Sustainability Project
Geography 12
Ms. Thind
For this project I want you to step outside your comfort zone! Be brave and let’s try and
make a difference. This project will be on going over the next couple weeks. The final
product should be completed on the last day of class: Monday, June 11th. You have the
option to work individually or in groups and submit the product on paper or video– it
depends on which topic you choose to work on.
Work individually
1. [Paper] 100 mile diet: you will be responsible for following the 100 mile diet for 1
week.
What you have to do:
a) What is the 100 mile diet? Benefits? Purpose?
b) Start off by tracking where your food comes from currently over the first
week. Give examples of how far some of these items travelled. Is what you ate
detrimental to the environment? Why?
c) The second week you will strictly follow the diet. Document/film your
experiences. Was it difficult? Why? Were there limitations? Why? What was
your overall experience? When were there times it was harder than others?
Explain why it did or did not work for you.
d) You will end your project with helpful tips, pointers, and whether or not you
would try this again with or without adjustments. How is what you did
sustainable?
2. [Paper] Waste Management: you will be responsible to attempt to reach a 0 waste
tolerance.
What you have to do:
a) You want to start by outlining the issue of waste management. What is the
problem? Why? What are the consequences? Why is it important to change our
lifestyle?
b) The first week you want to document and record your waste. Carry on as you
usually would. Give yourself 3 points for each item of garbage, 2 for recycling
plastic, and 1 for recycling aluminum or paper, and 0 if you compost. Again, carry
this as a usual day in the life… Total your points for each day and the end of the
week.
c) The second week you will attempt to reduce that number significantly. Make an
effort to cut out plastic, compost more often and reduce your garbage. Total
your points for each day and the end of the week.
d) Reflect: Compare and contrast the two weeks? Difficult at times? Why? How
were you sustainable or not sustainable over the 1st and 2nd week?
Work in groups of 3-4
3.
[Video] Worm Composting: your group will be responsible for the construction and
maintenance of your very own worm compost.
What you have to do:
a) You want to start by explaining what a worm compost bin, how is it sustainable,
and some of the benefits of composting.
b) Film and document the construction of your worm compost. Where did you get
the supplies, how long did it took, the difficulty faced, what should be added in
your bin and what cannot, etc. I would like you to keep journal entries of some
of the obstacles you may have come across and the process in the creation of
your compost bin.
c) Once you have constructed the bin you should describe and film the
maintenance of your compost bin.
4.
[Video] Beach cleanup: your group will be responsible for visiting the following
beaches across the Lower Mainland. Eg: Ambleside, Kits Beach, Wreck Beach,
English Bay. Be sure to visit different beaches (at least 4).
What you have to do:
a) You want to start by outlining the issue of ocean pollution. What is happening?
What species are at risk? What are the causes?
b) Film and document your visits to the beach. You are required to collect any
trash found on these beaches and compare what you found at each beach. You
want to consider why was there garbage? Limited access to garbage bins? Busy
beach? What type of trash? What beach had the most and why? Recyclable
items? Degradable?
c) Document, film, and share your experiences.
5. [Video] Community garden: your group will be responsible for volunteering at a
community garden.
a) You want to start by outlining what a community garden is. Where are they?
What purpose they serve? How are they including the spheres of sustainability?
b) Film/document how community gardens work. What did you do there? What did
you like/did not like about it?
Side Notes:





Use your time wisely. Spread this out over the next few weeks. Be sure you have
time to include everything you have to.
I will put a list of resources for each topic on the wiki for you to access.
If you have another sustainability project you were thinking of please come see.
For the diet and waste management you need to hand in your daily logs with your
assignment. Break it into parts. Part 1: Introduction, Part 2: Data, Part 3:
Analysis/Reflection.
A bibliography is needed for this project. Can be handed in via email, hard copy, or
as a part of the last slide of your video. Use noodletools or knightsite
Break down of mark
/35
Content/Topic/Issue: /10
Participation/Data: /10
Reflections/Analysis: /10
Bibliography: /5