Design a Green Solution
You've explored the problems—now it's time to build the solutions. In this capstone, you'll become an environmental engineer, design a cool piece of green tech, and create a real proposal to bring it to life!
1. The Problem Space
The best inventions start with a specific problem you can see. Don't try to solve "pollution" — that's huge! Instead, pick one small piece of it right in your community. Click on a problem below to get your mission!
- Lights left on in empty rooms
- Cafeteria food waste
- So much paper in the trash
- Idling cars at pickup time
- Traffic congestion fumes
- Lack of safe bike lanes
- Single-use plastics in shops
- Stormwater runoff from parking lots
- Litter in local parks
- Water waste in gardens
- Invasive plant species
- Light pollution blocking the stars
🌎 Real-World Inspiration Gallery
Real engineers are tackling problems just like these! Check out these amazing projects.
2. Build Your Proposal
Time to invent! Fill out the fields below to create your official Green Engineering Proposal.
Click on the parts below to add them to your invention!
💡 Brainstorming Boost: To power your invention in a park, which energy source from Module 2 is best?
⚙️ Systems Map (How it works step-by-step)
Every cool invention follows a simple pattern: a Trigger causes an Action which creates a Result. Map yours out!
Awesome idea! If your project involves taking pictures outside (like for an app that identifies plants), be aware of location data! Photos can contain hidden "EXIF data" that tags the exact GPS spot where they were taken. Talk with a parent about how to turn off location tagging in your phone's camera settings. It's smart to share your discoveries, not your location!
👨👩👧 Parents Corner: Build It For Real!
Your child just designed a virtual invention! Ready to take it to the next level? You can buy beginner-friendly electronics kits (like from Arduino or micro:bit) to build a real smart gadget together this weekend. It's a fantastic way to bring their digital learning into the physical world!