Smart School Energy Challenge: Powering Down for a Greener Future
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Smart School Energy Challenge: Powering Down for a Greener Future

Grade 12Other1 days
In the Smart School Energy Challenge, students transform their school into a sustainable, energy-efficient environment. They employ smart technologies and mindful practices to monitor and reduce energy consumption. The project involves analyzing energy data, evaluating smart technologies, promoting behavioral changes, and assessing the effectiveness of energy reduction strategies. Ultimately, students aim to create a greener future for their school.
Energy EfficiencySustainabilitySmart TechnologiesBehavioral ChangeEnergy MonitoringData AnalysisEnergy Reduction
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we transform our school into a sustainable energy-efficient environment through smart technologies and mindful practices?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • How can we measure and monitor energy consumption in our school?
  • What smart technologies can be implemented to reduce energy waste?
  • How can we encourage behavioral changes to promote energy conservation among students and staff?
  • What are the costs and benefits of implementing smart energy solutions in our school?
  • How can we assess the effectiveness of our energy reduction strategies?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will be able to understand the principles of energy efficiency and sustainability.
  • Students will learn to use energy monitoring tools and analyze consumption data.
  • Students will identify and evaluate smart technologies for energy reduction.
  • Students will design and implement strategies to promote behavioral changes for energy conservation.
  • Students will assess the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of energy reduction strategies.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Blackout Challenge

Students participate in a 'blackout challenge,' experiencing a day without electricity in designated areas of the school, highlighting their reliance on energy and prompting them to brainstorm creative solutions.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability 101

Students will define key terms related to energy efficiency and sustainability and explain their importance in the context of the school's energy consumption.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Research and define key terms such as 'energy efficiency,' 'sustainability,' 'carbon footprint,' and 'renewable energy.'
2. Write a short essay explaining why energy efficiency and sustainability are important for the school and the environment.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA glossary of terms and a short essay explaining the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal: Students will be able to understand the principles of energy efficiency and sustainability.
Activity 2

Energy Detective: Monitoring and Analyzing School Energy Use

Students will use energy monitoring tools to collect data on energy consumption in different areas of the school, then analyze this data to identify patterns and areas of high energy use.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Learn how to use energy monitoring tools (e.g., smart meters, energy monitors) to collect data.
2. Collect energy consumption data from different areas of the school over a set period (e.g., one week).
3. Analyze the collected data to identify patterns and areas of high energy consumption.
4. Create charts and graphs to visualize the data and summarize your findings in a report.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA report with charts and graphs illustrating energy consumption patterns and identifying areas for improvement.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal: Students will learn to use energy monitoring tools and analyze consumption data.
Activity 3

Smart Tech Inventors: Evaluating Energy-Saving Technologies

Students will research and evaluate various smart technologies that can be implemented in the school to reduce energy consumption, considering their costs, benefits, and feasibility.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Research different smart technologies for energy reduction (e.g., smart lighting, smart HVAC systems, occupancy sensors).
2. Evaluate the costs, benefits, and feasibility of implementing each technology in the school.
3. Select the most promising technologies and create a proposal outlining their potential energy savings and implementation costs.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA proposal outlining recommended smart technologies, their potential energy savings, and implementation costs.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal: Students will identify and evaluate smart technologies for energy reduction.
Activity 4

Energy Conservation Campaigners: Promoting Behavioral Change

Students will design and implement strategies to encourage behavioral changes among students and staff to promote energy conservation.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Brainstorm ideas for promoting behavioral changes related to energy conservation (e.g., turning off lights, using less air conditioning).
2. Develop a campaign plan with specific actions and communication strategies to promote these behaviors.
3. Implement the campaign and track its impact on energy consumption.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA campaign plan with specific actions and communication strategies to promote energy conservation behaviors.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal: Students will design and implement strategies to promote behavioral changes for energy conservation.
Activity 5

Impact Assessors: Measuring Success and Planning for the Future

Students will assess the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of the implemented energy reduction strategies, using data collected before and after implementation.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Collect data on energy consumption after implementing the energy reduction strategies.
2. Compare the data with pre-implementation data to assess the impact of the strategies.
3. Analyze the costs and benefits of the project, including financial savings and environmental impact.
4. Write a final report summarizing the project's impact, costs, and benefits, and provide recommendations for future improvements.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA final report summarizing the project's impact on energy consumption, its costs and benefits, and recommendations for future improvements.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal: Students will assess the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of energy reduction strategies.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability 101 Rubric

Category 1

Conceptual Understanding

This category assesses the student's understanding of fundamental concepts related to energy efficiency and sustainability.
Criterion 1

Understanding of Key Terms

Explanation of key terms related to energy efficiency and sustainability.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of key terms related to energy efficiency and sustainability, providing clear, accurate, and insightful definitions with relevant examples.

Proficient
3 Points

Demonstrates a thorough understanding of key terms related to energy efficiency and sustainability, providing accurate definitions and relevant examples.

Developing
2 Points

Shows an emerging understanding of key terms related to energy efficiency and sustainability, providing basic definitions with some inaccuracies or omissions.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows a beginning understanding of key terms related to energy efficiency and sustainability, struggling to provide accurate definitions or relevant examples.

Criterion 2

Explanation of Importance

Essay explaining the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability for the school and the environment.

Exemplary
4 Points

Presents a compelling and insightful essay that demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability, offering innovative perspectives and solutions tailored to the school and environmental context.

Proficient
3 Points

Presents a well-reasoned essay that demonstrates a thorough understanding of the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability, providing clear explanations relevant to the school and the environment.

Developing
2 Points

Presents an essay that shows an emerging understanding of the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability, with some explanations relevant to the school and the environment but lacking depth.

Beginning
1 Points

Presents an essay that shows a beginning understanding of the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability, struggling to connect the concepts to the school or the environment.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

What was the most surprising thing you learned during the Smart School Energy Challenge?

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Question 2

To what extent do you feel you contributed to reducing energy consumption in your school?

Scale
Required
Question 3

Which of the following strategies do you think had the biggest impact on energy reduction?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Smart lighting
Smart HVAC systems
Occupancy sensors
Behavioral change campaigns
Energy monitoring tools
Question 4

What challenges did you face during the project, and how did you overcome them?

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Question 5

How has this project changed your perspective on energy consumption and sustainability?

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Question 6

If you could do this project again, what would you do differently?

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