Lesson 2.6: Integrating Transportation OVERVIEW Authored by In this lesson, students examine a variety of transportation options that can improve the sustainability of a development. Then student teams regroup to incorporate sustainable transportation options, such as accommodations for alternative transportation vehicles, carpooling programs, and bike lanes, into their smart-growth designs. The lesson helps motivate students to consider taking advantage of sustainable transportation options themselves as it gives them an in-depth understanding of the four credits related to transportation in the LEED Location and Transportation Credit Category. KEY OBJECTIVES FOR STUDENTS: Describe sustainable and unsustainable transportation habits. Incorporate sustainable transportation options such as access to public transportation, bicycle systems, and support for green vehicles, into their development design. Explain how sustainable transportation options can benefit people and the environment. ESTIMATED TIME NEEDED (MINUTES): 165 minutes GRADE LEVELS: 9, 10, 11, 12 PRIMARY SUBJECTS: Career and Technical Education (CTE), Environmental Education SECONDARY SUBJECTS: Art, Economics, Engineering, Mathematics, Social Studies METHODS: Brain-Based Learning, Design Thinking, Multi-Disciplinary, Multiple Intelligences, Project-Based Learning, Real-World Application, Technology Integration SKILLS: Collaboration, Communication skills, Creative problem solving, Critical Thinking, Systems thinking VALUES: Curiosity, Empathy, Mindfulness, Optimism, Resilience Learning Lab: learninglab.usgbc.org Course author retains full copyright of all materials. 1
PREPARE BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS: In this final lesson of Module 2, students update their Development Design Portfolios to include sustainable transportation. Finalizing their designs allows them to realize their vision for a sustainable development that has been evolving throughout the module and see how the parts they have explored in each lesson come together as a whole system. Transportation systems connect to several other sustainability issues students have covered, including heat islands, climate change, air pollution, and rainwater runoff. This lesson also details each of the LEED Location and Transportation credits related to transportation Access to Quality Transit, Bicycle Facilities, Reduced Parking Footprint, and Green Vehicles. By understanding the reason behind and strategies to achieve each credit, students can prepare for the LEED Green Associate Exam as well as deepen their appreciation for using and advocating for sustainable transportation options in real-world situations. IN ADVANCE: SESSION 1: EXPLORE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION Make one a copy of the Sustainable Transportation Worksheet and the Integrating Transportation Worksheet for each student. Set up and test the equipment needed to show the Designing for Transportation Presentation. SESSION 2: UPDATE DESIGN PORTFOLIO Transportation Students will continue to work in their design groups. Make sure each group has a copy of their Development Design Portfolio, their peer evaluation, and your evaluation from Lesson 2.5. In this session, students again review those evaluations and apply what they learned in this lesson to update and finalize their development design. Students will need access to pencils, erasers, rulers, etc. for updating their designs. Make sure students have access to computers and the Internet. You may wish to spend some time in advance identifying websites about public transportation accessibility, safe bicycle networks, green vehicles, incentives, etc. in your area so you can guide students during their Internet research. Make copies of the Sustainable Transportation Peer Evaluation and the Development Design Presentation Rubric for each group. SESSION 3: PRESENT DEVELOPMENT DESIGN In this session, each group will present their development design to the class. Give groups time at the beginning of class to set up and test their presentation equipment. Have a timer available to keep student presentations on schedule. Make enough copies of the Development Design Project Final Peer Evaluation so that each group has one for each of the other presenting groups. You can use the Peer Evaluation or the Development Design Presentation Rubric to evaluate each group. MATERIALS NEEDED: SESSION 1: EXPLORE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION * Presentation equipment SESSION 2: UPDATE DESIGN PORTFOLIO TRANSPORTATION Student groups Development Design Portfolios Student access to computers and the Internet Colored pencils Sketch paper Rulers Erasers Student access to presentation software (optional) SESSION 3: PRESENT DEVELOPMENT DESIGN Student groups Development Design Portfolios Presentation software Timer KEY VOCABULARY: alternative fuel alternative-fuel vehicle bicycle network bicycle rack carpool Learning Lab: learninglab.usgbc.org Course author retains full copyright of all materials. 2
car-share program fuel-efficient vehicle low-emitting vehicle mass transit pedestrian access preferred parking telecommuting compressed work week ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicle) green vehicle public transportation transit Learning Lab: learninglab.usgbc.org Course author retains full copyright of all materials. 3
