Materials:

• 1 photograph of a willow basket
• 1 class set of lined paper (teacher/student provided)
• 1 overhead projector (teacher provided)

Objectives:

• Students will compare the steps required to make a modern, plastic bucket to that of a Washoe willow basket.
• Students will trace the possible energy flow required to manufacture the bucket and compare that with the willow basket.
• Students will generate possible ways to lessen the energy "impact" of goods used in their daily lives.

Background:

Where does a plastic bucket come from? How was it made? Where did the "parts" that make up a bucket come from and how much energy does it take to make one plastic bucket?

Everything we do, every product we manufacture uses energy. Some things use more energy than others. For example, it uses more energy to produce aluminum cans from raw ore than from recycled aluminum. This lesson investigates the steps required to manufacture a plastic bucket, and then compares that with the steps necessary to make a willow basket.

In the previous lesson, students learned how the carrying capacity of the home range of a species is limited. In this lesson, students examine how products the ancient Washoe manufactured required less energy to produce than similar contemporary products. The Washoe willow basket, for example, was manufactured from natural resources found within the Washoe home range. The natural resources required to produce these baskets were readily available. In contrast, a modern plastic bucket is refined at a higher energy cost from materials not readily available.

It is not the purpose of this lesson to classify the Washoe baskets as "good" technology, or modern plastic buckets as "bad". Both products are (were) manufactured to fit a specific need. It would no longer be practical for us to use willow baskets to carry water instead of plastic buckets. As students gain additional knowledge and insights relating to environmental issues, they should be free to make their own judgments. (Research suggests, however that children cannot make many of these decisions for themselves until they reach the secondary level.) The Washoe's level of technology limited them to using the natural resources available to them. The point of this lesson is to simply help students better understand what goes into making a product, and how some products use more energy and natural resources in their production than others. The lesson also attempts to help students think about possible alternative products that might use less energy in their production.

Activity:

1. Begin the lesson by sketching out a drawing of a plastic bucket.
   
2. Ask students where they could purchase a "basic" plastic bucket (market, hardware store, etc.)
   
3. Ask the following:
   

• What is the bucket made from? (plastic)
• How do they make the plastic? (from chemicals)
• Could all the parts that make up a bucket be gathered locally? (probably not)

6. Explain that each step in making a plastic bucket uses energy. For example, it used energy to ship the bucket to the local store, and it used more energy for the consumer to pick the bucket up from the store and transport it home.
   
7. Using the flow diagram on the next page, lead a discussion with your class on possible steps necessary for manufacturing a plastic bucket. You may choose not to include all of the things shown in the diagram. Students may think of additional steps. Be sure to point out that at every arrow on the diagram, energy is expended.
   
8. Ask students if they can see any ways to cut the use of energy required during the production of a bucket (One possible method would be to manufacture the product locally, thus reducing the energy required for transportation. Of course, this option may not be practical or even desirable. Not everyone would like to live next to a plastic bucket factory!).
   
9. Ask if plastic buckets were available to the ancient Washoe (no). Find out if anyone knows what the ancient Washoe used to carry things, including water (woven willow baskets).
   
10. Show students the photograph of the willow basket. Using the flow diagram below, help students trace the energy required to make one willow basket.

11. Spend a few moments comparing and contrasting the energy required to make both items. Be sure to point out that while the basket used less steps than the bucket, the cost, in terms of time required to manufacture, was much higher with the willow basket.
    
12. Even though the willow baskets were manufactured at a much lower energy cost to the environment, ask why it would not be practical for us to use baskets instead of plastic buckets.
    
13. Explain that by purchasing items that require fewer steps to manufacture, we are generally lowering the energy requirements to produce that product, and as a result, decreasing the demand on our natural resources.
    
14. As a class, try to generate as many ways as possible to reduce our need for natural resources by choosing products or modifying our life style so that we place less demand on our natural resources. Possible Ideas Include:

• Ride a bike, skateboard, or walk when ever you can instead of having an adult drive you (if it is safe!)
• Turn off lights that are not being used.
• Don't run the water when brushing your teeth.
• Reuse grocery bags for other uses.
• Don't buy small, over packaged items.
• Reuse plastic containers if you can.
• When using "scratch" paper, use both sides up before throwing away.
• Return plastic containers to the store for recycling
• Don't water lawns in the middle of the day, or when it is windy.
• When heating water in a pot, cover the pot with a lid (it will heat faster, using less energy)
• Close the vents under your house in winter - it will help keep the house warmer.

Evaluation:

The student's ability to trace energy flows and develop/modify energy pathways reflects an understanding of the concepts.