Table of Contents and Introduction: Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, Module Overviews and Curriculum Map

Module 1: Intro to Energy: introduces the basics of energy as a physical concept and the laws that govern it. The focus then shifts to energy sources, with an in-depth look at the origin, production and use of fossil fuels. Using maps and independent research, students will develop energy profiles of specific countries and develop a strategic energy plan for each.

• Lesson 1: What is Energy? How Do We Use It?
• Lesson 2: Sources of Energy and Self-Sufficiency

Module 2: Electricity Production and the Grid: is a study of modern electricity production and distribution. Lessons encompass the history and mechanics of electricity as well as emerging smart grid technology and policy. Activities range from constructing simple circuits and generators to conducting cost-benefit analyses of power plants.

• Lesson 1: Electricity Production: The Power Plant
• Lesson 2: Moving Electricity: Circuitry
• Lesson 3: Electricity Distribution and the Grid

Module 3: Climate Change: explores the relationship between our energy use and the Earth’s changing climate as well as the projected social, environmental and economic impacts. The Module also explores responses to climate change on a global, national and local level. Students will use Paleolithic ice core data to analyze historic CO₂ levels and will develop maps to identify global climate trends.

• Lesson 1: An Introduction to the Climate System
• Lesson 2: Emissions, Indicators, and Effects
• Lesson 3: Responding to Climate Change

Module 4: Building Science: focuses on energy use in buildings. Students will employ concepts and techniques of Building Performance to evaluate the air flow and electricity use of their classroom and school building, identifying areas needing improvements and avenues of remediation. In this hands-on oriented module, students learn to use several “tools of the trade” including a watt-meter and infrared thermometer. Students will conduct a building audit of the school and generate a full report with recommendations.

• Lesson 1: Building Science: Why Does it Matter
• Lesson 2: Building Science: Lighting and Appliances
• Lesson 3: Heating and Cooling
• Lesson 4: Building Occupants: People and Energy Consumption
• Lesson 5: Conducting a School Building Energy Audit

Module 5: Renewable Energy: introduces students to the mechanics and applications of various forms of renewable energy. Students will investigate the benefits, challenges, science and emerging technologies of each as well as renewable energy policy and career pathways in this dynamic sector. Several engaging activities include creating biofuel, building solar thermal water heaters and constructing batteries.

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Renewable Energy
• Lesson 2: Photovoltaics and Solar Thermal
• Lesson 3: Wind Power
• Lesson 4: Biomass

Module 6: Wrap Up: brings together all of the topics students have explored throughout the CleanTech Energy Unit. CleanTech wrap up activities build on design, engineering, policy and economic skills students learned throughout the Unit, encouraging students to apply what they have learned to a final project. These activities can be done as independent team projects or as extended classroom lessons.

Lesson E1: Intro to Energy: What is Energy? Activities covered: E1a Energy Transfers

Lesson E2: Electricity: How is it generated? Activities covered: E2a Cookie Mining, E2b Powerplant Hookup E2c Magnet Motors

Lesson E3: Energy and the Environment Activities covered: E3a Climate Change Impacts, E3b Carbon Cycle Game

Lesson E4: Hands-on Circuits Activities covered: E4a Electro Lab, E4b Series and Parallel Circuits

Lesson E5: Energy Investigation 1: In the Classroom Activities covered: E5a Watt Game, E5b Classroom Energy Audit

Lesson E6: Energy Investigation 2: School Energy Audit! Activities covered: E6a School Lighting Audit, E6b School Appliance Audit, E6c Walk-Thru & Boiler Tour

Lesson E7: Energy Awareness Campaign: Focus on Climate Change Activities covered: E7a Energy Awareness Campaign

Lesson E8: Intro to Renewable Energy Activities covered: E8a Building Batteries Lab

Lesson E9: Hands-On Solar Activities covered:  E9a Solar Card Game, E9b Solar Tracker Lab, E9c Solar Field Study, E9d Solar Sizing Lab, E9e Solar Map Activity

Lesson E10: Next Generation Renewables Activities covered: E10a Solar Racer/ Build a Wind Turbine, E10b Solar Ovens, E10 c Energy Jeopardy

This unit introduces students to conventional methods of energy production, energy infrastructure and its impacts on human health and the environment. Students will investigate the science of electricity as well as energy conservation strategies and forms of renewable energy. Using the school as a learning laboratory, students will explore the concepts of building science and energy efficiency. Students will also consider new technologies and applications through a series of hand-on projects.

Lesson 1: Intro to Energy: This lesson is an introduction to energy and its forms. Activities covered: Energy charades, Sun Energy Worksheet, Energy Transfers.

Lesson 2: Energy and the Environment: This lesson explores electricity and its impact on the environment including fossil fuel extraction, the greenhouse effect and climate change. Activities covered: Climate Change Impacts, Carbon Cycle Game, Light Bulb Worksheet, Power Plant Hookup, Magnet Motors.

