Join, Adopt or Donate

Eco build

Learning outcomes

  • To understand how everyday activities impact on the environment.
  • To understand that we can all make a positive difference.

Resources required

Access to the following websites for research:


Procedure

Explain the task:

Design an environmentally-friendly bird, bat or bug box or a bird feeding table with a water-proof roof. Each design must include information that explains why the product is good for the environment.

Discussion

  • Briefly display some of the basic designs from the websites.
  • Discuss the purpose of the product and the approaches that could be used to make them as environmentally-friendly as possible.
  • Ask the pupils to pay particular attention to the fact that their design must have a waterproof roof – what materials could we use; are these materials ‘environmentally-friendly’?
Paired work

  • Create the designs.
  • Think about where the materials and tools can be obtained and how much the product will cost to build.

Plenary (whole class)

Discuss the pupils’ work and encourage pupils to suggest alternative solutions and consider whether some approaches are ‘greener’ than others e.g. is it better to reuse wood that might have come from illegally felled forests than use new FSC certified wood? Can a product be ‘environmentally-friendly’ if it serves no purpose or if nobody wants it?

Extension

Build the products.

Evaluation

  • Ask pupils to create a checklist that can be used to evaluate the ‘green’ credentials of products found around the classroom.
  • Ask them to suggest how certain products could be made or sourced so that they’re more environmentally friendly.

Children planning for Earth Hour

Summary information

Age range: 7-16
Curriculum links: Geography, CDT, PHSE/Citizenship
Time needed: 40 minutes first session
Group size: 2 - 3
Setting: Indoors or outdoors
Key vcabulary: eco, green, sustainably managed, ethically purchased, FSC, fair trade, environmentally-friendly, refuse, reuse, recycle, locally sources, sturdy, weather-proofed, renewable, toxic, natural, wildlife-friendly.
Learning cycle: Building knowledge

Learn Autumn 2009 - Forests

Downloads

Eco build

Autumn 2009 - Forests

Activities