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Natural Building Curriculum for Youth

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years, 1 month ago

 

           Natural Building & Sustainable Design Curriculum

 

 

 

    Activity   1     Tour the Strawbale Studio Natural Building Project

                        View a Strawbale Construction Video

    Activity 2     Make an Earthen Mix from subsoil 

    Activity    3     Sculpt a model Ecovillage

 

 

 

 

Key Concepts

 

Natural Building

Strawbale and Cob Construction

Solar Design

Design with Nature

Natural & Local Materials

Insulation

Ecological Footprint

Organic Agriculture

 

 

Materials

 

Sandy Clay subsoil

Straw

Base board

Items collected from Nature:

   Small rocks, sticks, etc.

Video: The Strawbale Solution

 

Vocabulary

 

Cob

Strawbale Construction

Permaculture

Photovoltaic

 

Time

 

4 -5  hours total for 3 activities, below

 

Background:

 

In the United States, buildings have a major impact on the environment. They use “1/3 of the energy and about 2/3rd of all electricity, while generating 30% of the nations’ greenhouse emissions and waste output.”  1. By using natural and local materials, and incorporating solar design and good insulation, much of the negative impacts of building can be mitigated.  Owner-building “by hand” further reduces energy emissions. Our dwellings can be designed to “maximize energy efficiency and renewable energy, minimize waste and pollution and increase the health, safety and comfort of the people who live and work in them.” 2. 

 

Throughout time people have built their own elegant and practical structures from local and natural materials.  This is an process we are naturally drawn to, and as children we begin that process with our building of forts and small structures.

 

The Strawbale Studio Project in rural Oxford, Michigan, provides natural building and sustainability activities for all ages.  The main structure, a thatched-roof studio, is constructed with an insulative strawbale infill wall system, round log framing, a rubble trench and stone knee wall, as well as a solar electric system and woodstove.

 

·     Building Education for youth:  In our current culture, children are not part of the building process.  The typical building site is dangerous and manufactured materials are often large, hard to work with and often toxic. In contrast, the natural building site is ….well, natural. It is a place where work and play can come together, where families can share in this essential human experience.  

 

·     Use of natural materials: Throughout the world, natural materials are commonly used for home construction, but it is the exception in this culture.  Using natural and recycled materials has a much smaller ecological footprint on the planet, and is empowering, depending on awareness and creativity rather than spending money.  Thus it is a more egalitarian and energy efficient strategy. 

 

·     Career opportunities:  The interest in natural homes is increasing as people become aware of energy prices and toxic materials, and seek more ecological and aesthetic solutions.   Numerous careers could be developed in the natural building area such as green designing, construction management, building crew member, or as a painter who utilizes natural plasters and paints.

 

 

  1. Power Shift Energy and Sustainability Curriculum
  2. Power Shift Energy and Sustainability Curriculum

 

 


 

 

Activity 1 Overview:

 

Students will tour the Strawbale Studio and receive information the principles of its design, and construction techniques.  Following the tour, students will view a 30 minute video on building with strawbale construction. A brief discussion will cover the career possibilities.

 

Learning Outcome:

 

  • Students will understand the basic principles and process of creating a natural building.
  • Students will understand how energy efficiency is affected by building design.
  • Students will understand the basic components that make up a solar electric system.
  • Students will understand the relationship of how the building is in relationship to the larger environment.
  • Students will understand how individuals and communities can build their own homes.
  • Students will explore the possible careers relating to natural building.

 


 

 

           Activity 2 Overview:

 

Students will make an earthen mix of sandy clay subsoil and straw. 

 

Learning Outcome:

 

  • Students will understand the qualities of the materials that make up an earthen building mix, how to identify these materials, and where to find them.
  • Students will experience making an earthen mix, and the various applications of that mix.

 

Background:  An earthen mix can be used in a variety of ways: 1) to make the wall structure of a building (cob construction)  2) to plaster strawbale and other wall systems 3) to sculpt interior and exterior parts of the building, such as benches 4) in a wattle and daub construction. 

The mixture is made of sand, clay and straw, with the amount of clay content varying from 15% to 50 %.  For detailed work or finish plasters the earthen materials are screened to a finer grade, and the straw chopped. 

 

References:

 

Books: The Hand-Sculpted House, The Cobbers’ Companion, The Cob Book. 

Deanne Bednar at the Strawbale Studio Natural Building Project

248 628 1887,

PO Box 733, Oxford, MI 48371 ecoartdb@aol.com

Calendar and Natural Building Links : www.freewebsl.com/strawbalestudio

 

Case study of the Strawbale Studio Project by the State of Michigan Energy Office: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CIS_EO_Straw_Bale_Case_Study_101340_7.pdf

 

 

 

 


Activity 3 Overview:

 

This earthen mix created in Activity 2 will be used to sculpt a 2’ x 2’ model village that will include buildings designed with nature, local organic food production, renewable energy production, recycling  and alternatives to fossil fuel transportation.  Students will work in groups to explore how a more sustainable community might be designed. At the conclusion of this activity, students will describe their project to the other groups.

 

Learning Outcomes:

 

  • Students will explore sustainable relationships between buildings, food and energy production.
  • Students will understand how design affects energy use, pollution, community and quality of life for humans and other living things.

 

Materials:

 

Earthen Mix, 2’ x 2’ wooden base, Sticks, stones and gathered natural materials, Ecovillage Handout Guide Sheet.

 

Resources:

 

“The Ecovillage Project” article by Deanne Bednar

Michigan Social Studies Journal Volume 14, Number 1 Spring 2004  http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~mjssmcss/journal2004.pdf 

 

http://www.urbanoptions.org/SustainEdHandbook/Curriculum.htm

http://www.newdream.org/  

 

Time: 2 hours

 

 

 

 

 

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