CATEGORY: 5-6, STEMLinc

Green Engineering: cool the concrete jungle

Course Access: Lifetime
Free
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Course Overview

STEMLinc Video Conferencing: Why is it so much hotter in the city than in the country in the summertime?  Can we use plants to cool down?  Learn about the urban heat island effect as you complete an engineering design challenge to create your very own model green roof!  Ecolinc works in conjunction with Liberty Science Center, New York for this STEMLinc program. (Image: Mississippi Watershed Management Organisation)

Year Level: 5-6

Duration: 1 hour

STEM in a box: Yes – materials will be provided

Background Information:

A green roof (or ecoroof) is a roof that contains soil (growing media) and a vegetation layer as its outermost surface. The construction between the growing media and the roof structure varies but typically includes a drainage layer, a root barrier, and a waterproof membrane.  While green roofs have been in use for centuries, there recently has been a surge in interest in installing green roofs in both retrofit and new construction applications. Potential benefits of green roofs include aesthetic appeal, habitat, stormwater reduction, and energy savings.  During this lesson pairs of students will engineer and construct their green roof solution!

Prior Knowledge:

No prior knowledge necessary.

Learning Intentions: 

In this program students will:

  • address a driving question: Why is it so much hotter in the city than the country in the summer? 
  • draw on prior knowledge regarding what makes materials and environments hot or cool
  • explore the urban heat island effect
  • walk through the Engineering Design Process
  • consider limitations and constraints when engineering a solutio

Activities:

In this video conference students will:

  • participate in discussion with the presenter on key issues
  • design and create a green roof garden

Victorian Curriculum:

Science:

Science as human endeavour

  • Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to inform personal and community decisions and to solve problems that directly affect people’s lives (VCSSU073)

Physical Sciences

  • Light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed, reflected and refracted (VCSSU080)

Design and technologies:

Technology Contexts

  • Investigate characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use

Creating Designed Solutions

  • Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions
  • Apply safe procedures when using a variety of materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to produce designed solutions
  • Negotiate criteria for success that include consideration of environmental and social sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions
  • Develop project plans that include consideration of resources when making designed solutions

IMPORTANT:  Cancellation Policy

  1. When you book you will receive an automated message from Eventbrite.  Save this carefully please.
  2. Any cancellations need to be received in time for STEMLinc to re-sell your tickets to other teachers.
  3. Please use the Eventbrite confirmation email to facilitate any cancellation of your booking.  That will automatically release your ticket for re-sale on our system.
  4. Schools who cancel tickets for this internationally provided event (giving Ecolinc less than 2 weeks notification) will incur a $100 cancellation fee. 

Feel free to contact us if you would like a session specially scheduled for a minimum of 4 classes 

Term  Date/time

Book here
1 March 25th 10am Book here