Thinking Green!
Thinking like an engineer, what solutions can you imagine to address an environmental challenge?Copyright 2012 Iowa Senate Democrats http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/community-grants-for-beautification-2/seedling/
Students show their creativity and think like engineers as they design products or services that can be used to improve environmental problems in the community. While being aware of the steps of the engineering design process, students are challenged to consider all aspects of their products/services, including their costs, and impacts on the environment and people in their communities. They present their "green" solutions, in the form of advertisements, to the class for critical review of their feasibility.
Many systems in place today were created using a "thinking green" approach. Engaging students to think critically about the products and services in their lives, or those they might imagine to solve community challenges, gives them experiences in thinking like engineers to carefully consider and analyze all aspects, implications and consequences of their ideas. "Green" solutions are those that consider the long view by protecting the health and vitality of our environment. As engineers follow the steps of the engineering design process, they consider the requirements, limits, constraints, feasibility and sustainability of potential solutions, and fold into their designs the critiques and suggestions from others.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe the dependency of human activity on people and our natural environment.
- Think critically about environmental engineering and the implementation of environmentally friendly products and services.