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How Green is Your School?

Anonymous

Department of Education, University of The People

EDUC 5272: Advanced Practices ELEM STEM

Dr. Pierre Christian

Wednesday, 29 December 2021, 11:55 PM

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How Green is Your School?

Grade: 6

Real-world area of challenge from the Niehoff resource: Sustainability

Problem statement or question:

How green is our school?

As we live in a fast-growing world, we are in crucial need of sustainability, " meeting our

own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

(University of Alberta office of sustainability, n.d, p. 1). Therefore, we have to adopt sustainable

practices to protect our ecosystem and natural resources and improve the quality of our present

and future lives. As students and teachers, we can improve our school habits and reduce our

impact on the environment. According to Green Education Foundation Institute (2012), schools

produce the highest disproportionate amount of waste per “resident” (student, teacher,

employee). Therefore, by identifying the eco-footprint of our school, we will be able to create

solutions to reduce it and affect the practices of hundreds of people at the same time. Thus, we

will be able to contribute to sustainable development in our community.

Overview:

In this project, students will conduct an investigative audit to determine how green their

school is. The project will help students understand and identify the harmful and wasteful

practices such as energy and water waste, contribution to pollution, etc., of their school and its

impact on the environment as well as engage them in finding solutions to address these

problems. Students will think about how they contribute to the eco-footprint and find ways to

reduce their consumptions to preserve our remaining resources. Students will work in groups and

use collaborative, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. In science, students are expected

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to describe the eco-footprint of their school. They will identify at least four ways they are

contributing to the eco-problems and find solutions explaining how these solutions will improve

school habits and reduce their impact on the environment. In mathematics, students are expected

to calculate the eco-footprint of their school. They will calculate the average effects these

solutions will have on their community. Also, they will calculate the cost increase or reduction

that these changes will create. Students will use technology to search for information and take

photos and videos of findings to strengthen their arguments.

Outside of the classroom, students will interview custodians, teachers, school

administrators, kitchen staff, and classmates to learn more about the school’s habits and practices

(e.g., waste/recycling practices, energy-saving steps). Also, they will go on a field trip to visit a

green school to get inspired on how they can help their school change practices and become a

green school. Moreover, at the end of the project, they will do a presentation for all students,

teachers, employees, and parents to create awareness and educate them to change their habits.

In the classroom, students will explore the definition of green schools. They will put

together the gathered information from their interviews and field trips. Then, they will be divided

into four different groups. Each group will focus on one area in which schools can usually make

improvements to their eco-footprint (energy usage, waste reduction, water conservation, toxics

reduction). They will discuss these areas and create representations that include how the school is

currently performing in this area as well as suggestions for improvements. Also, they will use a

project-based approach to create a solution to a problem of their choice. For example, if the focus

of the group is on energy usage, students will create a module on alternative energy. If the focus

of the group is on waste reduction, they will create a module to promote recycling.

Representations and modules will be presented in front of the whole school community and

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students' parents to promote awareness among the school community. Furthermore, After

finishing all representations, students will collaborate to create a final green audit and list of

recommendations that they will submit to the principal of the school.

Strategies for promoting community involvement in the STEM classroom:

It is critical to involve families and community members in projects. The engagement of

community members expands students' knowledge, enhances their understanding of their

responsibilities toward their community, and encourages them to perform better increasing

learning achievements (' Top benefits of family and community engagement, 2018). Moreover,

according to San Marcos Unified School District (2016), having students meet scientists or

experts, listen to demonstrations, or go on field trips will make STEM learning meaningful and

engaging. It improves students understanding of their responsibilities and future careers they can

pursue. Also, it acknowledges their ability to make a difference in their community like building

things to make improvements.

To involve members of the community in the project, as mentioned earlier, students will

lead interviews with different members of the school community to investigate the habits and

practices that impact the school eco-footprint. Moreover, Students will meet community

members ( teachers, principals, students, and employees, from a different green school) to learn

how they make their school green to learn about new practices. Furthermore, at the end of the

project students will invite parents and all of their school members to conduct a presentation that

helps raise awareness among practices that cause eco-footprint and those that help reduce it.

The final green audit and list of recommendations that students will create will help them

develop a partnership with the principal of the school to improve the school practices reducing

the eco-footprint. Likewise, students will create a partnership with their teachers, parents,

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friends, and school staff to improve their practices and volunteer to make their school and houses

green. For example, parents and the school community can volunteer to provide or create

recycling bins for the school, buy solar systems, use eco-friendly chemicals for cleaning, etc.

Also, students and teachers can create posters to remind the school community to close water,

through the garbage in the right dustbin, etc.

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References

Green Education Foundation Institute. (2012). Become a green sleuth! GEF Green Education

Foundation. http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/institute/lesson-clearinghouse/23-

science_middle_school.html

San Marcos Unified School District (2016, May 25). STEM comes alive at San Marcos middle

school[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jof2Lv7MaE

'Top benefits of family and community engagement '. (2018). Hanover Research.

https://www.hanoverresearch.com/insights-blog/top-benefits-of-family-and-community-

engagement/

University of Alberta office of sustainability. (n.d). What is sustainability? The University of

Alberta. https://www.mcgill.ca/sustainability/files/sustainability/what-is-sustainability.pdf

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