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Households and the Environment Survey – Secondary level teacher’s kit
Theme 2: Household Energy Use
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- Overview
- Lesson 1: Household Energy Budget
- Lesson 2: Purchasing Choices that Impact Energy Consumption
- Lesson 3: Energy Audits
- Lesson 4: Create a Venture Plan
- Venture Plan Assignment Rubric
Overview:
Information from Statistics Canada’s 2011 Households and the Environment Survey revealed that home energy consumption and conservation is a significant issue for Canadians.
In this theme, students will explore different methods of home energy conservation. They will use Statistics Canada’s 2011 Households and the Environment Survey and other Statistics Canada surveys to investigate household energy expenditures, purchasing choices that can impact energy consumption, and home energy audits. They will use this knowledge to create a venture plan for a company that performs home energy audits and makes modifications to increase energy efficiency.
Suggested Grade Level:
- Grades 10-12
Topics:
- Business
- Environmental Science
- Mathematics
Cross-curricular Connections:
- Family Studies
- English Language Arts
- Technology Education
Materials:
Lesson 1: Household Energy Budget
- Handout: Monthly Household Budget
- Handout: Budget Graphing
- Average Household Expenditure (CANSIM Table: 203-0021)
Lesson 2: Purchasing Choices that Impact Energy Consumption
- 2011 Households and the Environment Survey: Table 14
- Population, by Sex and Age Group (CANSIM Table: 051-0001)
Lesson 3: Energy Audits
- 2011 Households and the Environment Survey: Table 15
Lesson 4: Create a Venture Plan
- Handout: Venture Plan Assignment
- Rubric: Venture Plan Assignment
- 2011 Households and the Environment Survey: Tables 1, 2, 13-15, 18-20
Assignments
- Create a household budget.
- Research an energy-saving product.
- Conduct a survey about energy audits.
- Perform an energy audit.
- Create a venture plan.
Lesson 1: Household Energy Budget
Lesson
Estimated Completion Time: 1+ hours
Learning Objectives:
Environmental Science:
- Analyse, on the basis of research, social and economic issues related to a particular environmental challenge.
Mathematics:
- Gather, interpret, and describe information about living costs, and estimate the living costs of different households in the local community.
- Design, explain, and justify a monthly budget suitable for an individual or family described in a given case study that provides the specifics of the situation (e.g., income; personal responsibilities; costs such as utilities, food, rent/mortgage, entertainment, transportation, charitable contributions; long-term savings goals).
Assignment:
- Create a household budget.
Activity:
Begin this activity by asking students to discuss the items on which a family or household must spend their money. As a class, brainstorm things that should be factored into a household’s budget. These items may include:
- Food
- Shelter
- Utilities (water, fuel, electricity, etc.)
- Household operations (communications, etc.)
- Household furnishing and equipment
- Clothing
- Transportation
- Healthcare
- Personal care
- Recreation
- Education
- Income taxes
- Personal insurance
- Miscellaneous expenses
Distribute Handout: Monthly Household Budget and ask the students to use it to create a complete monthly budget for a household of three people, with a combined annual income of $75,000. Students should try to include all of the expenses that they brainstormed as a class.
After students have created their budget, have the class share some of their budgetary expenses with each other. Encourage students to compare how much they allotted for each category, and discuss their reasoning.
Distribute Statistics Canada’s 2012 Average Household Expenditure (CANSIM 203-0021) table to the students. Ask students to compare their budget to national average for household expenditures for the year 2012. Ask them to pay specific attention to the “Water, fuel and electricity for principal accommodation” line-item.
Have students investigate what their own family spends on water, fuel, and electricity each month. Encourage them to compare their family’s monthly budget or expenses with the national average and with the budget they created.
Hint: Each student’s family’s energy budget is for personal use and does not need to be shared with the class.
Have students use Handout: Budget Graphing Sheet to graph:
- The monthly, national average of household energy expenditure
- The monthly household energy expenditure from their budget
- Their family’s monthly energy expenditure (Optional)
Guiding Questions:
- How close was your budget for energy expenses to the national average? Why do think there were differences?
- Does your family spend more or less each year on energy than the national average?
- How do you think that you could reduce the amount of money you need to budget for energy expenses each month?
