English, Geography, Health, Reading or Language Arts
Students explore beliefs, strategies and actions related to the concept of Cradle to Cradle design, and make connections to their lives. They share their response to the question, “Why is it important for global citizens to understand the basic natural laws and principles?” during a formal Socratic Seminar discussion, supporting their responses with information from the following resources:
The NEXT Industrial Revolution (William McDonough and Michael Braungart, The Atlantic Monthly, October 1998)
A TedTalk by William McDonough on Cradle to Cradle design
Earth Basics for Sustainable Living, adapted from The Natural Step (www.naturalstep.org)
Students investigate the material cycles of their school, determine and analyze the amounts and types of materials produced. They learn about where material goes and the difference between what happens to what Nature makes versus what happens to what humans make. Based on what they discover, they create and propose a plan for material cycling in their school. Students will apply what they have learned about the material cycles to a problem in their home, school or community.
This lesson wraps itself around the reading and discussion of a book about a little girl who learns about the materials cycle. Students are then engaged in a sorting and categorizing exercise to look at the similarities and differences between materials made by nature and materials made by people. The lesson ends in a design opportunity.
