Teachers TryScience

It's easy being green! Green Roof Design Project

Jan 05 2012

Source: Ginatesoriero

Summary Information

Keywords:

green, sustainability, design, model building, urban island affect, green roof, environment, carbon footprint

Topic:

Earth Science

Measurement

Physical Science

Workplace Skills:

Raising Questions

Problem Solving

Investigation Design

Secondary Research

Planning investigation

Use of Data

Discussion

Recording & Reporting

Teamwork

Independent Thinking

Estimated Time Required:

2-3 hours

Target Grade (Ages):

Grade 5 (Ages 10-11)

Grade 6 (Ages 11-12)

Grade 7 (Ages 12-13)

Grade 8 (Ages 13-14)

Grade 9 (Ages 14-15)

Grade 10 (Ages 15-16)

Grade 11 (Ages 16-17)

Grade 12 (Ages 17-18)

Diversity Indicators:

This lesson is suitable for students in the general education environment as well as students with special needs.

Tab Wrapper

LESSON

Goals and Prerequisites

Goals:

What are the environmental benefits of green roofs?

Prerequisites:

Students should be familiar with

- Green house gasses

- Independent and dependent variable

- Criteria and constraint

- Cross multiplication / Solving for x

Instructional Objective(s)

Students will be able to identify the affect that color has on temperature by stating a claim, providing evidence and science reasoning.

Students will be able to identify the benefits of a green roof with specific attention to cooling cities and minimizing water run off.

Student will cross multiply and solve for x to find the percent of a number.

Students will design a model that meets the criteria and constraints of a challenge, improve that model and retest their model

Instructional Resources

Background:

Reduce the effects of ‘urban heat Island effect’

Due to all the hard paved surfaces and traditional roofs, cities are retaining heat and maintaining temperatures 10 degrees higher than the surrounding area. In the summer heat, the temperature on green roofs can be 20-60 degrees cooler than conventional roofing. (pomegranate green roof manual 2005)

Control building temperature

For hundreds of years, living roofs were used in various countries to prevent heat from escaping or penetrating during different seasons. Controlling a building’s interior is possible by replacing the asphalt surface of the roof with plants and soil, which act as insulators to keep buildings cooler in summer and warmer in winter. (pomegranate green roof manual 2005)

Reduce the volume of storm water runoff

Green roofs are known to retain 50-60 percent of the total annual runoff volume of a roof. Most importantly, the soil retains 90-100% of the critical first hour of heavy rainfall that can overwhelm storm water management systems. In urban and suburban centers, this could aid in alleviating the cost of storm water management and help in flood control. (pomegranate green roof manual 2005)

Impervious layer - An artificial surface that doesn’t allow water to flow through it.

Greenhouse gases– Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that prevent heat energy the Earth has absorbed from the sun from escaping back into space.

Materials:

Component 1: How does color affect temperature? Hot roof vs. Cool roof experiment

Supplies PER GROUP

Black and white construction paper
Two shoe boxes (these shoe boxes will be used in another component too)
Desk lamp with a light bulb/ plugged in (2)
Thermometers (4)
Rubber bands (2)
Document: Lab report

Component 2: Real world connection/ Design (2 periods)

Document: Urban heat island
Document: Urban heat island analysis questions
Document: Claim Evidence Reasoning
Document: Layers of a green roof
Document: Green roof design challenge
Power Point: Green roof
Projector /computer/ internet

Component 3Building and testing model (2 periods with improvements/2^nd testing)

Plastic bin that the model can rest in to collect the water run off
Graduated cylinder
Scale/ Balance (grams)
Water
Shoe box (2 per group)
Document: Green roof design challenge
Possible Supplies: plastic wrap, foil, wax paper, pebbles, fish tank gravel, cotton balls, soil, pipe cleaners, live plants, newspaper, mulch, marbles, etc

Procedure:

Component 1: How does color affect temperature? Hot roof vs. Cool roof experiment

Students will be introduced to the task:
- Hot roof vs. Cool roof experiment: You are going to test how the color of a roof will affect the internal and external temperatures. You must use a black and white roof. (students may use another color in addition to these two)
Students will identify the independent and dependent variable for this experiment.
Students will use the attached “Lab report” to fill out the following sections before they are given the materials they require (title, questions, hypothesis, materials, procedure)
Students will

- tape construction paper to the top of each shoe box,

- place a thermometer inside of each shoe box

- use a rubber band to support the second thermometer on the outside of each shoe box.

