Capital City PCS 7th graders created this presentation to highlight green building recommendations to the school leaders planning the new high school building.

1. introduction
Did you know most of the energy The greenhouse effect is a
sources and products we use natural effect. It takes effect
produce greenhouse gases that get when CO2 is released into our
added to our atmosphere and atmosphere. The greenhouse
enhance the greenhouse effect? effect helps plants and animals
That’s why we need contribute to an survive. The problem is that now
eco friendly environment. To learn humans are adding a lot of extra
ways we can contribute to an eco CO2 to the atmosphere. That’s
friendly environment you can start when the earth starts to heat up.
by reading our book. When you read
the book you will find out what you
can do help our environment and the
products you can get to be an
environmentally friendly person.
Some things might cost a little bit
more now but later prices will
probably go down. Besides, think
about it, there’s nothing to argue
about. We’re trying to help the
world. These things benefit everyone
in the long run.

2. our book
This book is about Capitol City Public
Charter School and our way of helping
the environment. Capitol City is trying
to help the environment because of
global warming. The book will feature
different green products, some of
which are listed in the paragraph
below. In science class, we have
learned about the impacts global
In this book you will learn about
warming has on different regions and
different green products and
living organisms. As individuals we
ideas to save the environment.
have do simple things such as turn off
These products will be
the lights in our rooms at home or turn
categorized depending on what
off the faucets to save water. If you
they do and what they are. In
think about it, school is our second
this book you will see such things
home and the world could use all of the
as bamboo, recycling, light
help it can get.
sensors, wheatboard, wetlands,
carpet squares, and much more.
The pages will teach you things
like what the products do and
how they help the environment,
what the products mean to the
author, and a cool little fact.

3. Materials

4. extreme and life
saving bamboo!
Where does bamboo grow? What is bamboo? Bamboo is a fast growing
plant in the mountains. Panda bears eat bamboo. Bamboo can come in
different forms. You can get a solid piece or skinny slats of bamboo in light
beige or dark brown. You can also use bamboo in furniture and for the
ceiling. Because bamboo is a cheap and organic product, we should use it
more, especially for bookshelves, desks, and other furniture, instead of
buying products that are made out of trees that take over 100 years to
grow. Bamboo grows in 5-7 years. That’s why bamboo costs less than wood
from trees because bamboo grows fast and looks a lot better than natural
By Varnessa Beavers
wood.
Fact: Every tree you cut down takes a whole lot of oxygen from us to
breathe, but when you cut down bamboo it doesn’t do any damage to us
because the roots from the bamboo can re-grow in a short amount of time.

5. By Lance Coates III

6. magical carpet
Carpet squares are made to cover the floor. Carpet
squares are made from recycled materials and its free
from glue. It’s a green product because the carpet
company recycles more than 110 million pounds of
carpet each year to keep waste out of landfills. The
company then separates the old fiber and backing and
replaces it with eco-friendly and recycled materials.
An interesting fact about carpet squares is when
By Pablo Martinez
compared to regular carpet it lasts much longer.
Interface floors are warranted for 20 years. Suprisingly,
carpet squares cost less than regular carpet in a
school.

7. designable floors
You can help your school be eco-friendly by using linoleum
floors. Linoleum floors are one of the “greenest” floors
because they are made from renewable materials like
linseed oil, resins, wood floor, jute, and ecologically safe
pigments. Because they are made of natural materials they
don’t spread as much toxic odors like other kinds of floors.
Linoleum floors are 100% post-consumer material salvaged
from America’s junkyards and landfills like recycled rubber
tires as their basic component. Linoleum floors do not use
concrete so they are safer to walk on. Linoleum floors are
easier to install than concrete floors. Linoleum floors have a
different look than other types of floors. These floors last
longer. Their beauty has a great value, resists damage, and
are easy to clean. These floors work below ground level,
bathrooms, and above ground level.
By Veronica Chavez
Fact: Linoleum floors are like a new home or car. When you
smell those toxic chemicals they can harm you. Those
chemicals are gassing off while kids are smelling them. They
don’t harm you but you could smell the chemicals. The smell
goes away when the toxic chemicals finish gassing off.

8. best boards
Wheatboard is a renewable resource.
Do you know what that means? It
means that wheatboard is made from
wheat, which grows very fast and it
grows all over. Also, it comes from the
Midwest. Did you know that wheat
board is 100% green? Wheatboard
material costs 5% less than standard
particle boards. Standard particle board
is made from trees. Wheatboard is
better than particle board because you
don’t kill trees to get it. Wheat grows
really fast and trees take years and
By Marlin Ramos
years to grow.

