Sustainable Intelligence: High School
Summary
This lesson sets the stage for students to develop sustainable intelligence. They begin by playing an interactive game that illustrates how innocent actions can turn into unsustainable practices that impact everyone and the Earth we call home. Students then discuss what the term sustainability means and begin exploring two important concepts: the tragedy of the commons and the triple bottom line. In this way, they create a base of understanding from which they can begin to exercise sustainability thinking as they analyze and explore a range of topics and apply what they learn in their everyday lives.
Modules
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Water: Grades 9-10: The Power of Water
Lesson 6.1: 101 Fundamentals: Water (Estimated time needed: 45–55 minutes)The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand why Earth is considered the “water planet” and analyze how much of that water humans can actually use for life-sustaining purposes. They explore the concept of water scarcity in both physical and…
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Water: Grades 11-12: Water Eco-Audit
Lesson 7.1: School Water Eco-Audit: Exploring (Estimated time needed: Two 55-minute class periods)This lesson begins with an introduction to green schools and a discussion about the benefits of a campus water audit. Then students investigate how water is used inside and outside the school. They document appliances and fixtures that…
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Energy: Grades 9-10: The Impact of Energy
Lesson 6.1: 101 Fundamentals: Energy (Estimated time needed: Two 50-minute class periods)In this lesson, students explore the topic of energy via two presentations. The first presentation provides an overview of the primary types of traditional and alternative energy resources we currently use. In it, students delve into how each type…
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Energy: Grades 11-12: Energy Eco-Audit
Lesson 7.1: School Energy Eco-Audit: Exploring (Estimated time needed: Two 55-minute class periods)This lesson begins with an introduction to green schools and a discussion about the benefits of a campus energy audit. Then students investigate how energy is used in and around the school. They document appliances and fixtures that…
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Waste: Grades 9-10: The Weight of Waste
Lesson 6.1: 101 Fundamentals: Waste (Estimated time needed: One 55-minute class period)The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand why waste management is a critical issue for a sustainable future. Students learn fundamental principles of waste management, including how human habits and products are not always in harmony with…
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Waste: Grades 11-12: Waste Eco-Audit
Lesson 7.1: School Waste Eco-Audit: Exploring (Estimated time needed: Three 50–55-minute class periods)This lesson begins with an introduction to green schools and a discussion about the value of a campus waste eco-audit. Then students launch an investigation into how waste is generated at the school. They work in groups to survey…
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Food: Grades 9-10: Sustainable Eating
Lesson 6.1: 101 Fundamentals: Food (Estimated time needed: One 55-minute session)In this lesson, students learn important concepts related to food, including what it is made of, how we consume it, and the impact our consumption has on our health and the environment. The focal point of the lesson is an…
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Food: Grades 11-12: Food Eco-Audit
Lesson 7.1: School Food Eco-Audit: Exploring (Estimated time needed: Two 55-minute class periods)This lesson begins with an introduction to green schools and a discussion about the benefits of a campus food audit. Then students investigate and document factors related to food on campus: the sources and nutritional content of the food…
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Air: Grades 9-10: A Breath of Fresh Air
Lesson 6.1: 101 Fundamentals: Air (Estimated time needed: Two 50-minute class periods)In this lesson, students take on the roles of learner and teacher as they work in teams to first learn and then teach their classmates about outdoor and indoor air quality. By learning as a group and then teaching others…
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Air: Grades 11-12: Air Eco-Audit
Lesson 1: School Air Eco-Audit: Exploring (Estimated time needed: Two 55-minute class periods)This lesson begins with an introduction to green schools and a discussion about the benefits of a campus air audit. Then students investigate the importance of air quality inside and outside the school. They document critical factors that…
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Public Spaces: Grades 9-10: Powerful Public Spaces
Lesson 6.1: 101 Fundamentals: Public Spaces (Estimated time needed: One 60-minute session)In this lesson, students begin by working together to define public space. Then they learn about some of the characteristics of successful public spaces. Next, they experience a visual tour of examples of great public spaces from around the…
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Public Space: Grades 11-12: Public Spaces Eco-Audit
Lesson 1: School Public Spaces Eco-Audit: Exploring (Estimated time needed: Two 55-minute class periods)This lesson is the first in a four-lesson module in which students conduct an audit of the public spaces at their school. It begins with a presentation that first reviews the benefits of green schools and then…
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Transportation: Grades 9-10: Transforming Transportation
Lesson 6.1: 101 Fundamentals: Transportation (Estimated time needed: One 55-minute session)This lesson begins with students students collectively identifying consequences inherent in the status-quo transportation system, which is built primarily around individual vehicles that burn fossil fuels. Then they consider important characteristics of any transportation system, including safety, cost, convenience, user…
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Transportation: Grades 11-12: School Transportation Eco-Audit
Lesson 7.1: School Transportation Eco-Audit: Exploring (Estimated time needed: Two 55-minute class periods)This lesson is the first in a four-lesson module in which students take a close look at the commute of students and staff to and from school. The lesson begins with a presentation that first reviews the benefits…