- ensure that the desk lamps are equal distances away from each shoe box (if the desk lamps are limited each test can be done separately).

The students can collect data after 10 minutes of direct light on the shoe box. (They can also make observations on the external temperature every 2 minutes, but can only take the internal temperature once the experiment is complete.)

The final temperatures are to be recorded on the data section of the “Lab report”.

Students will complete the remaining “Lab report” sections.

Component 2: Real world connection

Students will be given page 1 of the attached document “Urban heat islands” and “Urban Heat Island graph analysis”
After reading the article the students will be able to complete the “Claim Evidence Reasoning” worksheet attached where they are asked to use their data from the “Hot Roof vs. Cool Roof” activity to state a claim while providing evidence and use information from the article to incorporate scientific knowledge(as homework or class work)
Power Point “Green Roofs”
- students will watch a short clip on Urban Heat Isalnds
- students will be introduced to the 4 environmental benefits of green roofs
- Students will learn about the layers of a green roof
- Students will be introduced to the design project
Hand out “Layers of a green roof” for appropriate slide
After the Challenge has been given, hand out the “Green roof design challenge” allow students time to copy down the criteria and constraints.
Students should work in their pre determined groups to complete the “Green roof design challenge” worksheet.
Tell students their storm water amount. (You can give every student the same amount of “storm water” to work with (5 ml, 10ml, 15ml, 20 ml) or you can have them use different amounts) they will be guided to calculate 75% percent of the given amount on the “Green roof design challenge” worksheet.
“Green roof design challenge” pages 1 and 2 should be completed and reviewed by teacher prior to next activity/design of the model
Possiblematerials include: plastic wrap, foil, wax paper, pebbles, fish tank gravel, cotton balls, soil, pipe cleaners, live plants, newspaper, mulch, marbles, filter material, fabric, stockings, etc

Component 3: Building and testing the model

Students will be given one full class period to design model, test model and brainstorm improvements. A second class period should be given for revisions
Students will record data, sketch their design and list improvements on page 3 of “Green roof design challenge” worksheet.
Students will weigh their model and record data.
Student will place their model over the plastic bin to collect their run off
Students will pour given amount of storm water on their model.
“Run-off” will be poured into graduated cylinder, measured and recorded.
Students will list improvements to be made, implement changes and test again.
Students will share their design and results with the class.

Claim Evidence Reasoning

Green Roof Design Challenge

Lab Report

Layers of a Green Roof

Power Point: Green Roof Design

Urban Heat Island

Urban Heat Island Analysis

Extensions

Water Filtration: Green roofs improve the quality of water going into the streams and water ways. As an extension you can make a sample of “polluted water” using various house hold items (dirt, litter, leaves/grass, cooking oil, glitter, etc) then students will run the water through the green roof to make observations on what particles were not filtered.
Native Plants: The amount of native plant life in a location is related to the respiratory condition. As an extension you can have students choose native plants and conduct research on the species that rely on that plant and how it will improve the quality of life. The “student workbook: The roof is growing” available for free from ASLA provides worksheets for this extension.
Slope: The slope of a roof is a major factor of green roof success. A roof cannot be too steep or too flat. As an extension students can determine slope using the rise over run formula and a ruler or a protractor and a roof pitch calculator.
Green roofs in the classroom: Students can use grass seed and other seeds to actually grown plants in the classroom.
Wind:Local climate plays a major role in green roof success. As an extension you can see how the green model will hold up against wind and rain.
Field Trip: visit www.egfi-k12.orgfor field trip idea to visit a green roof with your class

Assessments and Rubrics

Lab report Rubric

Claim Evidence Reasoning Rubric

Design Challenge Checklist

External Resources

pomegranate green roof manual 2005
asla “roof is growing” student workbook and teacher guide http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/learners/luc/index.html
Thumbnail image available here

Credits

Gina Tesoriero

RESOURCES