Sustainability Topics: Waste, Water, Food, Energy, Climate

---

• Our students will explore the essential principles of waste management, exploring the relationship between human habits, the products we use, and Earth's natural processes. We will also examine how consumer behavior impacts waste production and explore how social attitudes influence our purchasing decisions, what happens to those products after we're done with them, and the exciting possibilities for moving toward a more sustainable, zero-waste approach.

• A key focus of this unit is upcycling, a positive and sustainable way to rethink waste. Students will explore how to transform discarded materials into new, valuable products. To put their knowledge into action, students build a product from waste materials, applying the principles of upcycling firsthand. 

• Students will examine the complex issue of water scarcity, understanding it through both physical (not enough water to meet demand) and economic (lack of infrastructure to access water) lenses and investigate the three primary categories of human water consumption: Agricultural, Industrial, and Domestic:

• Students will track trends in water usage across different countries, analyzing how various regions prioritize their water resources based on their unique needs and challenges. Students will also confront the concepts of water waste and runoff, inspiring them to think critically about responsible water management. Finally, we'll explore practical ways we can all conserve water through the choices we make every day.

• Students will delve into the rich history of agriculture,  We'll analyze the Green Revolution, examining both its remarkable achievements and its significant challenges. A core focus will be sustainable agriculture,  Students will gain an understanding of seed banks and their invaluable function in preserving biodiversity; as a class, we'll even establish our own seed bank and plan the seasonal plantings for Blue Pumpkin Ranch. 

• Students will examine the global challenges of hunger and food security.  A key hands-on project involves each student creating a low-cost, high-impact bucket garden. 

• Students will explore the topic of energy, analyzing the types of traditional and alternative energy resources we currently use. Students will delve into how each type of energy resource is extracted and processed, as well as the pros and cons of using it, and will consider some of the pressing energy challenges we face today and think critically about what is being done—and what each of us can do personally—to address those challenges. 

• Students will use design thinking, applying their knowledge of renewable energy to design and propose a sustainable solution that will benefit their home, community, or other location. Students will work collaboratively in design teams to analyze local resources, consider stakeholder perspectives, and brainstorm solutions for promoting renewable energy adoption. Design teams will develop visual representations and refine their solutions to effectively communicate their ideas. 
• If students are interested, they can tackle an alternative energy issue at Blue Pumpkin Ranch, an off-grid homestead dedicated to sustainable practices. 

• Students will dive deep into the critical topic of climate change, exploring two key strategies for building stronger, more resilient communities: mitigation and adaptation.

• Mitigation focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing the pace of climate change.
• Adaptation involves adjusting to the actual or expected impacts of climate change.

• Through this exploration, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how these strategies contribute to community climate resilience. They will also reflect on the wide array of climate challenges and the diverse solutions being implemented across the United States, before tackling a real-world problem of their choice.

• Students will pick a topic that interests them to explore further, either individually or in teams. Using the creative design process, students will explore their topics in-depth.

ASK

• Students will identify a problem that interests them.
• A problem is a difficulty or a need that must be solved or overcome.
• Be Curious: Why? What If? How?

INVESTIGATE

• Students will spend time investigating and researching the problem and possible solutions. 

PLAN

• After brainstorming, students will choose the best solution, after considering cost, benefits, risks, and feasibility.
• Create a plan / design a prototype based on their research.

CREATE  & TEST

• Students will make a model or prototype of their solution.
• and see if it works by testing it to determine if it solves the problem.
• Students will seek feedback from experts, target community, etc.

REFINE IT

• Students will re-test, analyze feedback, and refine their solution.
• Repeat until the desired outcome is achieved.

SHARE IT

• Students will hare share their projects!
• Website, social media, podcast....
• Develop 60 second elevator pitch
• Patent