Energy awareness & conservation through participation in Earth Hour, an international lights-out campaign this Saturday, March 28th at 8:30pm
Grade Level:
K-12
Subjects:
Physical Science:
Energy & Electricity
Renewable energy
Earth’s Systems:
Human Impacts on Earth Systems
TO DO
What is Earth Hour?
Earth Hour was started by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has grown to be one of the largest grassroots movements for the environment. This global movement happens the last Saturday of March every year and now engages millions of people in energy awareness and conservation to support our planet.
Last year, SWEP’s Eco-Action Club created a similar movement: the McConkey Eco Energy Hour, at North Tahoe School. Each Friday, classrooms around the district participated by turning off their lights for one hour. Students found there was a 16% decrease in energy consumption on their school campus during their first McConkey Eco Energy Hour. Please join us this year from your own home! SWEP invites all TTUSD students and their families to participate in Earth Hour by switching off your lights at 8:30pm (local time) this Saturday, March 28th. See below for some fun STEAM-related explorations for your home Earth Hour enjoyment.
5 Explorations to Accompany Earth Hour:
Activity #1: Energy Efficient Home
Complete this home energy audit lesson to see how much energy your home is currently using and how that number can be decreased by making a few simple changes.
Activity #2: Light Painting
Become a photographer and learn how to light paint in the dark. Watch this tutorial video of how to set up your photography space and become a light painter. Create a photo of anything you can imagine such as portraits, animals, flowers, superheros, and so much more.
Materials:
Camera with manual flash or bulb exposure control
Sturdy tripod or sit your camera on a sturdy surface
Light source (laser pointer, led tubes, wireless flashlight, anything with a bright light)
A dark place or scene
Activity #3: Glow in the Dark Bowling
Gather six or more plastic bottles and place a glow stick inside each one. Make sure the cap is sealed. Line up the bottles in a triangular formation at the end of a hallway or a clear space. Use the ball to try and knock as many down as possible in one throw. Keep track of your points and rotate with your family members.
Materials:
Empty plastic bottles (reusable water bottles if you have them)
Glow in the dark sticks or bracelets
A ball
Activity #4: Shadow Puppets
Get creative and use crafting materials to create your own unique creature or simply use your hands to create shadows against a blank wall. Have a member of your family hold a flashlight or lay in on a table or other solid surface. Act out a skit or scene with your shadows. Let your imagination run wild.
Materials:
Flashlight
Crafting supplies (optional)
Activity #5: Glowing Colors
Time to get messy with paint and conduct a glow in the dark science experiment! This activity walks you through how to make your own glow in the dark watercolors which you can use to create a beautiful painting on paper or canvas. For the experimental portion of this activity, a lava lamp like effect will be created by adding oil and glow in the dark water colors together in a mixture.
Materials:
Baby oil
Pipettes
Neon paint
Small bowls for different colors
A clear container
Water
Resources
Visit the Earth Hour website to learn more ways you can participate in global Earth Hour events virtually. (Hint: North America has a live stream yoga class planned. Serbia has a children’s virtual puppetshow…and more). Plus, the World Wildlife Foundation has compiled even more in-the-dark activities...take a look.
To learn more about TTUSD Sustainability & Energy Conservation, and to access the link to school site Energy Dashboards please visit: https://www.ttusd.org/Page/1592
Going Further
Become a “Voice for the Planet” through Earth Hour and take the pledge to make a call for urgent action. By signing the petition you are letting world leaders know that you care about nature and that you demand urgent political action to protect our planet.
Explore Renewable Energy:
Build a Solar Oven with NASA and decrease the use of your conventional oven.
Easy to make Wind Turbine to create a renewable energy source.
Have a friendly competition with your neighbors or friends. See which household can go the longest without using any energy. Aside from keeping the refrigerator running make sure all outlets aren’t in use and no light switches are on. See who can go an hour or longer this Saturday for Earth Hour. Keep in touch with who you are competing again via, Facetime, Zoom, Skype, text, email, or Facebook Messenger.
Thanks to our partners at Truckee Donner Public Utility District for supporting student’s science learning activities.
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