwork among students.
Reflection:
Celebration:
Goal: make connections between the project and students learning.
Goal: build ongoing enthusiasm for the project and recognize students accomplishments.
FRAMEWORK
SCHOOL & COMMUNITY (NOT all will be used depending on project): Research • Identify environmental needs or problems. • Research information on environmental issues related to your school or community. • Use different sources to gather information (newspapers, the Internet or people within community organizations). • Make phone calls or conduct interviews to gather information.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving • Decide what is important to think about in choosing your project. • Look at different ways to address a problem until you find a solution. • Set up a timeline and action steps for a school or community project. • Change what you are doing on a project to make it work better. • Evaluate your project to figure out whether or not the project made a difference.
Collaboration
• Identify people who need to be involved in the project. • Work on a team with other students to make decisions about a school or community problem or project. • Identify and use the skills needed to make a team work well together.
Communication • Make a presentation using poster, charts, graphs, computers, video, or other types of presentation materials. • Communicate to others why the project chosen is important. Completing at least one project per year.
Students will feel and be empowered, knowing how to use their academic knowledge to make positive changes in their school and communities.
LINK PROJECTS TO CURRICULUM
Schools science programs should not be asked to cover more
and more content, but rather should focus on what is essential and teach that more effectively. Start by identifying a science topic in your curriculum that can be implemented into a project.
Youth Voice: Students show greater gains when they have a decision-making role in the project. Meaningful Service: Given real responsiblities for a project and worked with community partners. Partnership & Reflection: Had opportunities to talk and write, present or discuss project results with community members. Link to Curriculum: Project related to a topic in their studies.
UNDERCLASSMEN PROJECT PROFILE: Schoolyard Composting Short Project time range: 1-2 weeks
Discover Problem: About 50% of classrooms have poor indoor air quality,
according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Gardens or green areas provide school with an environment full of clean air and healthier living conditions.
Investigate Problems: Visit a local waste management facility. Gather data on how much plant waste accumulated.
Research Solutions: Students research online the science of composting and the environmental effects of throwing plant matter in the trash. Consider the project site, local climate and scale of bin system.
Plan/ Implement Project: Students outline needed tasks such: as siting
construction, planning the establishment and maintenance of the system. Construct a composting system built from recycled wooden pallets. Educate their school community about its importance.
Evaluate Impacts: Students document their progress on a chart in the classroom, and each class session begins with a review of chart notes.
Reflection: Students note what they learned, what questions have arisen, and what the next steps they have planned are.
UNDERCLASSMEN PROJECT PROFILE: School Recycling Program Long Project time range: 1-2 months
THE U.S. CONSUMES
1500 PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES
EVERY SECOND fact by Watershed
Single-use PLASTIC BOTTLES One every day for one year: • 365 bottles to landfill (on average only 25% get recycled)
VS.
Reusable STAINLESS STEEL BOTTLES Same one every day for one year: • NOTHING to landfill Cost $18 ( and lasts for years!)
Discover Problem: Students read an article on the environmental costs
of plastic water bottles. Is bottled water safer than tap? Does all tap water taste bad? Do plastic water bottles and other reusables really get recycled?
Investigate Problems: Consider your own contribution to this problem
and investigate the use of plastic bottles in your school. Students explore the manufacturing, consumption and disposal of plastic water bottles. Research online and consult with staff at local recycling centers. Conduct a school-wide survey to determine their bottle use and compare to what actually happened when recycling was collected. Hold a class poll for taste preference and a blind taste test to see if student actually prefer bottled water over tap water.
Research Solutions: Students search for a cost-effective way to to get
adequate water. Each science class can select a different component of the project: gather data on trash; conduct a prior knowledge survey (using survey monkey); educate the school community about the environmental problems associated with plastic bottles in order to engrain habits. Watch Tapped documentary in class.
Plan/ Implement Project: Dedicate a project board to facilitate collaborative
planning. Provide daily progress updates as each groups work on the different facets of the project. Organize a school-wide awareness day with a presentation on their research and distribution of reusable water bottles. In a one-week period create a sculpture with the bottles you collect and place them in your schools entry so that other students and staff can visualize how much waste was generated.
Evaluate Impacts: Students complete a post-project survey to determine how effective their campaign has been. Check recycling and trash bin total amounts of reusable containers collected. Analyze data to determine how extensively habits had been changed. By comparing these findings with their pre-project survey data, they could quantify the extent of change.
