Materials Master List
Use this page to prepare once for the full course rather than rediscovering materials each week.
Core Materials Used Repeatedly
- notebook, binder, or printed sheets for the Systems Log
- pencils, pens, colored markers
- plain paper or index cards
- tape or sticky notes
- cups, bowls, or jars for quick demonstrations
- measuring cup or spoon
- access to a timer or clock
- simple scale, if available
- counters or tokens such as beans, pennies, marbles, or beads
Week-Specific Materials
| Week | Main materials | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | two cups, water, sunny spot, optional thermometer | dark and light cups help the comparison |
| Week 2 | rubber band, small light source or phone/battery example, paper for energy pyramid | keep demonstrations brief |
| Week 3 | clear jar with lid, pebbles, potting soil, small plants or moss, water, towel | terrarium continues through later weeks |
| Week 4 | pot or heat-safe container, water, lid or plate, ice | no-stove alternative: use a warm bowl and plastic wrap in sunlight |
| Week 5 | paper and markers, optional charcoal, soda or sparkling water | mainly diagram-based |
| Week 6 | bean or clover plant with roots if available, images of algae bloom if needed | plant sample is optional |
| Week 7 | plastic bottle and a few other clean sample objects to audit | packaging variety helps |
| Week 8 | beans, blocks, or counters for carrying-capacity demo | visible quantity matters more than precision |
| Week 9 | graph paper or plain paper for population curves | a ruler helps but is optional |
| Week 10 | 20-40 tokens, recording sheet, pencils | works with any countable objects |
| Week 11 | mixed clean sample items for circular vs. linear sorting | include at least one compostable and one durable item |
| Week 12 | banana peel, paper, aluminum can, glass jar, mixed-material packaging | good sorting variety improves the lesson |
| Week 13 | one durable item and one fragile or sealed item, optional screwdriver | avoid hazardous or mains-powered devices |
| Week 14 | chosen local waste stream, paper for current-state and redesign sketches | student-chosen object or process |
| Week 15 | proposal worksheet, diagram paper, previous notes | use the templates page |
| Week 16 | specs sheet, scale or rough counting method, measurement notes | exact tools are optional |
| Week 17 | failure-mode worksheet, stakeholder worksheet, pencil | discussion-heavy |
| Week 18 | pitch outline, optional visual aid pages, timer | audience can be one real person |
Optional Extension Materials
| Optional week | Materials | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Optional Week 1 | paper for feedback-loop diagrams | a whiteboard works well |
| Optional Week 2 | paper for comparison charts and risk tables | no special equipment needed |
Safety Materials
- basic cleanup towel or rag
- hand soap for after trash or packaging audits
- child-safe gloves if students dislike handling waste packaging
- adult supervision for stove, hot water, or tool use
- a stable tray or table covering for soil work
- sealed container or bag for any moldy terrarium material removed later
- safe shoes and weather-appropriate clothing for outdoor observations when used
- water, hats, sunscreen, or shade support when locally needed
- indoor backup materials such as window views, printed photos, maps, or videos for learners who cannot safely go outside
Access And Setting Notes
- No lesson requires a yard, garden, hiking trail, or private outdoor space.
- School, homeschool, library, apartment, community-center, and classroom adaptations are all valid.
- Shared devices, printed photos, paper maps, and verbal descriptions can replace internet-dependent tasks.
- Indoor observation, windows, potted plants, classroom materials, and fictional examples are valid alternatives when outdoor access is limited.
- If local conditions make fieldwork unsafe, use drawings, photos, videos, or prior observations instead.
Printable And Template Materials
Print or copy from Printable Templates:
- Systems Log entry page
- Environmental Checkpoint page
- quick environmental check
- environmental data check
- terrarium observation log
- reservoirs and flows planner
- local water audit
- product away audit
- resource pool game tracker
- open-loop diagnosis page
- capstone proposal page
- Make-the-Plan-Real sheet
- failure-mode worksheet
- stakeholder analysis page
- learner self-check
- attribution and AI-use note
- honest environmental systems project checklist
- pitch outline
- version 2.0 reflection page
Substitute Options For Low-Resource Settings
| Standard material | Low-resource substitute |
|---|---|
| mason jar terrarium | cleaned food jar, recycled plastic container with clear lid |
| activated charcoal | skip it; use thinner soil layer and less water |
| thermometer | touch comparison, visual observation, same-time daily check |
| pebbles | broken clean pottery pieces or small gravel |
| tokens | dry beans, paper squares, bottle caps |
| graph paper | plain paper with hand-drawn axes |
| printed templates | copy headings into a notebook |
| scale | rough counts, spoonfuls, or container volume |
Preparation Tips
- Build the terrarium materials set before Week 3 starts.
- Keep a small box labeled "course materials" for tokens, markers, tape, and worksheets.
- Save clean packaging from home, school, library, or community use for Weeks 7, 11, 12, and 14.
- Print capstone worksheets before Week 15 so the final four weeks feel connected.