Handout: Monthly Household Budget
Use the table below to create a complete monthly budget for a household of three people, with a combined annual income of $75,000.
| Item | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $ | $ |
| Shelter | $ | $ |
| Utilities (Water, Fuel and Electricity) | $ | $ |
| Household Operation (Communication, Etc.) | $ | $ |
| Household Furnishing and Equipment | $ | $ |
| Clothing | $ | $ |
| Transportation | $ | $ |
| Health Care | $ | $ |
| Personal Care | $ | $ |
| Recreation | $ | $ |
| Education | $ | $ |
| Personal Insurance | $ | $ |
| Income Taxes | $ | $ |
| Miscellaneous Expenses | $ | $ |
| Total Expenditure: | $ | $ |
Hint: First determine the monthly costs for this household, and then determine the annual costs.
Handout: Budget Graphing
Use the template below to compare your proposed monthly budget for utilities (water, fuel and electricity) to your family’s monthly energy budget and the monthly national average as described in Statistics Canada’s 2012 Average Household Expenditure (CANSIM 203-0021)
Note: Each student’s family’s energy budget is for personal use and does not need to be shared with the class.
Description for Handout: Budget Graphing
Lesson 2: Purchasing Choices that Impact Energy Consumption
Lesson
Estimated Completion Time: 1+ hours
Learning Objectives:
Environmental Science:
- Analyse, on the basis of research, social and economic issues related to a particular environmental challenge (e.g., overfishing, deforestation, acid rain, melting of the polar ice cap) and efforts to address it.
- Explain how an environmental challenge has led to advances in science or technology.
- Describe a variety of human activities that have led to environmental problems and/or contributed to their solution.
Business:
- Use methods of marketing research to determine whether demand exists for a proposed good or service.
Assignment:
- Research an energy-saving product.
Activity:
Begin this activity by having students investigate how compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs) and incandescent light bulbs work. Have them identify:
- The process that produces light
- How much energy this process requires
Have students compare the two types of light bulbs and identify which is more energy-efficient. Ask students to identify energy-savings if they were to replace every light bulb in their house with energy-efficient lights, such as compact florescent lights or LEDs.
Have students use Table 14 of the Statistics Canada 2011 Households and the Environment Survey to identify what percentage of households nationally, and in their home-province use CFLs in their homes? In order to do this, students will have to make some assumptions about:
- Number of light bulbs in a household
- The amount of time each day that these lights are on
- The cost of electricity per kilowatt hour
Using this information, the information on energy-savings they found during their investigation, and the population found in Population, by Sex and Age Group (CANSIM 051-0001) have students calculate the energy- and financial savings for their home-province. In order to do this, students will have to make some assumptions about:
- Number of people in a household
Hint: For an additional challenge, have students search for statistical tables on CANSIM, or find market research to support the assumptions they are making.
Guiding Questions:
- How could the assumptions you have made affect your data?
- How much money and energy can using this product save a home owner?
Divide students into groups and have them research a product for the home that can conserve energy. Ask students to try to identify the energy- and financial savings that can be provided by using certain products. These products may include:
- High efficiency appliances
- Programmable thermostats
- Dimmer switches for lights
- Using fans instead of air conditioners
Have students identify:
- What the product does
- How the product works
- How popular the product is
- Why do people use this product
Guiding Questions:
- Would you use this product in your home? Why or why not?
- Are there disadvantages to using this product?
Lesson 3: Energy Audits
Lesson
Estimated Completion Time: 2+ hours
Learning Objectives:
Environmental Science:
- Analyse, on the basis of research, social and economic issues related to a particular environmental challenge.
- Explain how an environmental challenge has led to advances in science or technology.
- Use a research process to investigate how evidence, theories, and paradigms reflecting a range of perspectives have contributed to our scientific knowledge about the environment.
Business:
- Use methods of marketing research to determine whether demand exists for a proposed good or service.
Assignment:
- Conduct a survey about energy audits.
- Perform an energy audit.
Activity:
Energy audits are an inspection used to assess the energy needs and efficiency of a building. Begin this lesson by having your students use Table 15 of Statistics Canada’s 2011 Households and the Environment Survey to identify how many households in their home-province have had an energy audit performed on their home.
Guiding Questions:
- What are some benefits of performing an energy audit?
- Why do you think the majority of home owners have had energy audits performed in the last 10 years?
