How Deep Is Your (Carbon) Footprint STEM Integrated Project
Geographic information systems (GIS) is a way for students to look at data. This allows students gather data and draw conclusions about their region. Students will analyze data gathered by scientists around the world to make conclusions about their personal impact on the environment. GIS will be the driving force of this project as students will create a map of their carbon footprint at the personal and community level. Students will take this information and create a GO GREEN poster that will promote applicable conservation to their regional population based on data that was collected.
The integrated academic subjects that contribute to this project are ELA, Science, and World History anchored by an Energy, Environment Utilities CTE course. In the ELA class students look at pieces of literature that memorialize the human impact of the industrial revolution: child labor, immigrant rights, waste management and living conditions. In the World History class, students look at innovations that date back to the Industrial Revolution analyzing what the cost of technological advancement was to our environment. In science class students cover the carbon cycle, analyze carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and then look at their carbon footprint and draw conclusions on how their actions may impact the environment. Students take this information and use GIS to illustrate the community's need for environmental education. Students compile their carbon footprint data and layer it over their geographical area. This allows students to pinpoint community outreach GO GREEN posters that they will create as a final product in their ELA class.
This unit is brought to you by Laura Gallardo (Energy and Environment CTE), Dominique Sanchez (Science), Franci Phipps (ELA) and Paloma Gomez (History) with support from the CTE Online curriculum leadership team and detailed coordination provided by the Course Team Lead Joshua Bradley.
