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At the end of Module One, students accurately input their first meter reading into the STEMhero software and create a plan for collecting at least three more readings to establish a baseline of their actual water and/or energy consumption.

NEED

By this point, students have determined at least one utility meter that they will track, whether that meter is at their home or school. Now, students will identify the parts of that meter so they have a shared vocabulary with other students, as they collaborate to record an accurate reading. A worksheet and video will teach the parts of the meter, and an interactive online quiz will verify learning.

This lesson revolves around the ideas and practices of biomimicry – looking to Nature to help us solve our problems. Students will study examples of biomimicry and then apply what they have learned to a problem that they identify in their home, school, or community.

In this lesson, students consider options to traditional fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. The lesson begins with students reviewing the most common alternative vehicles via a presentation. Then they work in groups to research and make three recommendations for an appropriate alternative vehicle to suit a family of four. Groups consolidate their findings in a presentation, share their presentation with the class, and vote to determine the best choice for their hypothetical family. The lesson concludes with students discussing their personal thoughts and feelings about the role alternative vehicles might play in our society.

In this lesson, students explore how transportation systems have evolved as human populations have transitioned from most people living in rural areas to more people living in urban areas. They examine how transportation infrastructure is used to support large populations, and they examine some ways in which transportation systems impact society and the environment. Then students take a close look at the area around the school and role-play urban planners who make recommendations for how transportation in the area might be improved for a more sustainable future.

In this lesson, students explore the fact that air is a mixture of gases. During the first session, they identify the main gases within air and represent the proportions in which they occur in the atmosphere. During the second session, they demonstrate that we are all part of a system in which atmospheric gases and living organisms play interconnected roles in maintaining a balance that is necessary for maintaining life on the planet. At the end of the lesson, students reflect on the importance of protecting air and the balance of nature.

In this lesson, students analyze how changes to the global carbon cycle are impacting Earth's atmosphere and climate. In the first session, they conduct an experiment to identify the presence of carbon dioxide. Then they study how vital this gas is to life on Earth. In the second session, students investigate the greenhouse effect and learn about other greenhouse gases and Earth's energy budget. They conduct a kinesthetic activity to simulate the greenhouse effect in a memorable way. Then students apply what they've learned by analyzing how human activities have contributed to atmospheric changes and by brainstorming actions they can take to help address the problem.

In this lesson, students experience firsthand what it is like to feel hungry while seeing that other people have greater access to food. By simulating a global lunch, with offerings representing undeveloped, developing, and highly developed nations, students face the issue of hunger head-on. [Note: You may wish to skip this initial activity if your students have experienced poverty and persistent hunger.] Next they explore the concept of food security and look at some of the causes of food insecurity. They begin considering what they can do to improve food security at home and around the world. Then, following plans created by two high school students, the class creates a low-cost, high-impact bucket garden. In the process, students learn that this portable food production system is an easy way for anyone to create a vegetable garden and is a valuable tool that will enable people in large cities or in areas with difficult growing conditions to harvest fresh, healthy food. Finally, students consider other ideas for sustainable food production and how they personally can make a difference.

This lesson engages students as real-life data sleuths to find out how their homes measure water and energy use. After discussing the social and environmental purposes and processes of measuring usage, students learn about different types of meters, then investigate their own home and/or school building to assess which meters are in use.