Professional Development
GEF Institute offers affordable, online sustainability courses eligible for professional development or academic credit. Give your resume a boost! |
Sponsor a Teacher
Support educators in your community by helping them earn a Certificate in Sustainability or take an online course. Find out more about sponsorship!
Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse
Renewable Energy Guide for Buildings
Lesson Description:
This unit provides students with information about the actions a builder or homeowner can take to increase heating and cooling efficiency of a home while reducing dependency on nonrenewable sources of energy. Differences in insulation materials and their heat conductive properties will be compared in the laboratory activity. Conserving valuable energy by improving r-values for insulation in each residential and commercial building is a point to emphasize. After completing this unit, students will be more knowledgeable consumers regarding energy efficiency and passive solar, photovoltaics and wind power options.
This unit provides students with information about the actions a builder or homeowner can take to increase heating and cooling efficiency of a home while reducing dependency on nonrenewable sources of energy. Differences in insulation materials and their heat conductive properties will be compared in the laboratory activity. Conserving valuable energy by improving r-values for insulation in each residential and commercial building is a point to emphasize. After completing this unit, students will be more knowledgeable consumers regarding energy efficiency and passive solar, photovoltaics and wind power options.
Lesson Type:
- Experiment
- Project
Sustainability Topic:
- Energy
- Green Building
GEF Program Category:
- Green Building Program
- Green Energy Challenge
Materials Needed:
- Copy of the Reading Passage and Student Data Sheetsfor each student
- A Lab Activity equipment kit for each group containing:
- 2 Dixie cups (small bathroom dispenser size, plastic or waxed finish) per test material
- Water
- Access to a freezer
- Graduated cylinder (10 or 25 ml size range) per test material
- Packaging tape
- Miscellaneous insulating materials to test
- Commercial insulation pieces: Styrofoam, cotton balls or cotton batting, various fabrics, packing peanuts, paper towels, newspaper, bubble wrap, etc.. Supply some materials and have students bring some materials from home to test.
- Ruler
- Marker
- Stapler
- Goggles
- A Follow Up Lab equipment kit for each group containing:
- Ruler
- Marker
- Protractor
- Toilet plunger (to be used as gnomon)
- Pencil
- Poster paper
Submitted By:
Green Education Foundation (GEF) on Behalf of Infinitepower.org
Green Education Foundation (GEF) on Behalf of Infinitepower.org
School or Group:
Infinitepower.org
Infinitepower.org
Contact Email:
service@greeneducationfoundation.org
service@greeneducationfoundation.org