Reflection: Students note what they learned, what questions had arisen, and what the next steps they have planned are.
UPPERCLASSMEN PROJECT PROFILE: Recycling Paper Short Project time range: 1-2 weeks
Imagine a day without paper.
No books, notebooks, magazines, no paper of any kind. How would you feel about that? Before some of you start celebrating class without books and no paper for assignments, think about not having paper to write your friends juicy gossip, no magazines, no drawing paper to draw doodles in class. For better or worse, we all depend on paper a lot. We depend on paper so much that it’s creating a real waste disposal problem. IN FACT, PAPER IS THE LARGEST CATEGORY OF SOLID WASTE Each year about 78 million tons of paper and paperboard are generated, or about 560 pounds of waste for every American.
IF 133,000 SCHOOLS
switch to recycled paper,
SCHOOLS COULD SAVE
ABOUT 6 MILLION TREES PER YEAR – Environmental Paper Network (EPN)
GIVE MAGAZINES A 2nd LIFE By donating them to your local hospital, library, schools or office.
Investigate Problems: Determine what to collect. Talk to the school’s recycling company or the community recycler for information about which materials are accepted for recycling.
Research Solutions: Design a school-wide survey so they could gain
more information about student and teacher habits and current obstacles to reduce waste. Review responses to see what needs to change.
Plan/ Implement Project: Designate a program coordinator. To help get
things started, appoint a recycling coordinator and a monitor. The coordinator and his/her team will provide the organization, education and enthusiasm for the recycling efforts. A monitor will gather monthly information on the amount of material that is recovered for recycling to evaluate program value. Organize collection procedures. Work with administrative and custodial staff to create a collection system that encourages student participation and ensures that recyclable materials are kept clean. Hold a kick-off event when you’re ready to begin the program. It’s an opportunity to build awareness, encourage program ownership and educate your school and community about the importance of separating materials and recyclables.
Evaluate Impacts: Students should keep a chart of the volume of paper
collected in the bins to evaluate the school’s impact. They should complete a post-project survey as well to determine how effective their campaign has been.
Reflection:
Each time a new school year starts or students return from a long summer or holiday break, education needs to be reinforced.
UPPERCLASSMEN PROJECT PROFILE: More efficent hand drying Long Project time range: 1-3months
CARBON FOOTPRINT:
Throw in the Towel: High-Speed, Energy- Efficient Hand Dryers Win Hands Down
Climate Change Score (kgCO2eq)
@ Excel Dryer, Inc. All rights reserved. 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0
HSEE Hand Dryer
Standard Electric Dryer
• Materials Production • Manufacturing
Paper Towels
• Use
Paper Towels 100% Recycled Content
• Transportation • End of life
HAND DRYERS
by Dyson and Excel
USE 83% LESS ENERGY
Discover Problem: Reduce your school’s carbon footprint. Examine
features of LEED-certified green buildings to get ideas for ways to improve energy efficiency in their school. Explore the potential for replacing bathroom paper towels with high-efficiency hand dryers.
Investigate Problems: Teach students how to measure kilowatt hours and read appliance plates. Gather data on paper dryers, surveying students and interviewing custodians to learn more about paper towel use.
Research Solutions: Break into committees (ones for surveys,
presentations, coordinating, timeline, hand dryer research, and paper towel research), students analyze life cycle costs and carbon emissions for towel and dryers. Watch videos and read reports to assess energy use and carbon dioxide emissions at each phase of the product’s life cycle. Look at what will save the school the most money over time and reduce its carbon dioxide emissions.
Plan/ Implement Project: Have one of the committee members develop
a PowerPoint presentation to share the team’s findings with the school principal and district facilities manager. Get approval for a funding plan for the purchase of the dryers. Have students discuss how they would inform and engage the school community so they would use the new hand dryers.
Evaluate Impacts: Determine how much paper towel use has declined and whether the hand dryers are working well and meeting users needs.
Reflection: Students note what they have learned, what questions have arisen, and what the next steps they have planned are.
UPPERCLASSMEN PROJECT PROFILE: Reducing School Waste Extended Project time range: 1-2 semesters
“School districts can REDUCE WASTE 40 – 60% by implementing policies that reduce the amount of uneaten food, reduce or eliminate disposables, address food prep waste and packaging, and implement recycling and composting.”
– according to the Northeast Recycling Council
USE RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY Each school lunch generates: 67 POUNDS OF WASTE PER SCHOOL YEAR THAT MEANS, JUST ONE AVERAGE-SIZE SCHOOL CREATES
OVER 40,000 POUNDS
OF LUNCH WASTE A YEAR – According to the U.S. EPA, packing a waste-free lunch saves an average student $250.
