Community Resources Green Building Overview Energy & Atmosphere Materials Water Site Selection Human Health Co-op Living Wrap-Up/FAQ Details for Builders Teachers' Guide

Welcome educators!

Here are several activities you might consider having your students use in conjunction with this website, or studies around green building in general.

 
Green Building Hotline - Quick Facts

Have students pretend that they are experts on green building and they work at a phone "hotline" where people call in with their questions about green building. You can give students any of the following questions as a way to get them familiar with the basics of green building. Click here to download these questions in a Word document so you can edit them and create a handout if you'd like. (It includes the short-answer/essay questions from below as well.)

Easy

• I've heard people talking about net-zero energy buildings. What are they and what are the two factors that go into making a building net-zero?

• What is passive solar? Is it different from solar panels?

• What is daylighting and why is it a good thing?

• What is a root cellar and what are the environmental benefits of using one?

• If my building has a lot of insulation in the attic, does it matter much if the windows have good insulation?

• I found these great tiles that are 100% recycled and pretty affordable. Is there anything else I should know about them before I decide to buy them?

• What are the things I should consider when choosing wood for my building?

• Does it matter how big my building is?

• What is a dual-flush toilet?

• Is it more expensive to build green? Are there things I can do that are green and will actually save me money?

Intermediate

• I want to use passive solar for a new building. Does it matter which way the building is facing and which side we put the most windows on? Is there a way to keep the sun out during the hot summer months?

• What is net metering and would you suggest I use it?

• Are ceiling fans useful for a modern building or were they only helpful for older buildings?

• I am trying to decide whether to rehabilitate an old building or just build a new building. What should I think about to make this decision?

• What is "peak oil" and how does it affect where I choose to put my building?

• I have a lot of land around my building. What is a conservation easement and what are the benefits?

• Vinyl seems to be one of the cheapest building materials out there. Why do some people say I shouldn't use it?

• What is sick building syndrome? What are the key things I can do to make my building healthy?

Harder (these may require students going beyond this website for more info)

• What is a carbon footprint and what is the average carbon footprint for an American?

• What is geothermal? Can it be used for cooling as well as heating? Do I need to have hot springs near my home to use geothermal?

• What is a housing co-op? What is co-housing? In what ways do these help people live in a more environmentally responsible way?

 
What Do You Think? Short Answer/Essay Questions

These questions require students to do more of their own thinking, though they may be able to find other people's opinions on these matters if they are looking on the internet. Click here to download these questions in a Word document so you can edit them and create a handout if you'd like. (It includes the "hotline" questions from above as well.)

• Some people believe that green building is basically an environmental issue. In what ways does green building have a social impact and even if someone doesn't care much about the environment why should they care about green building?

• What are the advantages of buying carbon offsets? What are the advantages of reducing energy use? Is one better than the other?

• For wood to be FSC-certified it has to meet most of the Forest Stewardship Council's 10 principles. If you choose five of them to be mandatory which would they be and why?

• Can you explain "peak oil"? What are some of the key changes that might occur in society as a result of peak oil? And what are the benefits and drawbacks of those changes?

 
Capstone Project - Run an Advertising Campaign

Have students create a poster advertising the benefits of green building, or of specific aspects of green building. Tell them the objective is for them to create a compelling ad that includes key information. For example, you might specify that students include 3 key facts that convey why green building is important, 3 key things that people can do, and a web address where people can go for more info.

Bonus Capstone Activities:

Have students present to the class as if they are with an ad agency trying to sell their ads to the rest of the students. They can briefly point out what facts they thought were most important to include, the key visual elements they used, where they think the ad should be placed to best be seen by people (where in public? what magazines or tv shows? etc.)

You can have students rate the ads based in two categories, the visual impact and the impact of the information presented, and choose which ad they would select to run.

The posters can be placed in a public space where they will be seen by other students or members of the community.

A quick call or two might get your local paper to run the winning ad for free. It makes the project super meaningful for your students, it raises your school's profile in the community, and helps broaden the impact of your work. When you call you can ask for advertising or for a reporter who deals with local affairs or environmental affairs to see who you need to talk with who has the ability to make such a donation.

 
Capstone Project - Create an Educational Brochure

Have students create a brochure with five tips for people on how they can make their homes greener. Note: we have two brochures similar to this already on our website, so you might want to make this assignment a little more specific for those students who notice this! For example, have them make it for kids that are younger than them so they have to make it simple and think about what is easy for them to get their parents/guardians to do.

Have students illustrate the brochure with a few drawings to make it more attractive and to help students who relate to images and drawing more than words.