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Sustainable City Design Challenge

Grade 8ScienceTechnology1 days

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The "Sustainable City Design Challenge" for 8th-grade students emphasizes integrating eco-friendly features in urban planning to mitigate environmental impacts and promote decarbonization. Through activities like creating vision boards, designing low-carbon city models, and investigating fossil fuel impacts, students explore the principles of sustainable urban design. This project aligns with NGSS and ISTE standards, focusing on scientific and technological strategies for minimizing human environmental impact and fostering innovation in urban environments.

Sustainable Urban DesignDecarbonizationEnvironmental ImpactEco-Friendly PlanningFossil FuelsRenewable EnergyUrban Planning

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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly features into urban planning to minimize environmental impact and promote decarbonization?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.

What features make a city sustainable and eco-friendly?
How can we design urban spaces to reduce environmental impact?
What are the environmental problems associated with fossil fuels?
How can decarbonization contribute to sustainable urban design?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:

Students will understand key features of sustainable and eco-friendly urban designs.
Students will be able to design urban spaces that minimize environmental impact and promote decarbonization.
Students will evaluate the environmental problems associated with fossil fuels.
Students will explore the role of decarbonization in creating sustainable urban designs.

NGSS

SCI.8.ESS3.3

Primary

Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.Reason: Project focuses on urban planning to reduce environmental impact, aligning with designing methods to minimize human impacts.

SCI.8.ETS1.2

Secondary

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem.Reason: Students will evaluate urban design options to meet sustainability criteria, relating directly to evaluating design solutions.

SCI.8.ESS3.1

Supporting

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.Reason: Understanding resource distribution is important for sustainable urban design, linking to this standard at a supporting level.

ISTE

TECH.8.3-5-ETS1-3

Primary

Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.Reason: Students will test and refine urban planning models, aligning with testing and improvement processes.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

The Great Debate: Cars vs. Bikes

Kick off the project by setting the scene of a bustling city where pollution levels have reached critical levels. Students participate in a debate on whether the city should prioritize bike lanes over new roads, putting their research on environmental impacts and sustainable solutions to the test.

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Portfolio Activities

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

Activity 1

Eco-City Vision Board

In this initial activity, students brainstorm and collaborate to create a vision board that conceptualizes what a sustainable city looks like. Through imagery, words, and design elements, students explore the foundational features of eco-friendly urban spaces.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Introduce the activity by discussing key features of sustainable cities, such as renewable energy, green spaces, and efficient public transport.

2. Provide students with materials to create a vision board, including magazines, colored paper, markers, and online resources.

3. Students work in groups to cut out or print images, write key concepts, and arrange them on their vision board.

4. Each group presents their vision board to the class, explaining their choices and vision for a sustainable city.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA collaborative vision board showcasing various elements of a sustainable and eco-friendly urban space.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with SCI.8.ESS3.3 as it introduces students to designing methods that minimize human environmental impacts.

Activity 2

Decarbonization Design Workshop

Students dive deeper into the subject of decarbonization by attending a workshop aimed at understanding how to apply scientific principles in urban design. They will design a small-scale city model using low-carbon practices.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Start with a presentation on the impact of fossil fuels and the need for decarbonization in urban planning.

2. Introduce students to sustainable materials and technologies that reduce carbon footprint, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and recycled materials.

3. Instruct students to sketch a basic city layout incorporating these eco-friendly features.

4. Have students create a physical or digital model of their city design, integrating learned concepts of decarbonization.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA small-scale model or detailed sketch of a city that uses sustainable, low-carbon technologies and practices.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with SCI.8.ETS1.2 by having students evaluate and implement design solutions focusing on sustainability criteria.

Activity 3

Fossil Fuel Impact Investigation

This activity centers on researching and presenting the environmental problems caused by fossil fuels. Students act as environmental scientists, gathering evidence and explaining findings to their peers.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Divide the class into small groups, assigning each group a specific area of fossil fuel impact to investigate, such as air pollution, water contamination, or climate change.

2. Guide students in finding credible sources, conducting experiments, or using simulations to gather data related to their assigned impact.

3. Each group consolidates their discoveries into a report or presentation, including visual aids and explanations.

4. Groups share their findings with the class, fostering a discussion on fossil fuel impacts and potential solutions.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA group report or presentation on the environmental effects of fossil fuels, complete with data and visual aids.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with SCI.8.ESS3.1 by having students construct explanations based on evidence of fossil fuel impacts linked to geoscience processes.