Discover Problem: School wastes represent a significant loss of natural
resources and school district funds. This project will reinforce their studies on the flow of matter and energy, cycles, conservation of matter and human impact on the environment.
Investigate Problems: Waste-free school lunches save schools time
and money, as less waste cuts down on the frequency of trips to the outside dumpster. They can also reduce the amount of trash that needs to be hauled away or ends up on the surrounding grounds.
Research Solutions: Determine which types of trash are most prevalent in your school and community. Research which materials are being used in the cafeterias and find ways to eliminate disposables and food waste.
Plan/ Implement Project: Create a roadside clean-up event around
school grounds. Have students divide trash into four categories: polystyrene (styrofoam); plastic; trash; and returnable cans/ bottles. Focus on items in your school where you feel they might have an impact. (Ex: Your school serves some food in polystyrene containers). Have students design a detailed survey that they administered to 13 area businesses and restaurants. Assess what takeout containers they used, what recycling practices they had, and whether they were open to changing products.
Evaluate Impacts: Analyze survey data and discuss how using
environmentally sound packaging in the school cafeterias can reduce the amount of waste.
Reflection: Reflect on school wide clean-up activity through the use of
group discussions and individual journaling. If your school tells you environmentally sound packaging might be more expensive, create a survey to find out what students would prefer and create a compromise.
MEASURE SUCCESS
SCHOOL & COMMUNITY • changes in your school’s culture and practices. • impacts on your community.
How did this project benefit the community? Do those affected by this project value its outcome? How and why (or why not)? What could have been done differently? Did this project meet your standard for quality work? Why or why not?
Now it’s time to Assess School and Community Impacts. Plan to evaluate your project’s impacts early on so you can gather the data you will need for pre-project and post-project comparative assessments. You’ll want to measure your project’s impact on multiple levels, including:
STUDENT LEARNING • student understanding of curricular topics. • student impacts (level of motivation and interest; communication and collaboration skills; and ability to think critically)
Teachers may use the following to make an assessment to determine the project’s impact on students learning: • Field notes and observations. • Reports that include research, findings and recommendations.
• Portfolios of student products (including writing, audio or video productions, and maps)
• Standards-based on lesson plans and tests.
• Products for community (a sign, mural, museum exhibit or brochure)
• Oral presentations, demonstrations to peers or school board.
• Self and peer assessments
• Public performances (a forum, public service announcement, or interview)
• Visual communication products (posters, logo, multimedia presentation or web page)
OUTCOMES
Students involved in more project-based learning showed statistically significant increases in civic skills and knowledge such as: knowing how to influence the decisions that are made in their school or community, feeling confident, sharing opinions in front of a group, and working with others to solve environmental problems. In addition, students reported feeling more like important parts of their community.
HAS A LASTING IMPACT ON STUDENTS: • sense of engagement in learning. • ability to apply science concepts to solve problems. • problem-solving strategies. (using steps to think through a problem) • understanding of community problems or needs. • ability to collect, analyze and interpret data. • ability to clearly communicate data to others. • concern for and/or understanding of the environment. • ability to meet higher standards of learning.
JOURNAL (your notes)
Where studen ts share their ideas & questions
“I am convinced that climate change, and what we do about it, will define us, our era, and ultimately the global legacy we leave for future generations. We hold the future in our hands. Together, we must ensure that our grandchildren will not have to ask why we failed to do the right thing, and let them suffer the consequences.” –Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Hi I’m Michelle Nofs “My goal is to pursue a career that challenges my creativity and causes a positive impact on the world in which we live in.”
One of the biggest issues facing us in the world today is climate change. After researching the topic in depth, I discovered a significant change being made with science curriculums over the past four years. Schools are now taking more notice of environmental changes, since they are becoming more prevalent in our daily lives. It is very encouraging to see schools willing to help make a difference. There is now a greater sense of engagement with students becoming active participants in the learning process. This is a key element to making a change. Project-based learning is the best solution to challenge young people to work with community partners, by applying their academic knowledge and skills to solve real-life problems. Imagine if schools were our leaders in environmental sustainability! They could give students the tools to be innovators, and provide them with a healthy environment in which to learn and play.
Reverse Effects is a nonprofit organization working with schools to reduce their impact on climate change. Visit reverseeffects.org for more information