Water Works

The purpose of this challenge will be to make you more conscious of your water usage. By the end of this challenge, we will look at ways to reduce our water usage and consider how much water we can save once we know what can be done.

Remember when we looked at the carbon footprint? Well, there is something just like it, but with our water usage. It is called a water footprint. A water footprint is the measure of one's fresh water usage. This includes water consumed and water polluted.

Video on Water Footprint
How Much Water Goes Into Our Food?

Resources:
Water Infographic
Food Infographic
Before and After Pics of California

For this challenge, you will keep track of your water usage for two days. The first day, you will use water like any other day and keep an honest record of it. For the second day, you will use water more consciously and keep track of the differences. As a class, we will discuss the difference in water usage and calculate how much water we saved together.

This challenge will:
- Have you determine and discuss daily water use
- Have you identify and determine strategies to reduce water usage
- Have you work on reducing your water consumption and usage

Carbon Footprint Challenge

Last week, we looked at what a carbon footprint was.

We discussed ways to reduce our carbon footprint by doing things like using reusable bags when buying groceries, turning off the tap while we brush our teeth, carpooling with friends, walking to school when it's nice out, and recycling whenever we can.

We also calculated our personal carbon footprint using various calculators provided online. Some of us were surprised to find out just how big our carbon footprint was, especially when compared to the global average. However, we must not forget that the global average also takes into consideration all those who live in developing countries, where they do not have a lot of the same luxuries we have.

I know some of us felt a little guilty about how high our carbon footprint was, but that just means that we have a lot of room for improving it. Being conscious of how big our carbon footprint is just means that we will make more considerate choices when living our day to day lives.

Second Challenge: The Phantom of the Classroom

For our second challenge, we are going to learn about phantom power.

Phantom power is wasted standby power. Even when household appliances are turned off, most are still using some electricity.

To better understand the concept, let's watch a video on phantom power by clicking HERE.

Resources:

Ministry of Energy

Our One World

Green Living

Our challenge this week will be to draw a map of the school and locate where there might be phantom power usage. Once we have located sources of phantom power, we will discuss ways to decrease it around the school. 

This challenge will teach you:

- the definition of phantom power

- how to locate phantom power sources in and outside of school

- ways to reduce phantom power usage 

First Challenge: How Big Are Your Carbon Feet?

For our first challenge, we will be learning about the carbon footprint.

First, what is a carbon footprint? Let's watch a video to find out!

Still confused? This video also explains what a carbon footprint is.

Our goal for this challenge is to calculate your carbon footprint using an online calculator that looks at your daily lifestyle. Here are some calculators you can use:

Meet the Greens
World Wildlife Fund
Carboon Footprint Calculator
Islandwood Ecological Footprint Calculator

After you have successfully calculated your carbon footprint, think of ways to minimize it. You will be filling in a footprint worksheet that will be put on display for the rest of the school to see. We want to give our peers some good ideas about how they can change their lifestyle to make the earth a greener place!

This challenge will teach you:
- How to calculate your carbon footprint and explain its importance
- Determine multiple ways to decrease your carbon footprint

Helpful links:
How carbon footprints work
Compare your lifestyle with that of a child living in a developing country
Take this quiz to see if you need to improve your carbon footprint

Energy Diet Challenge

Hey guys!

Let's try to make the world a better and greener place by learning about energy use and how to minimize it.

Every week, until around April 27, we will complete energy themed challenges that are designed to increase our overall energy awareness. There is a grand total of 25 challenges that we can complete. Each challenge will not only increase our knowledge of energy use, but earn us points towards some pretty neat prizes for the classroom. For a list of possible prizes, CLICK HERE. If we win any of the prizes, they will go towards improving Parkview Public School and making it greener (and maybe a pizza lunch, shh).

Throughout this challenge, we will learn about various things such as carbon footprints, renewable energy resources, phantom power, and recycling.

Here is our classroom logo. I thought that Froggy would make a good mascot for this project, don't you? :)