TEACH ACTIVITY OUTLINE: SESSION 1: EXPLORE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION Time Exercise Description 5 min. Engage Lead students in a class discussion about the transportation choices they use to get to and from school, and why. 10 min. Explore Students work with a partner to brainstorm sustainable transportation options and then share their ideas in a class discussion. 20 min. Explain Share the Designing for Transportation Presentation with students. 20 min. Elaborate Students complete the Integrating Transportation Worksheet to brainstorm ideas for how they might add sustainable transportation to their designs. 5 min. Engage Lead students in a class discussion about the transportation choices they use to get to and from school, and why. SESSION 2: UPDATE DESIGN PORTFOLIO TRANSPORTATION Time Exercise Description 40 min. Elaborate Students work in their development design groups to revise their previous development plans based on feedback and to apply sustainable transportation strategies. 15 min. Evaluate Students peer review revised development plans, participate in a final discussion, submit their revised development plans for feedback, and discuss plans to finalize their development plans and prepare presentation. SESSION 3: PRESENT DESIGN PORTFOLIO Time Exercise Description 55 min. Evaluate Student groups present their development designs to the class and provide each other with feedback. IMPLEMENTATION: SESSION 1: EXPLORE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION 1. Engage: Ask: How did you get to school today? (Sample answers: I took a bus; I walked; I biked; my parent dropped me off; I drove; I carpooled with a friend; I took the subway.) Make a tally on the board to record the totals for each type of transportation, and discuss why students used them. For example, a student who lives close to the school may find that walking is the quickest way to get there, but another may live so far away that driving or taking the bus is the only practical option. Point out that the way your community is designed affects students transportation choices. They are more likely to walk to school if they live near the school and have a safe route from home to school. Have students rank each type of transportation they used from most sustainable to least sustainable, based on what they have learned so far. (Walking and biking are likely to be the most sustainable, and driving alone in a car is likely to be the least sustainable.) 2. Explore: Have students choose a partner. 3. Give each pair a copy of the Sustainable Transportation Worksheet and direct them to work together to complete it. 4. Circulate to make sure each group has at least two ideas for each category, but do not expect students to know all the answers at this point. On the board, copy the four categories from the worksheet: No Fuel, Efficiency/Reduction, Alternative/Renewable Fuels, and Public Transportation. 5. After about five minutes, have students share their ideas as a class. Make a comprehensive list of sustainable transportation options on the board, using the Sustainable Transportation Sample Answers Worksheet to guide the discussion. 6. Ask students: What are some benefits and drawbacks of each of these categories? (Sample answers: One benefit of the No Fuel category is that it promotes healthy lifestyles for residents, while a drawback is that it works for only a limited area. For the Efficiency/Reduction category, a benefit is that people may save money by not driving a car and a drawback is that the options in this category, such as carpooling or telecommuting, may not be available to everyone.) 7. Explain: Share the Designing for Transportation Presentation with students to break down how transportation solutions Learning Lab: learninglab.usgbc.org Course author retains full copyright of all materials. 4
play a role in green building, using the Teacher s Notes to guide discussion. 8. Elaborate: After the presentation, give each student a copy of the Integrating Transportation Worksheet. 9. Direct students to find a partner who is not in their development design group to work with to complete the worksheet. Working outside their groups at this point may help students gain new perspectives they can bring to the next session, when they update their Development Design Portfolio. 10. Discuss answers to the questions as a class, reinforcing how each of the transportation strategies can help make a development more sustainable as well as provide benefits well beyond the development site. SESSION 2: UPDATE DESIGN PORTFOLIO TRANSPORTATION 1. Elaborate: Have students rejoin their sustainable development planning group from Lesson 2.5 and retrieve their Development Design Portfolio, peer feedback, and teacher feedback from that lesson. 2. First, tell groups to use the feedback they received to revise their designs. 