Next, have students develop a survey that they will administer to homeowners in their community. Have the students develop questions for a survey related to energy audits. Their survey should identify:
- How many people in their community have had an energy audit performed on their home?
- How many people in their community made modifications to their property as a result of the audit?
- What kinds of modifications were made?
- When were the energy audits performed?
After the students have developed their questions, have them administer their survey to people in their community. Have the students determine an appropriate sample size and demographic (e.g. regions, age, new home owners, etc.) for the class so that they can identify how many homeowners they must each survey.
Hint: For an additional challenge, have the students conduct research to determine an appropriate demographic.
After the students have finished administering their surveys, have them analyze the results to answer the questions posed. Have students combine their analyses to create a larger class-set of data.
Guiding Questions:
- Is your community more or less likely to have an energy audit than the national and provincial average?
- Do you think your community is an example of an “average” community? What is different?
Next, students will perform an energy audit on their own homes. Have students create a checklist of things they should look for to determine the energy efficiency of their homes. This may include:
- Air leaks
- Insulation
- Heating and cooling equipment
- Lighting
- Appliances and electronics
Hint: Students can use Natural Resources Canada’s May 2014 EnerGuide Home Evaluation Preparation guide, or their Energy Advisor Procedures Manual to find information about Energy Audits.
Have students select an issue that they discovered during their energy audit, and investigate a product or modification that could assist in making this item more energy efficient.
Guiding Questions:
- How easy is it to fix this issue?
- How much money do you think it would cost the home owner to fix this issue?
- How much money do you think the home owner could save over a period of 10 years if you fixed this issue?
Lesson 4: Create a Venture Plan
Lesson
Estimated Completion Time: 3+ hours
Learning Objectives:
Business:
- Determine what land, buildings, capital, equipment, and services are required to operate their proposed business venture.
- Determine the human resource needs (e.g., employees, partners) for their proposed venture.
- Describe the process involved in producing a new product or delivering a new service.
- Determine the goods and potential suppliers that are required for their chosen venture.
- Compare ways in which a specific good or service can be distributed to customers.
- Identify the most appropriate method to deliver their good or service.
- Compare ways of advertising and promoting a venture, and create appropriate advertisements and promotional strategies for their chosen venture.
- Describe the strategy used to determine the price for their new good or service.
- Analyse specific financial goals for their chosen venture.
- Demonstrate the effective use of business communication techniques (e.g., presentations, business reports, forms, charts) when developing, carrying out, and presenting their venture plan.
Assignment:
- Create a venture plan.
Activity:
Begin this activity by asking students to hypothesize:
- Which province appears to be the most environmentally conscious and why?
- Which province appears to be the least environmentally conscious and why?
- Where does their home-province fit in? Is it more or less environmentally conscious than the national average?
Set up “data stations” around the classroom, each containing survey data. Tables, 1,2, 13-15, and 18-20 of Statistics Canada’s 2011 Households and the Environment Survey should be distributed amongst the data stations. Have students test their hypotheses by rotating between the stations and, for each statistical table, record:
- The name of the table
- The national average
- The top three provincial averages
- The bottom three provincial averages
After students have finished rotating through the stations, have them analyse the data they have collected to check their hypotheses.
Distribute Handout: Venture Plan Assignment and have students review the assignment. This assignment can be used as a grade 11-12 Independent Study Unit.
Students will be creating a venture plan for an energy audit company. They will use the information they have gathered from their investigations using the 2011 Households and the Environment Survey and the survey they conducted in their community during Lesson 3: Energy Audits to select a province or region that they think would be a viable market for a company that performs energy audits and makes related modifications to homes.
Students will write a venture plan that will include:
- Overview
- Resource Analysis
- Production Plan
- Market Plan
- Financial Plan
For a full explanation of the requirements of each section, see Handout: Venture Plan Assignment and Rubric: Venture Plan Assignment.
After students have written their venture plans, have them perform a peer-to-peer review with another classmate and incorporate their peer’s feedback into their venture plan.
Finally, have students present their venture plans to the class as a 5-10 minute “pitch presentation”. This presentation should concisely explain their venture, the market they have chosen, their production plan, marketing plan, and financial plan. They should support their decisions by including statistics relating to the rate of energy audits and household renovations carried out as a result.
Guiding Questions:
- Why did you select this regional market?
- What is one stumbling block to this venture being successful? How do you plan to overcome this?
