Living Green – Lesson Plan
Conserving Electricity
This lesson plan widens the lens to encompass conserving electricity from air conditioning units and other
appliances as well as lighting. It involves watching small portions of a film on climate change, measuring the
electricity use from various appliances and signing a pledge to conserve electricity. This lesson plan may be
ideal for groups that are already watching movies/documentaries on a regular basis, because that common
link can serve as a point of transition into a broader environmental discussion.
Specific Messages
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Wasting electricity harms the environment
Turn off lights and other appliances when you are leaving the room or going to sleep
Lesson Plan
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Ice breaker: Introduce yourself and say one thing you like about the Earth/the environment: 5
minutes.
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Watch selected scenes from An Inconvenient Truth and discuss: 20 minutes
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Use kilowatt meter to measure wattage from appliances in the room. Calculate the cost and
emissions per day or year based on how much they’re in use. Write this info down on hard-stock
paper and display near the appliance: 10 minutes
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Brainstorm: What are some things we should turn off when we’re going out or sleeping? How can
we remind ourselves? What are the benefits of doing these things?: 5 minutes
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Closure: Review lesson -- ask what residents have learned. Distribute pledge cards about
electricity conservation that tenants can personalize and sign. Plan to display the pledge cards
publicly afterward: 10 minutes
Supplies Needed
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DVD player and TV
An Inconvenient Truth DVD
Kilowatt meter
Hard-stock paper and marker
Pledge cards and pens
A Note on the Film
You can choose to show the whole film or just selected scenes, based on the time available and whether you
think tenants would be interested in the more biographical perspective. For groups that are accustomed to
watching nature films, scenes 4, 12 and 16 may be most engaging. The closing scenes are inspirational as
well.
A Note on Emissions Calculations
To calculate the carbon dioxide emissions associated with electricity use from certain appliances,
first use the kilowatt meter to measure the electricity (in kilowatt-hours) that an appliance uses at
its most common setting. Multiply the number of kilowatt hours per day or year by 1.3 -- this
number represents the pounds of carbon dioxide emissions that this electricity use releases into
the atmosphere.
The Supportive Housing Network of New York – Tenant Conservation Education Program