Activity 4

Sustainable Solutions Critique

In this activity, students critically analyze various sustainable urban design proposals to assess their effectiveness in reducing environmental impact and promoting decarbonization.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Present students with a series of sustainable urban design solutions, either existing or hypothetical.

2. Teach students a systematic evaluation process to determine how well each design meets sustainability criteria and constraints.

3. Organize students into groups to critique one or more design solutions using the evaluation framework.

4. Groups present their critiques and suggest improvements or alternative approaches.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA comprehensive critique presentation with assessments and recommendations for sustainable urban design solutions.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with TECH.8.3-5-ETS1-3 as it involves evaluating the effectiveness of urban planning models and identifying areas for improvement.

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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Sustainable City Design Rubric

Category 1

Understanding of Sustainable Urban Design

Assesses the depth of understanding of key features of sustainable and eco-friendly urban designs.

Criterion 1

Conceptual Understanding

Measures students' grasp of sustainable urban features such as renewable energy, green spaces, and efficient public transport.

Exemplary

4 Points

Demonstrates sophisticated understanding of sustainable features, articulated clearly in all aspects of the project.

Proficient

3 Points

Shows thorough understanding of sustainable features, accurately incorporated into the project.

Developing

2 Points

Shows emerging understanding with basic ideas incorporated but lacks depth in execution.

Beginning

1 Points

Minimal understanding demonstrated with major concepts missing or misunderstood.

Criterion 2

Application of Scientific Principles

Evaluates the application of scientific principles to minimize environmental impacts, including decarbonization strategies.

Exemplary

4 Points

Effectively applies scientific principles with innovative strategies evident in all project elements.

Proficient

3 Points

Applies scientific principles appropriately with clear evidence in project design.

Developing

2 Points

Basic application of principles with partial implementation across project elements.

Beginning

1 Points

Struggles to apply scientific principles, resulting in incomplete or inaccurate application.

Category 2

Collaboration and Communication

Evaluates students' ability to work collaboratively and communicate their ideas effectively to peers and others.

Criterion 1

Collaboration

Assesses the effectiveness of working within a team to achieve project goals.

Exemplary

4 Points

Exhibits leadership and initiative in collaborative settings, enhancing group dynamics and outcomes.

Proficient

3 Points

Contributes effectively to the team, supporting goal achievement and decision-making processes.

Developing

2 Points

Participates in group work but with inconsistent engagement and support for team objectives.

Beginning

1 Points

Limited participation and reliance on others; struggles to contribute meaningfully.

Criterion 2

Communication Skills

Measures the clarity and organization of presentation and explanation of project ideas and outcomes.

Exemplary

4 Points

Presents ideas clearly and persuasively with strong organization, engaging and insightful content.

Proficient

3 Points

Communicates ideas clearly with well-structured presentations that cover key topics.

Developing

2 Points

Communicates ideas but with some disorganization or lacking depth in explanation.

Beginning

1 Points

Struggles to communicate ideas clearly, with significant gaps in presentation structure and content.

Category 3

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Assesses the ability to analyze, evaluate, and improve urban design solutions based on sustainability criteria.

Criterion 1

Analytical Skills

Measures students' ability to critique sustainable urban design solutions and identify improvements or alternatives.

Exemplary

4 Points

Demonstrates exceptional analytical skills with insightful evaluations and innovative improvement suggestions.

Proficient

3 Points

Conducts thorough analysis with clear understanding of strengths and weaknesses of design solutions.

Developing

2 Points

Engages in basic analysis lacking depth and detailed evaluation.

Beginning

1 Points

Struggles to conduct analysis with limited recognition of design aspects and improvements.

Reflection Prompts

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

Question 1

How has your understanding of sustainable city design evolved through this project?

Text

Required

Question 2

Which activity did you find most impactful in learning about eco-friendly urban planning?

Multiple choice

Required

Options

Eco-City Vision Board

Decarbonization Design Workshop

Fossil Fuel Impact Investigation

Sustainable Solutions Critique

Question 3

On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel about your ability to design a sustainable city in the future?

Scale

Required

Question 4

What challenges did you face in integrating sustainability and decarbonization into your city design, and how did you overcome them?

Text

Required

Question 5

How do you see the role of decarbonization in future urban planning?

Text

Optional