Title: ECO-CHALLENGE: Green // Energy
Course: GG 22/23 Leuphana-Copy > Section: 2.7 Green // Energy

What you already know:
1. You have learned about the different concepts around the topic of Energy.
2. You understand the impact of the different social, economic and political factors on the environment.
3. You have identified a problem/problems you would like to tackle as your Eco-Challenge.

Now it is your time to take action!
Given your knowledge of the importance of sustainability and renewable energies, have a look at your surroundings (e.g., community, school, city, your home) and identify a problem. For example, is your school using sustainable light bulbs and solar panels?  Search in your city's website and/ or ask the responsible authorities if they have a plan for renewable energy supply. Unleash your creative potential and come up with bright ideas to encourage your community to use renewable energy technologies. You could create a channel on social media and publish content about tips and tricks on how to save energy.
Below is an action plan example you could take:

Have a look at the different materials below as well as the small steps you can take to structure and implement your project initiative.

SIX STEPS TO REFINING, RESEARCHING, DOCUMENTING, PLANNING AND SHARING YOUR ECO-CHALLENGE

1.  Refine and research your Eco-Challenge

·        Have other schools/communities dealt with this problem?

·        Are there any best practices that you could share?

·        What do the experts say? Consult with people who work in the city council, NGOs, local politicians, parliament representatives, etc.

Always remember to take detailed notes of what you do for later.

2.  Plan a campaign to raise awarness

What steps can we take to raise awareness of the problem?

·        Document the problem by taking photos, recording interviews or quote from your expert findings.

·        Think of a possible campaign to inform the school or the community that there is a problem that needs to be fixed.

3. Develop an action plan

·        What does it take to fix the problem?

·        What resources do we have?

·        What resources do we need?

·        How can we get these resources?

·        What can we actually contribute to solving the problem?

4. Document your eco-challenge - be creative!

Document your approach and findings well, e.g. in a

·        One-minute video

·        Short PowerPoint presentation

·        Poster

·        Photo diary

5. Present your Eco-Challenge to your class

·        Be brief (roughly 10 minutes)

·        Get feedback

6. Upload your Eco-Challenge into the DATABASE

DATABASE: Eco-challenge - Green // Energy in the Virtual Town Hall.

ALL:  Vote on ONE Eco-Challenge to submit to the competition.
- Which is the best? The most realistic to implement? The one you would join?
- Review the eco-challenge everybody agrees upon and suggest final changes
- Go to "Section 3. Your sustainability action plan" and follow the instructions to upload your courses action plan: TASK: Sustainability project

[fa-glyphicon-plus] How to plan your research –step by step

Following these steps will help you plan your research together with your group members.

1. Research topic: What is the topic or issue?
Decide on the general topic of your research first. It may help to do a brainstorming of possible topics, a quick web-research or talk to an expert first. Some possible topics could be "plastic pollution on our school campus", "plastic recycling in our city", "plastic dependence of our household(s)" etc.

2. Research question: What do we want to find out?
Now decide what it is that you want to find out. Formulate a question that addresses your issue. Your question must be specific enough so that you can answer it. A possible research question could be "How much plastic waste does our household produce over a week?" or "What are people's opinions on raising the price of plastic bags?"

3. Research method: How will we find out?
Decide what you will do to answer your question. This will include collecting evidence like interviews, survey answers, photographs and videos, experiment results, and so on. Also think about who is going to do what and when, and what tools and resources you will need.

4. Research hypothesis: What results do we expect?
Briefly note what results you think you will get. This is called a hypothesis. Your research may confirm your hypothesis or it may produce different results.

5. Research report: How will we document and present our findings?
Note how you will document your findings and present them later on in class and online. For example, if you do an online survey, you could create a PowerPoint presentation with diagrams, you could write a blog entry about your research, or even produce a video or photo story with interesting findings.

For more help, review the TIP: Conducting research.

[fa-files-o] Materials and resources:

Website
The Sierra Club Skill-Building Guides: Activists Toolkit
Website
Green Energy Skills for Youth
Website
Plenergy: Ein Projekt der Klimaschutzagentur Region Hannover
Website
Jugendliche entwickeln eigene Energiewende im Landkreis Harburg