Hands-on Activity Net-Zero Ecological Building Design

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Describe and give an example of a biogeochemical cycle.
• Explain the need for alternative energy sources.
• Identify ways that negative human impact on the environment can be reduced.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards - Science

Materials List

Each student needs:

• laptop or computer for research - links are provided

Each group needs:

• large sheet of paper/poster board
• multiple markers/pencils in various colors
• white paper for sketching
• paper copies of the following:
• Net-Zero Ecological Building Design Rubric
• Blueprint Checklist
• Peer Review Sheet
• Net-Zero Ecological Building Design Worksheet
• Bringing it together Notes
• Water Cycle Worksheet (1 for each student in the water cycle expert group)
• Carbon Cycle Worksheet (1 for each student in the carbon cycle expert group)
• Nitrogen Cycle Worksheet (1 for each student in the nitrogen cycle expert group)
• Energy Source Sheet (1 for each student in the energy source expert group)
• Pros and Cons Worksheet (1 for each student in the energy source expert group)
• To be checked using the biomass, geothermal, nuclear, solar, and wind answer keys
• Alt Energy Ethanol Worksheet
• Alt Energy Biodiesel Worksheet
• Alt Energy Electric Worksheet
• Alt Energy Natural Gas Worksheet
• Alt Energy Hydrogen Worksheet
• Alt Energy Propane Worksheet

Worksheets and Attachments

Pre-Req Knowledge

Students should be familiar (or familiarize themselves) with the terms: ecosystem, biotic, and abiotic.

Introduction/Motivation

Did you know that federal government under President Biden’s administration has set a goal to reach 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and there is a target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050? What do you think will have to happen to reach these goals? How will human activities have to change? What will be done differently? How do the buildings people make impact greenhouse gases? 

An ecosystem is made up of a community of interacting organisms, remember that living things are biotic, and the environment they live in, remember that non-living things are abiotic. How do you think the buildings we make can affect an ecosystem, both the biotic and abiotic parts. Think about this school. How does it affect the water when it rains?  How does it affect the plants that grow? What role do you think this school has in greenhouse gas emissions?  What if we could reduce these impacts?

Let’s consider the following questions to better understand the phenomena behind greenhouse gas emissions and how they impact climate change:

• What type of gases are greenhouse gases?
• How do humans affect this process?
• What happens because of more greenhouse gases being released?
• What activities do humans do that increase greenhouse gas emissions? 

For this activity, a building development company that is known for futuristic designs and climate change activism wants to modify old buildings/structures to meet the government’s goal. They have hired our class as architectural engineers to design the plans! Let’s dive into some research and get started on some designs for a new type of building.

Procedure

Background

An ecosystem is made up of both biotic and abiotic components. Living things depend on each other and on the abiotic factors for survival. While energy flows one way through the food web in the ecosystem, the nutrients cycle through biogeochemical cycles. The cycles that are looked at in this activity are the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles. These nutrients have different pathways through the ecosystem, but all of them transition between biotic and abiotic. Humans also live in the ecosystem. Our activities interfere with the cycling of nutrients and have caused many problems such as climate change and dead zones. The purpose of the Net Zero Ecological Building Design activity is for students to think about how the buildings we make interfere with the ecosystem and design ways the interference can be reduced. A lot of the problems that we cause have to do with the use of fossil fuels.

The activity requires students to research alternative types of energy and decide which is the best option for the building they are designing. Students will use the GREET database to research fuels. These fuels are meant for transport, but in this activity it is noted that this is a futuristic design and there is an assumption that there is technology in place so that these fuels can be used to heat the building. Students will also research other alternative energy sources to determine the source of electricity for the building.

This activity has students working in groups of four called “poster groups”. This is the group that will design and draw the blueprints for the building structure they are creating. It can be any type of structure (house, apartment, movie theater, grocery store, etc.). The design they create should show how the building has an active role within the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles. The building is part of the ecosystem. Students have the option to design realistic structures, or they can be creative and make a futuristic, hypothetical structure.  

To learn about the different cycles and energy sources, the students will work in “expert groups”. Groups should be on the small side. For example, in a class of 24 students there will be six students learning about each cycle. Groups of six are large, so they should be split into groups of three. However, the six students that are learning about energy sources should stay in a group of six as there are six different types of energy that they will be learning about.  

Before the Activity

• Gather materials for each poster group.
• Review the documents so you are familiar with the grouping and different tasks.
• Students will either need to work on the digital document or a paper copy that is printed out for them so students can access them when they are ready.

With the Students

 Part 1: Introduction and poster groups

1. Read the Introduction/Motivation aloud to the class. Make sure to write down students’ brainstorming ideas for the questions in the Introduction/Motivation.
2. Divide the class into groups of four students.

Part 2: Knowledge probe with poster groups

1. Explain the activity: In groups of four, you will create blueprints for a building structure of your choice that has net-zero greenhouse emissions and an active, positive role in the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles.
2. Introduce the Net-Zero Ecological Building Design Rubric for the project.
3. Give each group a Net-Zero Ecological Building Design Worksheet.
4. Have students begin Part 1: Knowledge Probe. Make sure all group answers and ideas are recorded on the worksheet.
5. When all students are finished with Part 1, they should move to their expert groups to begin Part 2. 

