Sustainable Housing, PBL Unit
This unit was designed for a high school students by Sebastian Navarro.
SUSTAINABLE HOUSE PROJECT By: Sebastián Navarro
1. Statement of the Problem: Sustainable Development is everybody’s responsibility 2. Duration of Unit: 3 weeks (2 hours per week approximately)
3. Topic ideas: Sustainability - Renewable and Non-renewable Energy
4. Standards:
ISTE (21st Century Skills) 3.Knowledge Constructor
Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.
3d. Build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
4. Innovative Designer
Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.
4a. Know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
4b. Select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.
4c. Develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
6. Creative Communicator
Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.
6c. Communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.
7. Global Collaborator
Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.
7c. Contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.
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COMMON CORE
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.C
Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.5
Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4.A
Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.6
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.7
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS)
4-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity
Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.
5. Objectives:
● Identify different forms of energy.
● Understand what is renewable and non-renewable energy.
● Comprehend what is Sustainability and why it is important.
● Design a 3D Prototype to demonstrate how houses and buildings could be
constructed to integrate diverse sources and forms of renewable energy and be sustainable.
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● Convince an audience to build their homes with sustainable principles based on the prototype designed.
6. Have students discuss what they will be doing and describe what they will be learning in this unit.
Students will watch the video “Dear Future Generations: Sorry”, then they will discuss how they can become heroes for the current and future world if they contribute to a sustainable development of the world. Analyzing the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development, students will recognize how important this project will be for them to understand what is sustainability and challenge themselves to create solutions to current global problems.
7. How will you assess your students?
Students will be assessed on 21st Century Skills. First of all with an Artificial Intelligence system developed in the platform Kite, which identifies all micro-actions from students to determine how was their performance regarding ISTE standards. in Kite students are challenges with a project where they must work collaboratively to research, brainstorm, and create a solution to a problem. Also, the teacher can use a rubric to assess both the process of the project as the final presentation.
8. Design all assessments prior to beginning instruction—this is the heart of backward design.
The most important methodologies and approaches for the development of this and all educational units in Kite.education are:
● Design Thinking & Innovation (Stanford)
● Creative Spiral (MIT)
● Genius Hour (A.J. Juliani - John Spencer)
Pure Genius (Don Wettrick)
● IBL (Inquiry Based Learning
● PBL (Problem, Project and Passion-Based Learning)
● Learning by Doing
● MCL (Maker-Centered Learning)
● CBL (Challenge-Based Learning)
● STEAM (Cross-curricular framework for Learning of Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts and Math)
The most important strategies for learning promotion and effective assessment implementedinK ite.educationare:
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● Research based on image search
● Research based on picture collection
● Research based on answering forms
● Brainstorming by Mind-mapping
● 3D Prototyping
● Solving problems with Coding
● Collaborative work through instant messaging software
● Evaluating projects with self-evaluation and peer-evaluation strategies
● Sharing results with presentations and visualizations
9. Design rubrics for your assessments for all of the concepts and standards you will be working on.
Skills Ready Proficient Master
Knowledge Constructor
Research a topic with present-day significance, using some digital tools and finishing some required assignments appropriately
Research a topic with present-day significance, using most digital tools and finishing most required steps appropriately, and create a call for action or articulate next steps
Research a topic with present-day significance, using all digital tools and finishing all required steps appropriately, and create a call for action or articulate next steps.
Innovative Designer
Use design simulation tooIs to develop prototypes digitally prior to production.
Use design simulation tooIs to develop, test and modify prototypes digitally prior to production.
Use design simulation tooIs to develop, test and modify prototypes digitally prior to production, documenting iterations of design, detailing recursive stages of design, evaluation and modification.
Creative Communicator
Communicate a specific type of information to a particular audience (i.e. a 3D Prototype for a solution or product)
Use simulations and models that interactively represent and explain a specific concept/content to communicate a specific type of information to a particular audience (i.e. a 3D Prototype for a solution or product)
Use simulations and models that interactively represent and explain various concepts/content to communicate a specific type of information to a particular audience (i.e. a 3D Prototype for a solution or product)
Global Collaborator
Use essential digital collaboration tooIs to connect with classmates, sharing and gathering others' ideas, and exploring a local issue of interest as part of a collaborative project.
Use a variety of digital collaboration tooIs such as email, discussion board, instant messaging software, safe networking sites, among others, to connect with classmates, sharing and gathering others' thoughts and perspectives, and exploring a local or global issue of interest as part of a collaborative project.
Use a variety of digital collaboration tooIs such as email, discussion board, instant messaging software, safe networking sites, among others, to connect with learners in other areas or cultures, sharing and gathering others' thoughts and perspectives, and exploring a local or global issue of interest as part of a collaborative project.
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10. Clearly work out and share your unit’s essential questions.
● What are different forms and sources of energy?
● How do people consume/use energy in and around their homes?
● How can you create eco-friendly and sustainable houses?
● How would you design a house that uses sustainable energies but still looks like
a house that would fit with your neighborhood?
11. If you are working on a problem or project based unit (both are known as PBL) design out your entry activity.
To introduce the unit “Sustainable House”, students will watch the first 5 minutes of this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRLJscAlk1M
The intention is to get students aware of a real problem and challenge we all humans have nowadays, the need to save the planet so to save ourselves, which can be solved if we all get committed to sustainability in many of our actions.
This unit will challenge students to design houses that are sustainable, which means they use mostly renewable energy, or have greenhouses to produce own-consumption products, etc. Anyhow, before they get to design the houses, it’s important first of all they understand what is the problem, how important it is for all of us to do something to solve it, and then understand the concept of sustainability before starting their creations. So a good start point is watching this video, then after watching it having a short debriefing session where students talk about their perspective towards sustainability and their roles and responsibilities to save the planet.
