Students identify types and sources of indoor air pollutants in their school and home environments. They evaluate actions that can be taken to reduce and prevent poor indoor air quality. In an associated literacy activity, students develop a persuasive peer-to-peer case against smoking with the goal to understand how language usage can influence perception, attitudes and behavior.

Students are introduced to passive solar design for buildings an approach that uses the sun's energy and the surrounding climate to provide natural heating and cooling. They learn about some of the disadvantages of conventional heating and cooling and how engineers incorporate passive solar designs into our buildings for improved efficiency.

This lesson explores the increase in energy use and cost due to a building expansion for an additional 150 students. The lesson was created by David Luety. It is developed for use with Sketchbox, a free building energy modeling tool that runs from a web interface and does not require a download. 

This lesson introduces Sketchbox™, a free energy modeling tool that calculates energy use in buildings. Sketchbox™ can run online from a Chromebook with no downloads needed. This activity is for those teaching in math, science, construction, HVAC, sustainability, or computer science. Online tutorials are available, and the platform is ideal for student exploration of building science and various careers ranging from architecture to engineering. Sketchbox was created by Slipstream—a nonprofit organization based in Madison, WI, and curriculum is from the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE).  

Using a household fan, cardboard box and paper towels, student teams design and build their own evaporative cooler prototype devices. They learn about the process that cools water during the evaporation of water. They make calculations to determine a room's cooling load, and thus determine the swamp cooler size. This activity adds to students' understanding of the behind-the-scenes mechanical devices that condition and move air within homes and buildings for human health and comfort.

Students investigate passive solar building design with a focus solely on heating. They learn how insulation, window placement, thermal mass, surface colors, and site orientation play important roles in passive solar heating. They use this information to design and build their own model houses, and test them for thermal gains and losses during a simulated day and night. Teams compare designs and make suggestions for improvements.