Templates and Worksheets
These templates are intentionally plain. They are designed to print cleanly, copy into a notebook, or read aloud while a student fills them in.
Most pages use kid-first language in the main prompt and keep the more technical engineering idea nearby in the heading when it helps.
Systems Log Weekly Entry
SYSTEMS LOG
Date:
Week:
Today's system:
What I noticed:
What moved:
Where it came from:
Where it went:
My diagram or sketch:
One question I still have:
Environmental Checkpoint Sheet
ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKPOINT
What system is involved?
What parts can I name?
How do the parts affect one another?
What claim is being made?
What evidence, observations, data, or examples are shown?
What might be missing?
Who or what is affected?
Who benefits?
What tradeoff or unintended consequence might exist?
What should I check before I trust, share, repeat, or act on this?
Quick Environmental Check
What do I notice?
What parts are connected?
Who or what is affected?
What might happen next?
What should we ask or check?
Environmental Data Check
What does this data measure?
Who collected it?
When was it collected?
Where was it collected?
What do the labels, units, colors, or axes show?
What pattern do I notice?
What might this data not show?
Is another source showing a similar pattern?
What should I ask before using this data as evidence?
Terrarium Observation Log
| Day | Condensation | Soil | Plants | Temperature or notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 7 |
Stored Parts and Moving Parts Planner
SYSTEM NAME:
Main stored parts:
-
-
-
Main moving parts:
-
-
-
What comes in from outside the system:
What leaves the system:
Where the loop is open or closed:
My sketch:
Local Water Path Audit
| Where water comes in | Where water goes out | Natural or built path? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Follow-up prompt:
Where does our tap water come from?
Where does used water go after it leaves this building?
One rerouting I noticed:
Object Journey Map
| Stage | Notes |
|---|---|
| Object chosen | |
| Raw material source | |
| Processing or refining | |
| Manufacturing | |
| Distribution | |
| Use phase | |
| End-of-life options | |
| Likely real destination | |
| Where the loop opens |
Shared Resource Game Tracker
| Round | Pool before | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Pool after harvest | Regen | Pool after regen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||
| 5 |
Safe amount to take each round for this setup:
What strategy did we try?
Did the pool stay stable, shrink, or collapse?
Spot the Open Loop
PROCESS NAME:
What this process is trying to make or do:
What leaves as waste or extra load:
Main inputs:
-
-
-
Where does the waste go now?
Where is the loop open?
What part of the process would I redesign first?
Capstone Plan Template
CAPSTONE PLAN
1. What system or issue am I focusing on?
2. What happens now?
3. What is leaving the system as waste, overload, or loss?
4. My better loop or stewardship idea
5. Who or what is affected?
6. What evidence, observations, data, or sources support my idea?
7. What tradeoff, limit, or unintended consequence should I name?
8. What my idea needs
9. What I expect to improve
10. Questions I still need to answer
Make-the-Plan-Real Sheet
| Field | Fill in |
|---|---|
| System being redesigned | |
| Audience | |
| What counts as inside this system | |
| What comes in each day or week | |
| What leaves each day or week | |
| Space needed | |
| Time needed | |
| Materials needed | |
| Who helps run it | |
| Who is affected | |
| Evidence or source support | |
| Tradeoff or limitation | |
| How we will know it works | |
| When we will check again |
What Might Go Wrong? Worksheet
| Part or step | What could go wrong? | How likely? | How big is the problem? | Early warning sign | What will we do next? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Who Is Affected?
| Person or group | How are they affected? | Likely concern | My best response |
|---|---|---|---|
Prompt:
Does everyone have the same choices, access, or resources here?
What would make this solution fairer, safer, or easier to use?
Share Your Idea Outline
1. What happens now
2. Why this matters as a system problem
3. Who or what is affected
4. My idea
5. What evidence supports it
6. One tradeoff or limitation
7. What it needs
8. What I expect to improve
Attribution And AI-Use Note
Outside facts, images, quotes, data, maps, ideas, and sources I used:
AI help I used, if any:
How I checked or revised that help:
Accessibility steps for my audience:
Honest Environmental Systems Project Checklist
I clearly described the environmental issue, question, system, or opportunity.
I named the important parts of the system.
I explained how parts of the system connect.
I explained who or what is affected.
I stated my audience and what I want them to understand, consider, or do.
I separated facts, observations, data, opinions, feelings, and questions.
I used evidence, examples, observations, data, or sources to support my claims.
I considered more than one perspective.
I explained at least one tradeoff, limitation, or unintended consequence.
I avoided exaggerating, blaming, shaming, or hiding important context.
I gave credit for outside facts, images, quotes, ideas, data, sources, or AI help.
I made my presentation readable and accessible for my audience.
I can answer questions respectfully and revise my idea if needed.
Environmental Systems Learner Self-Check
Scale: Not yet / With help / I can do this
I can make careful observations.
I can name parts of an environmental system.
I can explain how two parts are connected.
I can show a cycle, flow, or cause-and-effect relationship.
I can ask what might happen next.
I can tell the difference between a claim, observation, opinion, evidence, and question.
I can read a simple chart, map, or data table.
I can ask who or what is affected by an environmental issue.
I can explain one tradeoff or unintended consequence.
I can check information before sharing or acting.
I can suggest one realistic way to help.
I can give credit for outside facts, images, data, ideas, or AI help.
I can revise my thinking when I learn something new.
Version 2.0 Reflection
What I said well:
What I would change:
A question I did not expect:
The most reasonable concern I heard:
How version 2.0 would improve:
What evidence I still need:
Printing Note
If you expect to use these templates often, print:
- one Systems Log sheet per week
- one Environmental Checkpoint sheet for each phase checkpoint or project cycle
- one terrarium log per student
- two copies each of the What Might Go Wrong and Who Is Affected sheets for the capstone
- one self-check and one honest project checklist for the final project arc