- How will you market your venture? How much will this cost?
- What are some of your start-up expenses?
- If things go well, how much will you have made in 2 years?
Handout: Venture Plan Assignment
For this assignment, you will be creating a venture plan for a company that performs energy audits and makes related modifications to residential homes.
- Your venture plan should include the following:
- An
Overview that includes:
- An executive summary that summarizes key points from each section of the venture plan
- A description of the company, noting the services you will be offering and the selected target market
- A company mission statement.
Note: A mission statement is a clear statement of purpose which provides a framework within which the company’s strategies are formulated
- A
Resource Analysis that includes:
- A list and identification of the cost of any buildings and equipment required to operate the business
- A list and identification of the cost of any human resources needed to operate the business
- A
Production Plan:
- Describe the services the company will offer.
- Describe the management and organization of the company.
- A
Marketing Plan
- Use information collected from Statistic Canada’s 2011 Households and the Environment Survey, and data from the survey conducted in your community to select a province or region that would be a viable market for the company.
- Conduct market research to find the size of the energy audit industry nationally, and in your target market.
- Compare at least three different methods for delivering the company’s services to customers by weighing pros and cons.
- Select the most appropriate method of delivering the company’s services to customers.
- Identify pricing for the company’s services, including a flat rate for energy audits, an hourly rate for labour, and any other pricing requirements.
- Compare at least three possible advertising methods for the company, estimating price and possible impact on target market.
- Identify the most appropriate method of advertising the company.
- A
Financial Plan
- Calculate the start-up capital needed for the company, using information generated in the Resource Analysis.
- Create a realistic cash-flow projection for the company including:
- Start-up capital (money available when the venture begins)
- Cash outflows (expenses; such as materials, equipment, wages, etc.)
- Cash flow incomes (money generated from business)
- An
Overview that includes:
- Once your venture plan is complete, you will share your venture plan with a peer from your class and receive feedback.
- After
you have incorporated the feedback suggestions from your peer review, you will
present your business plan to the class, as if they were a group of investors.
This 5-10 minute “pitch presentation” should include:
- A concise explanation of your venture
- Which market you have chosen and why you chose it
- A summary of your production plan
- A summary of your marketing plan
- A summary of your financial plan
- Statistics to support your pitch
- Visual aids to support your pitch
Venture Plan Assignment Rubric
| Component | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | Executive summary attempts to include key points of the venture plan. | Executive summary includes some key points of the venture plan. | Executive summary accurately summarizes most key points of the venture plan. | Executive summary concisely and accurately summarizes all key points of the venture plan. |
| There is an attempt to describe the venture and note a key service or target market. | The venture is described, noting one key service and a target market | The venture is described clearly, noting several key services and an appropriate target market | The company is described clearly and accurately, noting a range of services and a well-researched target market. | |
| Mission statement provides some indication of purpose for the company. | Mission statement is a general statement of purpose for the company. | Mission statement is a clear statement of purpose which provides a framework within which the company’s strategies are formulated. | Mission statement is a clear statement of purpose which represents the company’s philosophy and attitude and provides a framework within which its strategies are formulated. | |
| Resource Analysis | Listed equipment needs are not realistic or are missing several key pieces of equipment. | Listed equipment needs are realistic, but missing one key piece of equipment. | Listed equipment needs are complete and realistic. | Listed equipment needs are complete and realistic, considering stated philosophy of the company and the nature of the services the company is offering. |
| Costs assigned to needed equipment are guesses of actual costs, without evidence provided. | Costs assigned to needed equipment are estimations of actual costs. | Costs assigned to needed equipment are estimations of actual costs, based on preliminary research. | Costs assigned to needed equipment are accurate estimations of actual costs, based on extensive research. | |
| Listed human resource needs are realistic, missing several key team members. | Listed human resource needs are realistic, but missing one key team member. | Listed human resource needs are complete and realistic. | Listed human resource needs are complete and realistic, and minimalize start-up costs. | |
| Costs assigned to human resource needs are guesses of actual costs, without evidence provided. | Costs assigned to human resource needs are estimations of actual costs. | Costs assigned to human resource needs are reasonable estimations of actual costs, including competitive wages. | Costs assigned to human resource needs are reasonable estimations of actual costs, including competitive wages, as well as insurance, profit sharing, or other competitive advantages. | |
