School energy investigation

What you'll need

• One of the following handouts per student:
  • "Energy survey"
  • "Lighting investigation"
  • "Computer investigation"
  • "Windows/doors investigation"
  • "Energy interview" 
• Small stickers for dotmocracy – enough for three per student
• "Working together" group assessment – one per group

Before leading the activity, decide which energy investigations to use. Five different investigations are provided for students to learn more about energy conservation behaviours and energy-efficient technologies at school:

• "Energy survey"
• "Lighting investigation"
• "Computer investigation"
• "Windows/doors investigation"
• "Energy interview"

See Teaching notes for more information.

Investigate

1. Introduce the idea that our energy use impacts the environment and affects climate change. 
   • In B.C., most electricity comes from a clean energy source: water.
   • Many other energy needs such as heating, cooling and transportation use fossil fuels, releasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
2. Ask students to share ideas for how they think they can use less energy and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions at school. 
   • Record ideas on the board, chart paper or computer to refer to later. 
3. In order to come up with the most effective recommendations, students need to first investigate how energy is being used at school. 
   • Divide the class into small groups.
   • Use the investigations provided or have students create their own. 
   • Discuss appropriate behaviour and safety guidelines while doing investigations. 
4. Circulate and review the investigations to make sure each group understands what they need to do.
   • "Energy survey": Review the questions with students and discuss how each one relates to energy use. Some questions are more directly related to energy (lights, transportation) and others are indirect (recycling, water bottle). 
   • "Lighting investigation": Your school may or may not have occupancy sensors in classrooms. Occupancy sensors automatically turn off lights when they sense no movement after a period of time. Students record if there are sensors and/or if lights are off in empty rooms. Talk about using natural light when possible instead of lights.
   • "Computers investigation": Your school may or may not have automatic settings to turn computers/screens on and off. 
   • "Windows/doors investigation": If heating or cooling systems are on in the school, open windows and doors allow air to escape and means more energy is required to heat or cool the school. 
   • "Energy interview": decide which questions to ask in the interview. Remind students to speak clearly, listen carefully, take notes and look at people when they’re talking to them. 
5. Have students complete their investigations.

Analyze

6. We can use less energy and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions at school by changing our behaviours and using energy-efficient technologies.
7. In their groups, have students look at the information and data they collected and answer the questions on their investigation forms. 
8. Ask some of the following questions to the class. Students can discuss ideas in their investigation groups before sharing as a class. 
   • What did they learn about how people use energy at school? 
   • What did they learn about energy-efficient technologies at school?
   • Can they see evidence that the school is saving energy? 
   • Were there questions they wish they had asked? Others they would not ask again.
   • Can they think of ways to save energy to reduce our impact on climate change? 

Recommend

9. Based on the results of their investigations and class discussion, have students brainstorm a list of recommendations for ways to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the back of their investigation forms or other piece of paper. 
   • Students identify their top three recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the school’s impact on climate change. 
   • Have each investigation group share their top three recommendations and write them on the board or a piece of chart paper. 
10. Review and discuss each of the recommendations and how it reduces our impact on climate change. 
11. Have students vote on which recommendations they think the school should consider to reduce energy use using dotmocracy: 
    • Give each student three stickers.
    • Students place stickers beside the recommendations they like the most or they think will have the biggest impact on saving energy. 
    • They may place all their stickers beside one recommendation or multiple recommendations if they like more than one idea.
12. Once all stickers have been placed, review the recommendations again and discuss those with the most stickers.
    • Take a picture of the list and stickers and share it with the principal.
13. Optional: Have students reflect on their group work using the "Working together" group assessment.