Week 4 - Goin' Green!

This week excitement filled the air as we introduced the Green Home Design Project! In this project, students will work in cooperative groups to design and construct a scale model of a Green Home. Over the past few weeks, students have been learning about alternative energy sources in science as well as the concept of proportionality in math. This project marries these two concepts into an opportunity for students to transfer prior learning in a creative, open-ended way. Upon learning about the guidelines of this project (packet can be found in your child’s Math/Science binder) and visiting several Green Homes through a virtual tour at Green Home Building.com, students formed groups and began to brainstorm ideas. We concluded by watching a wonderful movie clip found at Energy Quest.com that informed us of ways to conserve energy in the homes we are designing.

On Friday, we were thrilled to welcome several local “green” folks from our community who presented sessions on alternative energy and green home design. Descriptions of these amazing sessions are outlined below:
Station 1: Mr. Dan Cook- Geothermal Heating and Cooling
Mr. Cook has remodeled his home within the last year. He has spent countless hours researching green building techniques and has installed a geothermal heat pump to heat and cool his new home. Mr. Cook attended a seminar on Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction. He shared information on the importance of constructing a home with tight thermal envelope and insulation.
Station 2: Mr. Tom Crow- Mechanical Engineer, Energy Coordinator, LEED Certified
Mr. Crow is a mechanical engineer and the senior project manager with the Real Estate Services Department of Mecklenburg County. Mr. Crow shared information on sustainable products. Mr. Crow also shared information about light bulbs and windows, discussed differences and cost savings and demonstrated how these choices make a real difference in savings and helping the environment.
Station 3: Mr. Dan Hurlbut -Residential Green Construction
Mr. Hurlbut is just finishing construction on his home in which he designed. The home has ICF construction, icynene spray foam, geothermal heat pump, southern orientation, tank less water heater and farm grown hardwood flooring. Mr. Hurlbut discussed low/no voc, thermal mass, design considerations, and energy efficient appliances.
Station 4: Mr. Kris Krider-Conservation Subdivision Design
Mr. Krider works for the Town of Davidson as the planning director. Mr. Krider explained how a land planner can analyze an undeveloped piece of vacant land and determine what are the most important areas to protect from development are located. The land developer can then determine a road network before identifying where houses should be placed to maximize the preservation of the best land for open space.
We extend our many thanks to wonderful gentlemen for generously volunteering their time, knowledge, and expertise!

We are very excited to watch the student bring this project to life! In closing, we would like to share with you the following statement from Energy Quest, an award-winning energy website of the California Energy Commission. “Teaching an 'energy ethic' to conserve finite resources is essential to our energy future, which is currently dependent on fossil fuels. We also must rely on our youth to help us create new ways to harness the elemental forces of our planet and the universe. They are tomorrow's scientists and inventors. They will discover new means of energy production and innovative ways to use less energy.”

Please keep in mind that the point of this project is for students to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Students will be using items found around your household, with your permission of course! Please know there is no need to purchase anything for this project. Thank you, in advance, for supporting us in this endeavor! Be sure to mark your calendars now for our Green Home Design Expo to be held on Friday, September25th! More details to come soon….

A Quick Word About Math…
Be sure to bookmark Mrs. V’s website on your computer! Many students have commented on the usefulness of the tutorials found on the Homework and Class Notes pages! I hope you find it helpful as well!