3. Then, give each group a clean copy of the Integrating Transportation Worksheet. Instruct students to pitch their ideas from the worksheet they completed with a partner in the last session. Then the groups can discuss the ideas and come to a consensus on a final plan for integrating sustainable transportation into their development design. To get to a consensus, suggest students make a list of pros and cons for each proposed design change and discuss how it improves sustainability. 4. Give student access to the Internet and other resources to research real-world sustainable transportation examples to help them develop concrete ideas for their development. Note that the GBES LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation Study Guide (included with program) is also a helpful resource, as it provides case studies of transportation solutions. 5. Have students add their sustainable transportation strategies to their existing drawings or create a new one. 6. If students created a presentation of their design, have them continue to update it to include how they implemented sustainable transportation strategies. 7. Evaluate: Give students a copy of the Sustainable Transportation Peer Evaluation and tell them they will use it to evaluate another group s design. 8. Direct groups to exchange their sketch and worksheet with another group, choosing a different group this time from the one they evaluated in the last class. 9. Instruct groups to exchange the completed evaluations and revise their designs to include the feedback. 10. Use the Reflection Questions on the Assess Tab to guide students in a final synthesizing discussion. 11. Direct students to add their latest design and feedback to their Development Design Portfolio. 12. Tell students that they have now reached the end of Module 2 and the end of their development design project. Now, their job is to consolidate all the work they ve done into one final design and present it in the next session to the class. Direct students to spend any available remaining class time and time after school finalizing their design and getting ready to present it to the class. Stress the importance of communicating the green building concepts associated with their development and why they are important. They should also explain how each part of the development (system) affects the triple bottom line and how it works with the other parts to create a more sustainable place for people to live. Share expectations for the presentation with students by showing them the Development Design Presentation Rubric and the Development Design Project Final Peer Evaluation, which will be used to evaluate their presentations in the next session. SESSION 3: PRESENT DESIGN PORTFOLIO 1. Evaluate: Give each group enough Development Design Project Final Peer Evaluations to evaluate the other groups that will be presenting. (If you have six groups, each group will get five worksheets; or you could give each group six worksheets, and ask them to self-evaluate, too.) 2. One at a time, have each group present their development design to the class. Allow time for questions at the end of each presentation. 3. After each presentation, allow groups five minutes to complete the peer evaluation. 4. Collect each group s set of peer evaluations and their final Development Design Portfolio. 5. Guide students in a final synthesizing discussion to help them process what they learned in this module, using the Learning Lab: learninglab.usgbc.org Course author retains full copyright of all materials. 5
Reflection Questions on the Assess Tab as a guide. ADDITIONAL TEACHING TIPS: If you do not have time for an extra session for students to present their designs, have students write a proposal designed to convince a city council to choose their design, have them film their presentation, or have them post their final designs in a Gallery Walk. Meet with each group to share final feedback and discuss their final design and presentation plans before they present the design in class. Learning Lab: learninglab.usgbc.org Course author retains full copyright of all materials. 6
REFLECT REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Use the following questions to prompt critical thinking and guide students to reflect about the lesson: How does offering a range of transportation options increase the sustainability of your development? (Sample answer: Offering a range of options broadens the scope of who can make sustainable choices. Some people will be able to change their habits dramatically, such as going from a car to a bike or walking. Others may not be able to change their habits dramatically, but they might be able to work from home one day a week or occasionally participate in a car-share program. So the more options people have, the more people will participate, and the more sustainable your development will become.) If you are looking for a new site for a sustainable development, what would you look for related to transportation? (Sample answer: I would look at existing infrastructure ideally, I would find a location that had easy access to public transit and streets with existing bike paths so I wouldn t have to work with the city to add infrastructure. I could also look for an area that was attracting other green builders so if we did need to add infrastructure or other resources, we might be able to partner with other developers.) How important do you think