Sustainable Homes for the 21st Century project (ihome21)

With support from the Walmart Foundation, the Sustainable Homes for the 21st Century project (ihome21) educates students about technologies and approaches that substantially reduce the environmental "footprint" of residences in modern America while maintaining the modern conveniences we value. The project employs interactive, relevant applications of science to engage students in introductory courses with interdisciplinary content from environmental science, physics, biology, chemistry, and geology.

For primers on sustainable approaches for conserving water and energy in modern American homes, please see the curricular resources section. For active learning exercises on topics relating to sustainable homes, visit the activities section.

• Curricular Resources

  Saving Water @ Home

  Select topic primers by clicking on the links below:

  • The Case for Conserving Water (PDF)
  • Indoor Water Use (PDF)
  • Outdoor Water Use (PDF)
  • Earth's Aquatic Systems (PDF)
  • Water - Science Review (PDF)

  Saving Energy @ Home

  Select topic primers by clicking on the links below:

  • Insulation, Conduction, and Thermodynamics (PDF)

  Solar Power

  Select topic primers by clicking on the links below:

  • Solar Power: A History (PDF)
  • Solar Cells: Sunlight to Electricity (PDF)
  • Solar Cells - Applications (PDF)
  • Solar Power's Growth (PDF)

  Solar Water Heating

  Select topic primers by clicking on the links below:

  • Solar Thermal Water Heating (PDF)
• Activities

  Class activities

  Select activities by clicking on the links below:

  • Solar Cells: Electromagnetic Induction (PDF)
  • Solar Thermal Water Heating: ESA21 (PDF)
  • Saving Water - Water Use Calculator: ESA21 (PDF)
  • Conduction, Insulation and r-factor: ESA21 (PDF)
  • Home Energy Audit - Part 1: ESA21 (PDF)
  • Home Energy Audit - Part 2: ESA21 (PDF)
  • Home Energy Audit - Part 3: ESA21 (PDF)
• Contact

  For questions and/or additional information about Sustainable Homes for the 21st Century project (ihome21), please contact:

  Matthew Laposata, Ph.D.

  mlaposat@kennesaw.edu
  Professor of Environmental Science
  Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
  Kennesaw State University

  David Rosengrant, Ed.D.

  rosengrant@usfsp.edu
  Associate Professor in STEM Education
  University of South Florida, St. Petersburg