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Designing a Sustainable House

Middle, Secondary

Description

Designing a Sustainable House offers an excellent simulation and authentic learning experience for middle school Science students.  It allows the them to explore the options for building a house in a sustainable manner while gaining an understanding of the cost as well as the pros and cons of each material chosen.

To begin, the students watch a series of videos that introduce the concepts of green, sustainable and healthy buildings. The videos also provide examples of a number of sustainable homes from around the world.

Afterwards, the students play the Building Design Game that requires them to build their house based on a limited budget. The students will exchange money tokens for things like roofing, heating systems, insulation, appliances and electricity. Each purchasing decision also has an environmental impact score. At the end of the game, students will have created a diagram of their house and completed a chart that indicates each choice made, the cost and the environmental impact.

The students can then draw their home's floor plan and complete discussion questions.

All materials are provided in addition to a game explanation video. 

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

The resource has a focus on building an awareness of the cost and the decision-making process in designing and building a sustainable house.

Strengths

  • novel and engaging activities
  • hands-on and challenging decisions to be made
  • all material are ready to use and easily accessible
  • a video explanation of the design game is provided

Weaknesses

  • no tools for assessment
  • no suggestions made for accommodations for students with difficulties

Recommendation of how and where to use it

Building a Sustainable House is an excellent hands-on resource for the middle school Science classroom.  It would help address outcomes related to the environment, sustainability, climate change and human impact on the environment.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 7
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      • Science
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        • Interactions and Ecosystems
    • Grade 9
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      • Science
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        • Electrical Principles and Technologies
  • Manitoba
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    • Grade 7
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      • Science
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        • Forces and Structures
        • Interactions Within Ecosystems
    • Grade 9
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      • Technological Education
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploration of Sustainable Energy: Awareness of Sustainability
  • New Brunswick
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    • Grade 7
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 7 Earth Surface Processes: Learning and Living Sustainably
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        • Exploration/Design & Experimentation/Application: Design Thinking Skills
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        • Exploration/Design & Experimentation/Application: Design Thinking Skills
    • Grade 9
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      • Science
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        • Science 9 Ecosystem Dynamics: Learning and Living Sustainably
  • Newfoundland & Labrador
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    • Grade 7
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      • Science
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        • Heat and Temperature
        • Interactions and Ecosystems
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      • Science
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        • Science 7: Engineering Structures
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        • Science 8: Climate Change
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        • Technology Education 8: Energy Engineering
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      • Science
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        • Heat and Temperature
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      • Science
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        • Interactions in Our Environment
  • Ontario
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    • Grade 7
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      • Science & Technology
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        • Life Systems: Interactions in the Environment
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      • Science
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        • Physics Principles and Applications of Electricity
      • Technological Education
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        • Technology and the Skilled Trades: Design Processes and Related Skills
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      • Science
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        • Heat
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        • Intermediate Industrial Technology Education: Technological Problem Solving
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        • Intermediate Industrial Technology Education: Technological Problem Solving
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan
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    • Grade 7
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 7: Life Science: Interactions within Ecosystems
        • Science 7: Physical Science: Heat and Temperature

Themes Addressed

Air, Atmosphere & Climate (1)

  • Climate Change

Citizenship (2)

  • Ecological Footprint
  • Sustainable Consumption

Land Use & Natural Resources (1)

  • Sustainable Urbanization

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good

Students explore the topic of building a sustainable home through exposure to multiple videos. They then play a design game and make their own choices based on their allotment of money. They develop an understanding of how income can influence choices of materials and their environmental impact.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Very Good

This lesson plan does an excellent job of exploring the environmental and economic dimensions of designing a sustainable home.  The social dimension can easily be attained by discussions around the social pressure to "go green", etc. by the teacher.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Satisfactory

The design game allows the students to gain an understanding of the cost of each choice and how income can affect the degree to which someone can participate in sustainable choices.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Poor/Not considered

This resource allows for the students to develop an understanding of the issue but there is no opportunity to act on the learning acquired.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Very Good

The resource allows for a lot of choice which leads to the students creating an understanding of what they value and think is important.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered

This is not the focus of this resource.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good

The students develop an understanding of the impact of each decision in the building a house and its effect on the Earth.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

The resource is relevant to the lives of the students as they get to plan their own house and make the necessary decisions.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Satisfactory

The resource is mostly focused on the present with some effort by the teacher the past and future can easily be addressed as well. 

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

While playing the design game the students get to make their own decisions. As they play and make choices they gain an understanding that there is not one correct choice.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Poor/Not considered
  • Science
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Satisfactory

The resource is designed for the students to use their knowledge of the various building materials and their environmental impacts to make the best decisions.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

The lesson is highly engaging for all types of learners. There are no strategies for students who may have difficulties with the material.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

The game allows students to simulate the building design process.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory
Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Good

There are no tools for assessment provided.  However, the students could easily complete a reflection piece on the exercise and repeat the design process with the same amount of money and try to attain the lowest score possible in terms of environmental impact.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good

The videos at the beginning provide case studies and examples to help show the students that people are making decisions to build sustainably.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Good

The entire design game is based on student choice.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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