incentives are in encouraging occupants to use more sustainable transportation options? (Sample answer: I think they are very important because people often do what they are used to doing when it comes to transportation. If they are used to driving their car everywhere, that will be their automatic first choice. However, if someone gives them an incentive to think differently, such as a close-up parking place if they drive a green vehicle or a cash bonus for riding a bike to work, they are more likely to consider a new way of getting around.) How can integrating sustainable transportation options into a development improve the health of people and the planet? (Sample answer: Traditional vehicles produce air pollution, which is harmful to people and the environment. Sustainable transportation options reduce the number of cars on the road and/or the number of cars that produce air pollution. So having fewer traditional cars improves air quality, and thus human and environmental health. Fossil-fuel burning vehicles are also a leading source of greenhouse gases, which are contributing to global climate change. When developers provide options that encourage people to use fossil-fuel-powered vehicles less frequently, fewer greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, which helps mitigate climate change. Exercise is also important for health, so getting people to do more physical activity, like walking and biking, improves their health.) What did you learn in this module about creating a sustainable development? (Sample answer: I learned that there are many, many ways to make a development more sustainable. I also learned that I really enjoy rethinking traditional ways of doing things and that my classmates have some really good ideas!) ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES: This lesson presents many opportunities for assessment. You can collect students completed worksheets as a formative assessment of individual and group progress. Use the Participation Checklist to monitor students progress as they add new transportation strategies to their Development Design Portfolios. You can review the two Peer Evaluations and use the evaluation forms yourself to assess each group s latest designs. The Reflection Questions also offer an excellent opportunity to assess students comprehension of the material whether you use a checklist during a group discussion of the questions or use the questions as an oral or written quiz. In addition, the material in the Additional Information section beginning below is useful for further checking student comprehension as well as for reteaching and extending key ideas from the lesson. Give students a copy of the Development Design Presentation Rubric as they are preparing their final presentations. Then use that rubric to assess their final group contribution. You can also grade the final Development Design Portfolios as a module-level assessment and collectively review the Participation Checklists for all lessons in Module 2 to assess the contributions of each member of the student design groups. Finally, because this is the last lesson in this module, you can give students the Location, Transportation, and Sustainable Sites Practice Test. This is a practice version of the LEED Green Associate Exam with questions related to the Location and Transportation and Sustainable Sites Credit Categories. Students can take the Practice Test and check their answers with the Answer Key, or they can refer to the Practice Test with Annotated Answers for more specific feedback on correct and incorrect answer choices. STANDARDS ASSESSMENT: STUDY GUIDE SUPPLEMENTARY READING GBES LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation Study Guide (included with program) pages 84 91; review Chapters 3 and 4 and check knowledge of Key Words on pages 91 and 112. LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE EXAM TASK DOMAINS Learning Lab: learninglab.usgbc.org Course author retains full copyright of all materials. 7
Communicate broad and basic green building concepts to team or colleagues Assist others with sustainability goals Create project profiles/case studies/press releases Serve as a green advocate to clients, team members, and general public (e.g., why green building) Assist project leader with LEED correspondence to all project team members (consultants, contractors, owner, etc.) Assist in managing documentation process LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE EXAM KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS Location and Transportation Site selection (e.g., targeting sites in previously developed and brownfields/high-priority designation area, avoiding sensitive habitat, located in areas with existing infrastructure and nearby uses, reduction in parking footprint) Alternative transportation (e.g., type, access, and quality; infrastructure and design) LEED IMPACT CATEGORIES Climate Change Human Health Community LEED CREDIT CATEGORIES Location and Transportation Access to Quality Transit Bicycle Facilities Reduced Parking Footprint Green Vehicles CLOUD EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY (EFS) STANDARDS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS B7 9, B11; C1, C3 4, C16 18, C21-25, C32, C46; G1, G23; H7 Learning Lab: learninglab.usgbc.org Course author retains full copyright of all materials. 8
