Elaine's Sun Curve Curriculum

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The Sun Curve

1. Explore
   • How does it work?
     • What do I already know about how plants grow?
     • What do I already know about plant cycles?
     • I notice, I wonder (looking at the Curve)
   • What does it do?
     • Where would this work?
     • Why would a device like this be beneficial?
2. Design
   • How can it be improved?
     • In what ways could I change this design for the better?
     • In what other situations can this be applied?
   • Materials
     • What materials do I need to make my improvements?
     • How much do those materials cost?
3. Sun Curve as a living laboratory
   • Botany
     • What do plants need to grow?
     • What is photosynthesis?
     • How do plants reproduce?
       • Whitney Cohen from Life Lab as a guest speaker
   • Cycles
     • Water cycle
     • The Water Cycle Boogie by the Banana Slug String Band
     • Nitrogen cycle
   • Nutrition
     • What foods are more healthful?
       • Kathy Webster as a guest speaker.
     • How can fresh garden foods be used at school?
       • Pie Ranch
4. Investigating world resources
   • Renewable energy
     • Special interest groups - choose a type of renewable energy to research[1]
       • Solar
       • Wind [2]
       • Biomass
       • Hydro[3]
       • Geothermal [4]
   • Pros and cons of different types
     • Present your point of view in a conference style meeting
     • Debate the advantages and disadvantages of each type of renewable energy
   • Fresh water[5]
     • Water Contamination at La Honda School[6]
     • Apples and Oceans Activity from Only One Ocean GEMS Guide.
   • Land Use
5. Proposal
   • Video proposals
     • Create a video proposal of how your Sun Curve design could be implemented and why it would be useful in a given situation
     • Present your proposal to the class
   • Powerpoint proposal
     • Create a Powerpoint to show why your design is an improvement and where it is applicable
     • Present Powerpoint to the class