| Production Plan | Attempts to describe the services the company offers. | Describes services the company offers, including the performance of energy audits. | Clearly describes services the company offers, including the performance of energy audits and resulting modification to residential homes. | Clearly describes services the company offers, including the performance of energy audits, consultations, cost quoting, and resulting modification to residential homes. |
| Some management roles and company organization are indicated. | Management roles and company organization are indicated. | Management roles and company organization are clearly defined, with specific tasks assigned to specific roles. | Management roles and company organization are clearly defined, with a brief job description given for each specific role. | |
| Marketing Plan | Attempts to use information gathered from Statistics Canada to support their selection of a target market for their venture. | Uses information gathered from Statistics Canada to support their selection of a target market for their venture. | Uses information gathered from Statistics Canada and their own independent survey to support their selection of a target market for their venture. | Uses information gathered from Statistics Canada and their own independent survey to provide evidence that their selection of a target market is a strong choice. |
| Attempts to include reference to the size of the energy audit industry. | Estimates the size of the energy audit industry nationally or in their target market. | Identifies the size of the energy audit industry nationally and in their target market with evidence. | Identifies the size of the energy audit industry nationally and in their target market, with evidence, and an assessment of realistic market-share for the company. | |
| Examines one method for delivering the company’s services to customers. | Compares two methods for delivering the company’s services to customers. | Compares three methods for delivering the company’s services to customers. | Compares four or more methods for delivering their services to customers. | |
| Attempts to identify a delivery method for the company’s services. | Identifies a delivery method for the company’s services. | Selects a delivery method for the company’s services by considering the pros and cons for each method of delivery. | Selects a delivery method for the company’s services by researching other companies and considering the pros and cons for each method of delivery. | |
| Makes reference to pricing for services. | Provides a pricing list for services including a flat-rate for energy audits. | Provides a comprehensive pricing list for services including a flat-rate for energy audits, and an hourly rate for labour. | Provides a comprehensive pricing list for services including a flat-rate for energy audits, an hourly rate for labour, consultation, and quoting, identifying profit margins for each. | |
| Examines one advertising method. | Compares two different advertising methods, estimating price and possible impact on target market. | Compares three different advertising methods, estimating price and possible impact on target market. | Compares four or more different advertising methods, estimating price and possible impact on target market. | |
| Selects an advertising method. | Selects an advertising method considering price. | Selects an advertising method considering price and impact on the selected target market. | Selects an advertising method considering audience size, price and impact on the selected target market. | |
| Financial Plan | Attempts to identify start-up capital needed for the venture. | Identifies start-up capital needed for the venture. | Identifies start-up capital needed for the venture by considering the equipment and human resource needs identified in the Resource Analysis. | Identifies start-up capital needed for the venture by considering the equipment and human resource needs identified in the Resource Analysis and adds a pre-determined percentage as a contingency budget. |
| Cash-flow projection is unrealistic based on market size, and available company resources. | Cash-flow projection is based on estimates of start-up capital, expected cash outflows, and a generous estimate of cash flow incomes. | Cash-flow projection is based on estimates of start-up capital, expected cash outflows, and a realistic estimate of cash flow incomes. | Cash-flow projection is based on start-up capital needs, expected cash outflows, and a conservative estimate of cash flow incomes. | |
| Presentation | Presentation is less than four minutes. | Presentation is between four and five minutes. | Presentation is between five and seven minutes. | Presentation is between eight and ten minutes. |
| Presentation contains one statistic that supports ideas. | Presentation contains two statistics that support ideas. | Presentation contains three statistics that support ideas. | Presentation contains four or more statistics that support ideas. | |
| Presentation contains appropriate visual aids. | Presentation uses appropriate and creative visual aids to communicate ideas. | Presentation uses two to three appropriate and creative visual aids that effectively communicate ideas. | Presentation uses four or more appropriate, creative, and engaging visual aids that effectively communicate ideas and connect with the audience. | |
| Presentation explains the venture, target market, production plan, marketing plan, and financial plan but key pieces of information are missing. | Presentation explains the venture, target market, production plan, marketing plan, and financial plan. | Presentation clearly explains the venture, target market, production plan, marketing plan, and financial plan. | Presentation clearly and concisely explains the venture, target market, production plan, marketing plan, and financial plan. |
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