EXTEND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Have students evaluate their transportation options to school and brainstorm solutions to challenges that prevent students from choosing sustainable options. Then have students write a letter to the school board or to city council officials to advocate for offering more sustainable transportation options. Encourage students to explain the benefits of sustainable transportation and how their solutions could help benefit people, the planet, and the economy. Suggest that students consider arguments their audience might have against their ideas, such as cost, and preemptively propose solutions to those objections. CROSS DISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS: LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE EXAM STUDY TIP Encourage students to talk about how what they ve learned might help them advocate for green building. Explain that one of the Task Domains on the LEED Green Associate Exam relates to advocacy, and as green builders, it s important to know how to argue for a sustainable design versus a more traditional design. Encourage discussion and idea sharing. Also, encourage students to take this module's Practice Test, which offers LEED Green Associate Exam style questions related to the Location and Transportation and Sustainable Sites Credit Categories. CROSS-DISCIPLINARY CONNECTION: ENGINEERING Have students research types of alternative fuel, hybrid, and electric vehicles. Ask students to create an infographic to compare two types of vehicles with relevant facts and supporting graphics to clearly communicate the benefits and challenges of each type of vehicle. Remind students to be objective and include an overall statement that summarizes their main ideas. Students can find data about vehicle emissions at the Alternative Fuels Data Center. CROSS-DISCIPLINARY CONNECTION: MATH Suggest students use an online calculator to find how their transportation choices affect their carbon footprint. Challenge students to estimate accurately the miles/kilometers they travel in a year. They can use a map to find the distance they travel to common destinations, such as school. Then, they can multiply the number of miles or kilometers by the number of times they make the trip. For transportation to school, the estimate would be the number of miles/kilometers multiplied by two trips each day multiplied by the number of school days in the year. Have students use the calculator to determine the effect of proposed strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as using a different type of vehicle, using public transit, or biking to school a few days a week. Ask students to make a table to compare the different emissions scenarios and then to share their results with the class. CROSS-DISCIPLINARY CONNECTION: SOCIAL STUDIES Have students research and write a report on the history of public transportation in a city of their choosing and evaluate the evolving systems with a sustainable mindset. Encourage them to think about how the development of the public transit system, freeways, and growth of the city has led to the sustainability (or lack of sustainability) of its current transportation system. Have students share their reports with the class. CROSS-DISCIPLINARY CONNECTION: ART Have students create a painting or illustration that represents the impacts of sustainable and unsustainable transportation. Suggest that they research historical works of art that have transportation as the subject, including fine art and art used in promotional posters and brochures. Encourage students to be creative and explore a style of art that interests them personally. CROSS-DISCIPLINARY CONNECTION: ECONOMICS Sustainable transportation options sometimes garner public opposition because of the cost of implementing them. Tell student pairs to research the costs of implementing three different strategies that support sustainable transportation, such as adding bike lanes to roads, expanding a light rail line, and adding recharging stations for electric cars. Have them create a presentation that compares the costs and explains whether the short-term and long-term benefits of sustainability justify the cost. CULTURAL ADAPTATION NOTES: Transportation issues often hit people no matter their socioeconomic status where they live. Encourage students to be respectful about and sensitive to individual differences in economic resources and travel options as they explore and discuss ways to change socially engrained behaviors. TECHNOLOGY: Encourage students to use Google Maps to compare how long it takes to travel from their development to a nearby location by different transportation options, including driving, walking, biking, and taking public transit. Have students chart the times to show the feasibility of each transportation option from a time standpoint. Students could use SketchUp to make a diagram of their final development design and add the diagram to their presentations. Learning Lab: learninglab.usgbc.org Course author retains full copyright of all materials. 9