Think Outside the Bus Mini Lesson

• In this lesson, students learn about circular economies using the example of electric school buses in the United States, inspired by an example of a repurposed school bus in Knox County, Missouri.
• Students watch videos, discuss the topics with their peers, create a product that reuses old diesel school buses, and finish with a short quiz.

Positives

• This resource introduces students to the concept of circular economies in an engaging and student-friendly way.
• There are multiple opportunities for students to share their opinions and ideas.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should understand climate change and how transportation contributes to pollution and climate change.
• To download the lesson, teachers must create a Lego account and answer questions about the number of students participating, their age, and their language.
• Detailed speaker notes with scripted language accompany the slideshow.
• All videos are in both English and Spanish. The lesson plan, slides, and speaker notes are only in English.
• The resource provides background information for teachers about circular economies, facilitation tips, and links to learn more about related topics.
• Teachers should encourage students to use reused materials for their creations. Students can also use Lego bricks if they are available.

Differentiation

• Upload student creations to the Think Outside the Bus gallery on Lego's website using the link or QR code in the lesson plan. Students can also browse other student work and get inspiration from their creations.
• Slide 34 of the accompanying slideshow and page 9 of the lesson plan outline numerous ways to make sustainable changes in your community. Students can take one or more actions from this list or brainstorm new ideas.
• The lesson ends with a few short assessment questions that teachers can use to gauge student learning.
• The lesson highlights two case studies from the Netherlands and Missouri to demonstrate examples of reuse in a circular economy. Challenge students to research how their community is already reusing materials and identify other possible opportunities for reuse.
• Teachers can use this lesson in social studies to learn about circular economies and in science classes to learn about reusing to reduce waste and better care for the environment.
• Teachers can make language arts connections by having students write proposals or advertisements for their ideas, explaining the beneficial features of their designs.