Students investigate how daily choices about energy, transportation, and waste change Earth’s systems, using field observations, cleanup data, guest expert insights, and selected scenes from Freak the Mighty to build evidence-based explanations. They work in teams to design and revise sustainable city models and a recycled-material mural that show practical ways to reduce litter, habitat loss, pollution, and climate impacts in their own community. Through critique, rehearsal, and public presentation at an Eco-Fair, Environmental Art Walk, and Community Solutions Expo, students strengthen scientific reasoning, research, communication, and collaboration while answering the question of how people can make more environmentally conscious decisions.

Students will explain how human choices about energy, transportation, waste, and land use change Earth’s systems, using evidence from field observations, cleanup data, guest speakers, and selected scenes from Freak the Mighty. They will analyze local environmental problems such as erosion, litter, habitat loss, water pollution, and climate change, then design and revise a sustainable city model and recycled-material mural that propose realistic ways to reduce human impact. They will conduct short research, write informative and narrative pieces with digital tools, and present claims clearly through visuals, demonstrations, and captions for authentic audiences at the Eco-Fair, Environmental Art Walk, and Community Solutions Expo. They will also strengthen collaboration, peer critique, reflection, and revision skills through coaching protocols, rubric-based rehearsals, gallery walks, and final reflection presentations.

Students create two main products: a small-group sustainable city model with labeled renewable energy systems, green spaces, and pollution controls, and a collaborative recycled-material mural showing how litter, habitat loss, and climate change affect local ecosystems with captions tied to field-trip evidence and scenes from Freak the Mighty. Along the way, they also produce research notes, cleanup and observation data displays, eco-poems or short narratives, and digital slides or posters that explain how daily choices affect Earth’s systems. Before the final showcase, teams revise their models and explanations through peer coaching and a two-stage rehearsal using rubric-based feedback from classmates and a city sustainability or waste-management guest. Final products are presented through interactive Eco-Fair booths, an Environmental Art Walk, and a Community Solutions Expo where students lead live demonstrations and explain how their designs reduce human impact on the environment.

Launch with a Clean-Up Challenge and Planet Protector Workshop: begin with a short park, shoreline, or schoolyard litter audit led by a ranger, coastal educator, or local nonprofit partner, then return to class for quick stations on erosion testing, natural hazard scenarios, and resource sorting. Students create recycled mini-art, short eco-poems, and action posters, then debrief the field observations to generate questions connected to how daily choices change Earth’s systems. Read an opening scene from Freak the Mighty and ask teams to compare character choices with community responsibility, then have each team name its mission for designing a more sustainable city. End with an idea board where students sort evidence, notice local environmental problems, and sketch first concepts for their model and mural.

End with a public Eco-Fair and Community Solutions Expo at school or a local community center, where teams run interactive booths featuring their sustainable city models, recycled-material murals, posters, and live demonstrations of how their designs reduce human impact on Earth’s systems. Add an Environmental Art Walk around the space so students can guide families, younger classes, and partners from I Love a Clean San Diego, Surfrider, local watershed educators, park rangers, climate experts, and city sustainability staff through the displays and explain evidence from the cleanup, field trip, guest speakers, and Freak the Mighty. During the event, students present polished explanations after a two-stage rehearsal and peer coaching cycle, then gather audience questions and feedback as part of the final assessment. Close with a gallery walk and reflection celebration where visitors leave sticky-note feedback and students share poems, skits, or short digital stories about their learning journey and teamwork.