Riverdale Collegiate Institute
The Sustainable House Project
Riverdale Collegiate Institute
Our goal
To educate and empower students regarding the future of global energy and resource use and the personal and local impact of the descisions they can make around housing, which is the largest consumer of energy and resources in our personal lives.
How we are doing it
Students work in small groups to design and build a scale model house out of recycled and reused materials. Poster displays from other classes are collected as raw materials.
What we are learning
Local professionals are willing to help. Local architects, Paul Dowsett of sustainable.TO and Martin Leifhebber of Breathe, visit the class to provide inspiration and expertise. Students love the project! Cutting materials can be difficult and we have storage problems with materials and finished product. Inform the custodial staff at your school so they understand what is going on. It can be messy, be sure to inform the custodial staff at your school so that they understand that you and your students are responsible for cleanup. The project engages all types of learners and learning styles in a very natural and logical manner.
School Information
School:
Riverdale Collegiate Institute
Grade level:
9-12
Number of students in your project:
50-60
Subjects:
Social Science
Other subjects:
The Environment and Resource Management
Number of students in your school:
1200
Project initiator:
Paul Hackl -project initiator, designer
Contact Information
Paul Hackl,
Assistant Curriculum Leader/Teacher
1094 Gerrard Street East Toronto,
Ontario
M4L 3L6
riverdalegeography@gmail.com
