Working Towards Sustainable Development
Title: Working Towards Sustainable Development
Prof. Giovanni Cacioppo
I.T.S.T. “Vittorio Emanuele III” – Palermo
| Introduction | The topic of this project is the transition towards sustainable development. Starting from the concept of sustainable development, the project aims to create an artefact through the use of recycled materials. During the initial research phase on the central theme of “sustainability” and the possible transition from unsustainable development to sustainable. Students will explore and analyze various solutions that involve low energy consumption, water saving, recycling, renewable energies, environmental cleaning, sustainable mobility. This will increase the students’ knowledge about waste disposal cycle and recycling of materials. After exploring together with the students what could be daily practices that can help keep the environment clean, students design prototypes from recycled materials (paper, cardboard, plastic, cans, etc.), and with a focus on sustainability. In small groups, students will go through a field study phase after which they design various models, and eventually propose a prototype. In our activity, for example, the students designed a drink dispenser made of cardboard and plastic bottles.
This project targets students from15 to 17 years old The didactic module, starting from the concept of sustainable development, aims to create an artefact through the use of recycled materials, following a manufacturing process that at every step gives the opportunity to convey a series of specific knowledge and skills. |
| Pre-knowledge | Basic computer skills for research phase
Knowledge of designing software |
| Learning goals
· Soft skills (21st century skills?) · Knowledge (theoretical skills) · Practical skills |
Soft skills
· Use different types of design software · Find solutions to solve the problem of material recycling · Develop a critical sense towards the consumerist market · Develop self-criticism towards one’s own ideas · Use social networks for a real digital citizenship Knowledge · Recognize the main consequences of global warming and · pollution · Know the meaning of sustainable development · Know the waste disposal cycle and recycling of materials · Learn to argue one’s own ideas Practical skills · Identify daily practices that help keep the environment clean · Identify the most easily recyclable materials · Develop manual skill · Understand how improve a prototype · Create tutorials for similar fabrications |
| Time | 12 lessons of 60 minutes |
| Assessment | The final prototype
Questionnaire (multiple choice, open questions) concerning the knowledge and skills related to all phases of the learning process |
| Resources | Human: 5 teachers; 2 assistants.
Facilities: video or slide projector; internet connection; design software; workshop. |
| Materials | Cardboard; paper; small plastic bottles; plastic caps; straws; hot glue;
cutter; ruler |
Lesson 1-4
| Introduction
Brief description of what the lesson is about |
A first wide research phase concerning the issues about sustainable development and the possible transition from not-sustainable development to sustainable. |
| Time
Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 2 lessons of 50 minutes) |
4 lessons of 60 minutes. |
| Phase of the DBL model | Design Brief / Field Study (Research) |
| Lesson goals/design output
What will the students have achieved after this lesson? |
Students will develop their knowledge on pollution and recycling and be able to critically evaluate the consumerist market. |
| Activity
Description of what the students will be doing |
The first step is to give a definition of “sustainable”, an adjective inevitably associated with the word development. In this way, we have to define, through a brainstorming activity, what the idea of non-sustainable development suggests by contrast. Then we can proceed to a brainstorming on the idea of “sustainable”.
The students therefore may conduct a research on the “Greenhouse effect” and then, connected to that, a study on the “Kyoto protocol”. In this way, various solutions have to be analyzed that involve low energy consumption, water saving, recycling, renewable energies, environmental cleaning, sustainable mobility. At the end, a lesson will be dedicated to the study of waste disposal cycle and recycling of materials. |
| Materials
Overview of what materials needed (also think about powerpoints etc) |
Blackboard, video or slide projector; internet connection |
| Learning goals
· Soft skills (21st century skills?) · Knowledge (theoretical skills) · Practical skills |
Soft skills
· Develop a critical sense towards the consumerist market Knowledge · Recognize the main consequences of global warming and pollution · Know the meaning of sustainable development · Know the waste disposal cycle and recycling of materials Practical skills · Identify daily practices that help keep the environment clean · Research skills |
| Extra
Challenges and help you can provide students with who are either faster or slower than average |
There is also the opportunity to deepen some issues, related to environmental protection and sustainability of our development, through the viewing of short films or documentaries. |
| Tips from an expert | Involve students more through the use of multimedia material (audio, video, photos, etc.). |
Lesson 5-9
| Introduction
Brief description of what the lesson is about |
After the activities carried out in previous lessons, within the “research area” of the DBL model, we start the “ideation phase” now, after which we’ll move to the construction of the prototype |
| Time
Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 2 lessons of 50 minutes) |
5 lessons of 60 minutes. |
| Phase of the DBL model | Ideation / Fabrication (Creation) |
| Lesson goals/design output
What will the students have achieved after this lesson? |
After these classes, students will come up with their own ideas about sustainable objects made out of sustainable materials.
They will choose one idea and fabricate this with sustainable materials. |
| Activity
Description of what the students will be doing |
After explaining to students, in the previous lessons, what are the daily practices that can help to keep the environment clean, we ask them to design some prototypes that can be useful for this purpose because built with recycled materials.
To do this we can divide the students into smaller work groups. Each group, after careful research and design of various models, making use of software such as TinkerCAD, SketchUp, etc., using the Internet as well, will propose its prototype that will have to be realized exclusively with recycled materials like paper, cardboard, plastic, cans, etc. At the end, among the various prototypes, one will be chosen to be built, for ease of execution or availability of materials. In this way we’ll move to the “fabrication phase” that will last about three hours of lessons. |
| Materials
Overview of what materials needed (also think about powerpoints etc) |
As an example) Cardboard; paper; small plastic bottles; plastic caps;
straws; hot glue; cutter; ruler. software such as TinkerCAD, SketchUp |
| Learning goals
· Soft skills (21st century skills?) · Knowledge (theoretical skills) · Practical skills
|
Soft skills
· Use different types of design software · Find solutions to solve the problem of material recycling Knowledge · Know the waste disposal and recycling cycle Practical skills · Identify the most easily recyclable materials · Develop manual skill |
| Extra
Challenges and help you can provide students with who are either faster or slower than average |
Depending on availability of materials, instead of one prototype for the whole class, you can also let every student make one prototype, or in couples. |
| Tips from an expert | Leave space for creativity. |
Lesson 10-12
| Introduction
Brief description of what the lesson is about |
These last three lessons will take place within the “staging area” of the DBL model. “Argumentation” and “reflection” on the construction of the prototype will be faced. |
| Time
Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 2 lessons of 50 minutes) |
3 lessons of 60 minutes. |
| Phase of the DBL model | Argumentation / Reflection (Staging) |
| Lesson goals/design output | Students will be able to reflect and argue for their choices
|
| Activity
Description of what the students will be doing |
At the beginning, it’s important to provide students with structured material to present their project. It could be, for example, a series of questions about strong and weak points of the prototype.
Later small groups can be created to argue their ideas and to identify the things to be modified in the various phases of the design process, sharing and discussing the project on social networks. The final evaluation will take place through a questionnaire concerning the knowledge and skills related to all phases of the learning process |
| Materials
Overview of what materials needed (also think about powerpoints etc) |
Workbook()
Presentation() |
| Learning goals
· Soft skills (21st century skills?) · Knowledge (theoretical skills) · Practical skills
|
The students will have gained more knowledge on transmissions and more specific on gears |
| Extra
Challenges and help you can provide students with who are either faster or slower than average |
Present alternative prototypes and provide critical ideas on new
projects |
| Tips from an expert | Guide students to adequately discuss their ideas. |