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Welcome to the Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse

Here, you can find free sustainability lessons to use in your class and upload your own lessons to share. Be sure to rate the lessons you use and leave comments for your colleagues!

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Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse

Using Plants to Save Energy

Lesson Description:
Lesson Overview: This lesson allows students the chance to explore the concept of how green space helps control temperatures. In winter, green materials help naturally warm areas and therefore less energy is needed. In the summer, green material helps shade and cool areas, also helping to conserve energy. Energy conservation leads to less use of fossil fuels. This is one of the environmental benefits of green space and landscaping.

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
 Measure and compare temperatures of different environments with various plant material.
 Build a small structure with green roof material and observe the effects plant material has on temperatures.
 Link temperature control to energy conservation.
Lesson Type:
  • Experiment
  • Group Work

Sustainability Topic:
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Gardening

GEF Program Category:
  • Green Energy Challenge
  • Green Thumb Challenge

Time Needed:
2-3 classes
Standards Addressed:
4ASI1.1 Ask a question about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
4ASI1.2 Plan and conduct an investigation.
4ASI1.4 Use data to construct a reasonable explanation.
4FSPSP4.2 Changes in environments can be natural or influenced by humans.
8BPS3.6 The sun is a major source of energy for changes on the earth’s surface.
School or Group:
Discovery Education
Contact Email:
service@greeneducationfoundation.org
Located in: Science

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Center for Green Schools