Lesson 3: Kilo- Whaaat?! Measuring Energy: This lesson introduces students to units such as watts, voltage and amperage and how to measure electricity. Activities covered: Energy Detectives, Watt Matchup Game, Classroom Energy Audit, Walk-Thru & Boiler Tour.

Lesson 4: Energy Awareness Campaign: This lesson explores steps students can take to promote energy awareness and conservation throughout their school. Activities covered: Turn Off the Lights!, Energy Awareness Campaign.

Lesson 5: Zoom Spark: Exploring Electricity!: This lesson explores the world of circuits. Students will build their own batteries, learn how to use a multimeter, and play with circuit configurations.  Activities covered: Battery worksheet, Intro to Circuits, Citrus Circuits.

Lesson 6: Renewable Energy: Keep It Mean, Green and Clean: Students will learn about different renewable energy technologies. Activities covered: Renewable Energy Coloring Book, Exploring Renewable Energy.

Lesson 7: Wind Energy: Students will investigate how we can harness the wind to produce electricity. Activities covered: Wind Energy Pinwheels, Wind Turbines.

Lesson 8: Everyone Loves the Sunshine: Solar Energy: Students investigate the sun’s potential. Activities covered: Stuffed Suns, Solar Beads, DIY Sun Dial Watches, Solar System Sizing.

Lesson 9: School of the Rising Sun: Focus on PV: This lesson explores how solar panels work, components of solar systems, and a math activity to explore rooftop solar design. Activities covered: Solar Race Cars, Solar Card Game, Solar Field Study.

Lesson 10: Solar Heat Energy: This lesson explores how we can use the sun’s heat to make buildings more energy efficient, produce electricity and cook food. Activities covered: Solar Ovens.

Table of Contents and Introduction: Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, Module Overviews and Curriculum Map

Lesson 1: Intro to Materials: This lesson is a brief introduction to materials and materials science. In a set of hands-on investigations and research, students will classify various materials and evaluate their properties.

Lesson 2: Life Cycle of Materials: In this lesson, students examine the life cycle of materials and the associated environmental impacts of each phase of the process.

Lesson 3: Waste And Recycling: In this lesson students are introduced to waste streams and methods of waste management and recycling. The health and environmental impacts of waste disposal are also explored.

Lesson 4: Production-Consumption Cycle and the Consumer: In this lesson, students examine the impacts of the consumer on the production-consumption cycle and investigate new approaches to consumption patterns.

Lesson 5: Electronics and E-waste: In this lesson, students investigate the issues and processes of manufacturing and disposing of or recycling electronic goods and equipment.

Lesson 6: Material Focus: Concrete: In this lesson students are introduced to the environmental impacts of concrete as well as developments in the field towards creating a more sustainable building material.

Lesson 7: Sustainable Materials: In this lesson, students are introduced to characteristics and examples of sustainable materials. In addition, students will closely examine the life cycle assessment, a tool used to evaluate the environmental impacts of materials.

Lesson 8: Green Architecture: In this lesson students explore the principles and materials of sustainable architecture and green construction as well as the role they play in climate change. In addition, students are introduced to the evaluation tools of green buildings and examples of sustainable architecture at work.

Lesson 9: Biomimicry: In this lesson, students investigate the interdisciplinary field of biomimicry, including examples of real-world application, biomemetic design processes and challenges to widespread implementation.

Glossary: The glossary applies to all lessons within the Materials curriculum.

The arc of this unit follows the life cycle of materials from extraction of raw materials to disposal. Students investigate environmental and health impacts at each stage of the life cycle. In a series of unique, hands-on exercises, students will also explore the psychology of consumerism and its connections to manufacturing and waste. Students will catalog and assess current school building materials and conduct a waste audit of the school, using the data to organize and improve school recycling initiatives. In a final project, students will incorporate elements of sustainable design to construct school redesign models.

The arc of this unit follows the life cycle of materials from extraction of raw materials to disposal. Students investigate environmental and health impacts at each stage of the life cycle. In a series of unique, hands-on exercises, students will also explore the psychology of consumerism and its connections to manufacturing and waste. Students will catalog and assess current school building materials and conduct a waste audit of the school, using the data to organize and improve school recycling initiatives. In a final project, students will incorporate elements of sustainable design to construct school redesign models.

Table of Contents and Introduction: Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, Module Overviews and Curriculum Map

Lesson 1: Water Availability: In this lesson students will investigate factors and trends in water availability as well as issues of water scarcity and possible avenues of mitigation.

Lesson 2: Water Quality: In this lesson, students explore watershed health and factors affecting drinking water quality.

