Greening STEM Education Making Connections for our Planet

Greening STEM Education Making Connections for our Planet

TDSB STEM Education STEM is a transdisciplinary approach to inquiry and problem-based learning that fosters collaboration, creativity, and innovation in all students.

What does STEM look like? 1. Starts with a real world problem • problems based on big ideas in curriculum • choose real social, economic, and environmental problems • problems are age appropriate

• Marshmallow Towers • Pom Cannons • Paper Helicopters • Roller Coasters • Paperclip Sailboats • Building Windmills • Hovercrafts • Zip Lines • Solar Ovens • Lunar Landers http: //www. starfisheducation. com/2013_12_01_archive. html http: //www. starfisheducation. com/2013/06/The-Brown-Bag-STEM-Challenges. html

STEM Skills for Sustainable Development Science Technolo gy Engineeri ng Maths Problem solving Team building Self esteem Motivation Creativity Communication Critical thinking Technology skills Global awareness Emotional intelligence Environmental Development Social Development Economic Development

Climate Change Impacts in Canada • Temperature increased by 1. 4° Celsius • 2050 projection: temperature increase by 2. 5 to 3. 7° Celsius • 2010 was the hottest year on record!

Local Climate Change Impacts Tourism & Recreation Air Quality Forests & Wetlands Energy Human Health Agriculture Transportation Water Resources Infrastructure

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Ontario’s Dirty Six! cigarette Butts Food Wrappers Bottle Caps (Plastic) Beverage Bottles (Plastic) Straws/Stirrers Beverage Cans Did you know… In 2015, clean up crew found a full dinner, in a roasting pan, floating down the creek!

Embedding SD into STEM Curricula: Sample themes Energy Generation, utilisation, efficiency Buildings Healthy, comfortable, fit for purpose, energy efficient, alternative energy, natural materials Transport Energy efficiency, alternative technologies & energy Natural Environment Biodiversity, treatment of contaminated land, flood prevention, energy crops, food crops, green cities Technology Innovation Alternative energy, products for a circular economy, sustainable building technologies Social Development Impact of climate change and fuel costs on society Business Innovation Low carbon operations, products and services for a circular economy

Sustainability and STEM: Sample challenges Energy • Passive energy use in isolated communities • Renewable energy generation to power a community centre Buildings • Construct a rammed earth, straw bale, …. wall. Test its performance (strength, thermal mass, etc. ) Transport • Pedal powered mobile phone charger to use while on holiday • Use solar energy to power an electric bike Natural Environment • Strategies for treating contaminated land (energy crops, leisure facilities, etc. ) • Design a green city with a focus on biodiversity, health & well being and food security Technology Innovation • Select an item currently used in a classroom or office. Re-design (and make) it using the circular economy principles Social Development Business Innovation • Strategies for building local resilience to climate change • Strategies for tackling isolation within communities • Devise a closed-loop business strategy for a network of local businesses, using locally sourced natural &/or up-cycled resources

The Minds That We Truly Need in the Future (H. Gardner) • A Disciplined Mind – that can think well and appropriately in the major disciplines; • A Synthesizing Mind – that can sift through a large amount of information, decide what is important, and put it together in ways that make sense for oneself and for others; • A Creative Mind – that can raise new questions, come up with novel solutions, think outside the box; • A Respectful Mind – that honors the differences among individuals and groups and tries to understand them and work productively with them; and • An Ethical Mind – that thinks beyond selfish interests about the kind of worker one aspires to be, and the kind of citizen that one should be.