Part 3: Research in Expert Groups

1. Make sure each cycle expert group (water, carbon, nitrogen) has no more than 2-3 students per group. Groups should be on the small side.
2. Make sure the energy resource expert group has at least six students, as there are six different types of energy that they will be learning about.  
3. Give each team member in each expert group their respective worksheets:
• Water Cycle Worksheet
• Carbon Cycle Worksheet
• Nitrogen Cycle Worksheet
• Energy Source Worksheet
• Note: Have students discuss and brainstorm as a group, but they should keep their own separate answers so that they can be shared with their original poster groups. 

  

  

4. Energy Source Expert Group:
1. Have students in the Energy Source Expert Group choose which alternative fuel they are going to research. 
2. Give each team member in the Energy Source Expert Group their respective worksheets:
• Alt Energy Ethanol Worksheet
• Alt Energy Biodiesel Worksheet
• Alt Energy Electric Worksheet
• Alt Energy Natural Gas Worksheet
• Alt Energy Hydrogen Worksheet
• Alt Energy Propane Worksheet
3. Have each student fill out their alternative fuel source worksheet individually. Students will be looking up values using an excel database called GREET.  The purpose of students using this is so they can determine the amount of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane released.  There is a lot more information in the database. Students might need help finding the data they are looking for. It is also possible to print out the needed information and have students get the information that way. 
4. Once each student has completed their individual alternative fuel source worksheet. Have the entire Energy Source Expert group come back together and share their research to determine which fuel is best to use. Note: There is an assumption that the technology is in place for these fuels to be able to heat the buildings that students are designing. 
5. When the Energy Source Expert Group is finished with step 1 of their Energy Source Worksheet, they should move on to step 2. 
6. In Step 2, students review the information here: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/renewable-sources/ to define renewable energy and see the different types of renewable energy.
7. Each team member should then choose one type of renewable energy to research the pros and cons of.
8. Give each team member in the Energy Source Expert Group a copy of the Pros and Cons Worksheet.
9. Using the links provided in the Energy Source Worksheet, students learn about the renewable energy that they chose and complete the Pros and Cons Worksheet for their energy source. Here are the links provided:
• Solar energy: https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-solar-energy
• Wind energy: https://www.windustry.org/pros_cons_wind_energy
• Geothermal: https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/geothermal-energy-pros-and-cons#what-is-it
• Hydropower: https://www.energysage.com/about-clean-energy/hydropower/pros-cons-hydropower/
• Nuclear energy: https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/nuclear-energy-pros-and-cons
• Biomass energy: https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/biomass-energy-pros-and-cons
10. When everyone is finished learning about their renewable energy source, the Energy Source Expert Group should come back together and share the information with the group.

Part 4: Blueprint Planning and Design

1. When all expert groups are finished, have students return to their poster groups and share what they learned. 
2. Give poster groups time to work on their blueprints. Refer students to the Net-Zero Ecological Building Design Worksheet and the Blueprint Checklist so they can check that all building requirements are included.

Part 5: Peer Review

1. When groups have completed their designs, a peer review will take place. Teams will leave their poster at their station and the class will move one station clockwise. Each team member should complete the Peer Review Sheet for the topic they are an expert on.

Part 6: Blueprint Revisions and Modifications

1. Students return to their posters and read their feedback. Modifications are made as needed.

Part 7: Communication

1. Poster presentations are shared with the class. 

Vocabulary/Definitions

abiotic: Nonliving factors in an ecosystem.

biotic: Living factors in an ecosystem.

ecosystem: A community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system.

Assessment

Pre-Activity Assessment

Discussion: Conduct the Introduction/Motivation section having the students answer the posed questions individually and in groups.

Activity Embedded (Formative) Assessment

Information gathering: The information students gather in their expert groups should be checked to make sure accurate information is being brought back to the poster group. This can be done informally by walking around to the groups and checking in on them as they work. Or the information can be submitted to the teacher for review.

Peer review: When the blueprint draft is complete, students do a peer review. Poster groups all move clockwise to review a different group’s blueprint. Each expert will give feedback on the topic they focused on using the peer review form. When students return to their own poster, they have the opportunity to make modifications based on the feedback.    

Post-Activity (Summative) Assessment

Presentation: Students present their blueprints with their poster group. Students will a description of challenges they faced while designing their blueprints and the solution(s) they used to overcome the challenge. Students also share modifications from their blueprints that could be applied to current buildings to reduce human impact on the environment.   

Activity Extensions

Students can build a 3D model of their structure. Students can study the real life emissions from a similar building structure.  

Activity Scaling

The “jigsaw” design allows for differentiation in the classroom. The nitrogen cycle is a little more challenging than the water and carbon cycles. Students that need more of a challenge within the content can be assigned the nitrogen cycle and students that need to focus more on reading and comprehension can be assigned the water cycle.

Copyright

Contributors

Supporting Program

Acknowledgements

This work is based upon work supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement no. EEC-1647722. This activity was developed as part of a 2021 Research Experience for Teachers (RET) carried out by the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR), in partnership with University of Texas at Austin, Purdue University, Northwestern University, and the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.