Lesson 3: Bottled Water vs. Tap Water: In this lesson, students investigate the difference between bottled and tap water and the associated impacts of each.

Lesson 4: Aquatic Ecosystems: In this lesson students survey the basic types of aquatic ecosystems and their importance to both biological and human communities. Students will also understand the natural and human factors threatening aquatic ecosystems and how to use biological indicators to assess the health of a waterbody.

Lesson 5: Water and Climate Change: In this lesson, students examine the impacts of climate change on water resources and the human activities and ecosystems that depend on them.

Lesson 6: Water Conservation: In this lesson, students investigate methods and impacts of water use and conservation.

Lesson 7: Wastewater Treatment: In this lesson, students are introduced to characteristics and examples of sustainable materials. In addition, students will closely examine the life cycle assessment, a tool used to evaluate the environmental impacts of materials.

Lesson 8: Stormwater Management: In this lesson, students are introduced to issues of stormwater runoff and management. They will investigate various technologies and methods of designing and sizing green infrastructure.

Glossary: The glossary applies to all lessons within the Water curriculum.

The themes of human dependence and human impacts on water are the framework for this unit. Students review the basics of water and the hydrologic cycle through the lens of water availability and climate change. Through a series of hands-on activities including mapping, water testing and model building, students investigate watersheds, drinking water, pollutants and water treatment. In the school building, students conduct a water audit and organize initiatives to promote water conservation in the school community. Students are introduced to current local and global water issues such as pollution, scarcity, and bottled water, and are encouraged to find solutions.

The themes of human dependence and human impacts on water are the framework for this unit. Students review the basics of water and the hydrologic cycle through the lens of water availability and climate change. Through a series of hands-on activities including mapping, water testing and model building, students investigate watersheds, drinking water, pollutants and water treatment. In the school building, students conduct a water audit and organize initiatives to promote water conservation in the school community. Students are introduced to current local and global water issues such as pollution, scarcity, and bottled water, and are encouraged to find solutions.

Table of Contents and Introduction: Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, Module Overviews and Curriculum Map

Lesson 1: Food Systems: In this lesson, students are introduced to the cycle of food production and consumption and think critically about the impacts of this system.

Lesson 2: Industrial Agriculture: The Business of Food: In this lesson students will investigate the history and characteristics of industrial agriculture and the associated impacts on the environment and human health.

Lesson 3: Processed Food, Health and Nutrition: In this lesson students explore processed food and its impacts on health and nutrition.

Lesson 4: The Science of Soil: In this lesson, students will investigate properties of soil and indicators of soil quality. In addition, students will understand approaches to soil quality management and enhancing soil through sustainable agricultural practices.

Lesson 5: Population and Food Production: In this lesson, students will explore the relationships and implications of human population growth, carrying capacity and food production.

Lesson 6: Towards a New Food System: In this lesson, students are introduced to a variety of innovations and alternatives to production and consumption in the industrial food system.

Lesson 7: Food Production for an Urbanizing World: In this lesson, students are introduced to emerging methods and approaches to sustainable food production.

Glossary: The glossary applies to all lessons within the Food curriculum.

This unit traces the steps of the modern food system from farm to dinner leftovers. Students investigate the environmental and health impacts of industrial agriculture, processed foods and food waste. They learn to navigate supermarkets, nutrition labels and ingredient labels through a series of hands-on activities. While conducting food assessments of both their school and community, students are introduced to composting and concepts of sustainable food. The second half of the curriculum contains student-driven projects in which students rethink what they eat, how they eat and the provenance of their food. This unit also contains a literacy component, in which students read and respond to excerpts from suggested books.

This unit traces the steps of the modern food system from farm to dinner leftovers. Students investigate the environmental and health impacts of industrial agriculture, processed foods and food waste. They learn to navigate supermarkets, nutrition labels and ingredient labels through a series of hands-on activities. While conducting food assessments of both their school and community, students are introduced to composting and concepts of sustainable food. The second half of the curriculum contains student-driven projects in which students rethink what they eat, how they eat and the provenance of their food. This unit also contains a literacy component, in which students read and respond to excerpts from suggested books.

This unit explores outdoor and indoor air quality and their impacts on both the environment and human health. Students investigate common pollutants, their sources and the history of modern air pollution. Through a series of mapping exercises and data collection, students will assess the air quality of their local area. In the school building, students will examine indoor air quality and its contributing factors. The final lessons are project based, student-led initiatives which apply the information students have acquired to improving air quality in their school, home and community.

This unit explores outdoor and indoor air quality and their impacts on both the environment and human health. Students investigate common pollutants, their sources and the history of modern air pollution. Through a series of mapping exercises and data collection, students will assess the air quality of their local area. In the school building, students will examine indoor air quality and its contributing factors. The final lessons are project based, student-led initiatives which apply the information students have acquired to improving air quality in their school, home and community.