Learning evidence
A bounded life-cycle map, energy measurement, materials list and improvement comparison
LEARNING PATHWAY
Technology and the Planet
Connects energy-efficient code, low-power hardware, environmental sensors, reuse, modular design, e-waste and carbon calculations to measurable sustainability decisions.
CENTRAL QUESTION
How do you measure the energy, materials, e-waste, repair and life-cycle effects of a technology project?
Completion evidence for this pathway is a bounded life-cycle map, energy measurement, materials list and improvement comparison. Page count or time spent alone does not demonstrate competence.
The intended capstone is a file comparing two technology options performing the same task across energy, lifetime, repair and waste. It should connect the lessons in one artefact and retain failed tests as evidence.
Capstone
A file comparing two technology options performing the same task across energy, lifetime, repair and waste
Return trigger
When hardware, usage duration, energy source, component life, software version or measurement boundary changes.
LESSON MAP
11 items from concept to evidence
Does This Problem Really Need Technology?
Lesson · A responsible project asks whether technology solves the real problem better than a simpler organisational, behavioural or mechanical option. This lesson i
Open page →Energy-Efficient Code and Hardware
Lesson · Energy-efficient code and hardware reduce unnecessary activity through sleep states, event-driven work, suitable sampling and measured power demand. This l
Open page →Environmental Sensors and Reliable Measurement
Lesson · Environmental sensors produce local estimates that depend on calibration, placement, sampling, interference and context. This lesson includes a worked exam
Open page →Material Choice and Reuse
Lesson · Material reuse works best when parts are identified, inspected, cleaned, documented and matched to a safe new function. This lesson includes a worked examp
Open page →Modular and Repairable Design
Lesson · Modular design can extend product life when parts are replaceable, interfaces are documented and disassembly is safe. This lesson includes a worked example
Open page →Project: A Reusable Robot Chassis
Project · This project designs a reusable robot body whose components can be removed, repaired and transferred to later learning projects. This lesson includes a wor
Open page →Project: Observing Energy Use in a Room
Project · This project observes room or device energy use through defined indicators without claiming precision beyond the available instruments. This lesson include
Open page →Repair or Replace?
Lesson · Repair-versus-replace decisions should compare failure cause, safety, cost, remaining life, parts, energy and user need. This lesson includes a worked exam
Open page →Responsible Use of Batteries
Lesson · Responsible battery use requires correct chemistry, charging, storage, inspection, transport and end-of-life handling. This lesson includes a worked exampl
Open page →What Is Electronic Waste and Where Does It Go?
Lesson · Electronic waste contains valuable and hazardous materials, so responsible handling depends on repair, reuse, authorised collection and data protection. Th
Open page →Technology and the Planet Quiz
Quiz · A 12-question interactive assessment for Technology and the Planet, with explanations and a newly shuffled option order on every start. This lesson include
Open page →FOUR-WEEK PLAN
Place lessons in a production cycle
No week closes with reading alone. Use one session for concept and example, a second for practice, and a short third session for testing and explanation. Do not accelerate when a prerequisite is missing.
| Week | Focus | Evidence to produce |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Does This Problem Really Need Technology?, Modular and Repairable Design, Responsible Use of Batteries | A bounded life-cycle map, energy measurement, materials list and improvement comparison |
| 2 | Energy-Efficient Code and Hardware, Project: A Reusable Robot Chassis, What Is Electronic Waste and Where Does It Go? | A file comparing two technology options performing the same task across energy, lifetime, repair and waste |
| 3 | Environmental Sensors and Reliable Measurement, Project: Observing Energy Use in a Room | Error log and second version |
| 4 | Material Choice and Reuse, Repair or Replace? | Quiz result, misconception and next application |
COMMON TRAPS
They look fast but weaken learning
- Counting only energy during operation
- Assuming a new product is automatically more efficient
- Treating uncalibrated sensor data as environmental truth
- Thinking about recycling before repair
DEEPENING
Deepening evidence in Technology and the Planet
The pathway's distinctive question is: How do you measure the energy, materials, e-waste, repair and life-cycle effects of a technology project? A first response may be a definition, but completion requires a bounded life-cycle map, energy measurement, materials list and improvement comparison. If input, method, limits and review date are unclear, the result is not traceable even when it looks strong.
Start with two different activities among Environmental Sensors and Reliable Measurement, What Is Electronic Waste and Where Does It Go?, Energy-Efficient Code and Hardware, Material Choice and Reuse. In one, explain the concept in your own words; in the other, perform an application, measurement or user test. The two activities should not close with the same type of evidence. This distinction shows that Technology and the Planet has been tested through different forms of production.
Later connect Responsible Use of Batteries, Project: Observing Energy Use in a Room, Project: A Reusable Robot Chassis, Does This Problem Really Need Technology? to the capstone: A file comparing two technology options performing the same task across energy, lifetime, repair and waste Keep failed tests as well as successful ones. For every error, record conditions, expected result, actual result, possible cause and the single change made.
Check these traps separately: Counting only energy during operation; Assuming a new product is automatically more efficient; Treating uncalibrated sensor data as environmental truth; Thinking about recycling before repair. Reading a trap is insufficient; find an example from your own work and state which evidence made the problem visible.
Return rule: When hardware, usage duration, energy source, component life, software version or measurement boundary changes. Do not delete the previous record; add a date, changed tool or source, new evidence and the next mini trial. Progress is therefore tracked through the quality of explanation, application and correction—not the number of pages completed.
MICRO QUIZ
Test the reasoning behind the module
1. How do you measure the energy, materials, e-waste, repair and life-cycle effects of a technology project?
The answer must produce evidence, not only a definition: A bounded life-cycle map, energy measurement, materials list and improvement comparison.
2. What should happen to the first failed test?
Keep it with conditions, expected result, actual result and the correction.
3. Does reading a source prove that practice occurred?
No. Sources define method and limits; practice evidence must be produced separately.
4. When should the module be reopened?
When hardware, usage duration, energy source, component life, software version or measurement boundary changes.
5. What does the capstone connect?
A file comparing two technology options performing the same task across energy, lifetime, repair and waste
OFFICIAL / PRIMARY SOURCES
Verify technical detail in current sources
Green Software Foundation learning
Primary or institutional source for method and technical limits.
Open source →UN Sustainable Development Goals
Primary or institutional source for method and technical limits.
Open source →Arduino low-power design
Primary or institutional source for method and technical limits.
Open source →