12. If you are working on a PBL, clearly work out your statements of the problem to be solved.
“In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 goals for a better world by 2030. These goals have the power to end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change. Guided by the goals, it is now up to all of us, governments, businesses, civil society and the general public to work together to build a better future for everyone.
Renewable energy solutions are becoming cheaper, more reliable and more efficient every day. Our current reliance on fossil fuels is unsustainable and harmful to the planet, which is why we have to change the way we produce and consume energy.
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Implementing these new energy solutions as fast as possible is essential to counter climate change, one of the biggest threats to our own survival.”1
13. Plan your anticipated sequence of instruction for the unit.
Moments STAGE: Know and Research the Problem
Picture
Title
Energy all around
Image
Mission
Title
Identify and connect
Find and share images to demonstrate where and how different forms of energies are used in and around your home.
Mission
Take and share pictures/images of as many ways energy is used at home. Identify the source/form of the energy. Name the areas/rooms of your house where you use this form of energy.
Title What is Energy?
Mind-Map
Mission
Think about and discuss how energy can be used in each room of your home. Also think about how energy can be used outside. Create a Mind Map of the rooms and list the energies used with an example.
Mission
Research different sources like websites, encyclopedias, libraries, or even interviewing people, to establish working definitions for the terms that will be used throughout the unit.
Form
Questions
What are some sources of energy? List as many as you can.
How do people consume/use energy at home? Give
examples.
What are the most important energies that a home needs?
How do different energies interact?
1 United Nations - The Global Goals. Retrieved April 08, 2018, from https://www.globalgoals.org/
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Moments
Stage: IDEATE AND IMAGINE
Title
Image
Mission
Title
Title
Pros and Cons
Green Design Features
Find as many images as you can with green/sustainable energies used in buildings and homes.
Mission
What are the pros and cons of each of the different forms of energy when you put them onto a house design?
Mind-Map
Our House’s Features
Mind-Map
Mission
What could you implement in a house to optimize energy consumption? Think about all the places in a house (inside and outside). Be very creative to list as many solutions as possible.
Moments
Stage: TINKER AND PROTOTYPE
3D Model
Title
House Model
Mission
Based on your investigations and the possible solutions you brainstormed in the previous mind-map activities, use your imagination to design the house.
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Moments Stage: EVALUATE AND SHARE
Self-evaluation
Mission Answer the following questions to self-evaluate your prototype.
Image
Title
Final Product Evidence
Mission
Share a picture of your result and upload it.
Form
Questions
What sources and forms of energy are found in your house?
After seeing all the different groups’ designs, what elements
were the most commonly used? Why?
What was creative and special about your house?
What were some of the challenges you faced as a team?
What changes did you make in your design as you worked
together?
How does your design use energy in a smarter way than
your real house right now?
What changes can you make at your house right now to
improve your own energy use?
Title
14. - 15. What will you have to differentiate? What needs have to be addressed?
This project allows students to participate and learn no matter their learning profiles, mainly because we allow them to work based on their passions and construct their own knowledge by creating their own solutions.
For example, regarding content differentiation, although the goal is to create a sustainable house that uses renewable energy after all, those who love sports create houses with gyms that have bicycles to create energy; those who love nature create gardens to produce vegetables for own consumption; techies implement solar panels on the roof, and son on.
In relation with process, all students can have a voice in PBL, because word learners will usually have the role to read text instructions and interpret visual information; auditory and visual learners will be in charge of analyzing videos and podcasts; and kinesthetic learners will enjoy interacting with others in the platform, among other examples.
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For the product differentiation, there are different productions required in the project, so while some students will be researching by searching for images, others could lead the mind-mapping process, as some others design 3D prototypes.
16. Anticipate potential problems.
There are several issues that could be found during the project development. First of all, there could be students who ignore some of the topics that are important, like someone who did not attend the science class where they were supposed to learn about energy forms, or an international student who just arrived and has a different background, so it is important to be ready for these students and provide individual support or additional explanations when necessary.
Also, there could be students who have not learned some technical skills that are required, like 3D design or Mind-mapping, so it is important to give them additional time so they get ready with these skills before starting the project.
Finally, when using digital resources, it’s important to have a B Plan in case there is not internet connection for some reason some time, or devices like computers, laptops or tablet can fail. In these cases, it’s worth having ways to develop most of the project with real materials (not digital), like paper, wood, cardboard, plasticine, among others.
16. Check the level of rigor.
The goal in this project is to have students learn based on Quadrants A, B and C.
A. Students gather and store bits of knowledge and information. Students are primarily expected to remember or understand this knowledge.
B. Students use acquired knowledge to solve problems, design solutions, and complete work. The highest level of application is to apply knowledge to new and unpredictable situations.
C. Students extend and refine their acquired knowledge to be able to use that knowledge automatically and routinely to analyze and solve problems and create solutions.
17. What instructional tools do you need?
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18.
● Laptop or Computer
● Mouse
● Keyboard
● Video Projector
● Speakers
● Internet Connection of at least 2Mb
What vocabulary do you have to teach?
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Global Impact Energy Renewable Non-renewable Ecosystem Recycling Prototype Sustainability
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your audience.
At the end of the project, each team will have 10 minutes for a final presentation distributed as follows:
If you are working on a PBL students will have to make a final presentation. Plan
Description
Explain what was discovered and learned in the researching process and how the problem to be solved was established.
Share the most relevant ideas that were brainstormed and proposed by the team to solve the problem.
Show the 3D House Prototype created and explain all its features and implementations to be sustainable.
Give the audience time to provide feedback about their project results
Conclude by summarizing what they learned throughout the project and what could be their next steps in real life in the future.
Length
2 minutes 2 minutes
3 minutes
2 minutes 1 minute
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