Students Develop Climate-Smart Products and Services
Framtidsspanarna is a project designed for grades 4–6 (ages 9–12), offering students the opportunity to explore and investigate various future themes while engaging in problem-solving. By using their imagination and creativity, students will collaborate to come up with innovative solutions to challenges and problems they believe may arise in the future.
The project promotes critical thinking and teamwork, providing students with an opportunity to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and skills.
Project period
Apr 2018 - Dec 2030
Project info
Category Education
ÅldersgruppÅrskurs 4–6
TidsåtgångUpp till två veckor
Contact persons at ElectriCITY
THE ASSIGNMENT
The task for students is to develop new products or services that can have a positive impact on the environment and climate, preferably designed for use within the local municipality.
• 2–4 students per group
• Create new or improve existing products or services
• Sustainable and climate-smart products or services
• Create a sketch/prototype/model/collect materials to build with
• What materials should the invention be made of? Design, color, etc.
• What will the product/service cost? How will it be marketed?
• Prepare for a presentation
PROJECT START
A presentation will be given about the project, with a time frame of about 1 hour. The presentation will cover simple, concrete examples of environmental and climate-related issues. Some ideas to guide the students on what to consider. Pictures taken from the local municipality. Information about the municipality’s environmental issues. Examples of various measures that can be taken for a better climate. Some tips about the invention process and exhibition tips for building a booth. It is also a good opportunity to involve local experts in the fields of environment, climate, and entrepreneurship who can provide valuable insights and inspire the students.
IMPLEMENTATION
During the project period, 1–2 short lectures/presentations by an entrepreneur, business owner, or innovator who visits the students to listen and give advice. The advice can focus on their product/service and the project’s conclusion. It’s also a good idea to book a local business owner to talk about their operations, as mentioned above.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion can take the form of an exhibition where groups have their own booths, and the jury can walk around and get an overview of all the displays. Time per booth: approx. 5 minutes. Alternatively, the conclusion can be in front of a seated jury, where each group presents their contributions. Time per group: 5 minutes. Before the conclusion, try to secure prizes that local businesses are happy to contribute. Consider preparing a small prize for all participants.
PRESENTATION
Prepare a diploma for the school or group to receive jointly.
Great project and belief in the future!
Among the ideas were trash-collecting robots, plastic-collecting watercraft (that don’t catch fish), greenhouses made from recycled glass on rooftops in the city center, activity centers with housing and job opportunities for the homeless, parking garages with solar panel roofs for direct car charging, food trucks that make meals from supermarket food waste, self-driving robots distributing water, books, etc., in African countries, and much more.
As you can hear, in just three days, the students have come up with, designed, and conceptualized these and about 20 more amazing ideas!
– Kalle Enström, Principal, Södermalm School
Time required
Here is an example of a schedule from Södermalm School in Stockholm when their fifth-grade students carried out Future Explorer.