9. stop the coughing,
sneezing and wheezing
Green cleaning products don’t make your eyes water. These
products are green because they don’t use harsh chemicals that
harm the environment, make you cough, sneeze, or give you
watery eyes. You can buy the green cleaning product called
“Green Works,” or you can use materials that are found around
the house like vinegar, soap, baking soda, and lemon juice. When
the product is used up make sure you recycle the container.
By: Frederick Barnes
Facts:
•The green cleaning products are harmless when sprayed in the
eye, and don’t effect the environment
• The cost of the products are cheap and can be found at any
store that sells food.

10. Lighting and Energy

11. i SENSORS !
Light sensors are a very good way to save a LOT OF MONEY. Do
you know how? Well I’ll be more than glad to tell you. Sensors
are a device that tell you something. Think of it as something
that feels when something, someone, or a sound activates right
by it. The light sensors we want for our classrooms actually cost
a lot of money. But they are for a good cause. When someone
walks in a room the sensor will “feel” them and automatically
turn on. When someone leaves, the light will automatically go
off. Why? Because the sensor will no longer “feel” anything
moving so its like “Why do I do something when no one needs
it?” With this device this school will save a lot of money. How?
Well, if you think about it, both students and staff don’t turn off
the lights when they leave the classrooms. They leave it on so
more energy is used which equals to more ($cash$). That is just
By Natalia Eleazer
a waste. We could buy a lot of things with that money like more
school supplies or save that money for a school trip at the end
of the year or anything else. That is why light sensors are very
good for everyone.

12. lights up!
Light shelves make the outside of the building have a
cool temperature and the inside of the building light
will reflect brighter. Vertical solar fins are supposed to
direct the sun’s heat away from the building and
angle the sun’s light inside. The reason why the
vertical solar fins are green is because if you paint
your walls white or another light color your room will
be brighter from the sun’s light, so you use less
energy for florescent lights. Light shelves save more
energy than traditional light bulbs. If we turn
traditional lights off it will still be bright with the light
shelves because it is natural light.
By Jocelyn Funes
Fact: One of the cons is that when the sun is not out
it won’t be as bright as usual in your classrooms.

13. slanted ceiling
One way you can save energy is by building slanted
ceilings. A slanted ceiling can help light come into a
room, save energy, and save money. The ceiling must
be painted white, and white ceilings reflect the light
better then darker ceilings. The slanted ceiling reflects
the light from the ceiling to the room. The class room
should have white or brightly colored walls because it
makes the room brighter and you could even have a
plant. The classroom should also have big windows to
let more light in. The way the ceiling is connected to
the window when the light goes in the window it
bounces to the ceiling and deep into the room. You
should plant a tree in front of the window so in the
By Chinyere Lantion
summer not too much light goes in a room. And it
matters how big the windows are because it might let
in too much light.
Fact: You should use environment friendly paint that
doesn’t have any harmful chemicals.

14. [[SHINING REAL HIGH]]
Do you know what skylights are? Do you know where they come from? Well here
is some information about skylights. Skylights use natural light from the sun to
help you save energy. Skylights can take place anywhere around the room as
long as it is facing the sun’s direction. Paint walls in lights colors to brighten
rooms and keep shades and blinds up to let in as much sunlight as possible. A
large proportion of electricity we use is for lighting. Therefore, take advantage
of natural sunlight for brighter ways of lighting our school. Natural lights comes
from the sun. Have more windows so the lights can shine in. It could help you
out, as long as the sun stays shining you wont have to pay as much as before.
During the day the sun stays shining and at night it is not. Skylights can be in
the school because at night no one is here. It would be a good reason to use
skylights and at the same time it could save lots of energy. Remember that
By Minh-Hong Nguyen
skylights give natural light that doesn’t cost money. It only uses money the first
time you build it but than it doesn’t cost not even one penny. You should always
keep your windows clean so the lights can be brighter.

15. Green technology
evolution
Do you have a computer? If so what
kind? Apple, hp, dell, etc? Well, did you
know that these companies produce
green computers?! These computers
use less energy than regular computers.
To make a computer room you should
use floor lamps, which adjust to the
light needed in the room. Energy isn’t
wasted by big bright overhead lights.
Softer, dimmer lighting for a computer
room helps to make a calm, productive
By Kimberly Chopin
environment and saves energy.

16. keep it cool
The product that we need in our new building is
energy star fans. We need them because they do
not use that much energy. Energy star ceiling fans
are preferable because they blow air over 45%
better than conventional fans. We should use it
because it will save us money plus you don’t have
to pay for air in the whole school and all students
will be comfortable. Personally I think it will be
better because no students will be too hot or
cold. It will also save the school lots of money
By Malik McGill
plus it is green. You don’t have to cool the whole
school but just that one room.

17. white roofs
Black roofs absorb much more sun than white roofs.
The lighter your roof is, the more radiation from the
sun it will reflect and the less it absorbs. So your
school will be cooler. White roofs are green because
the temperature isn’t as hot in warm months. White
roofs also save money because they use less energy
By: Gustavo Mata
to keep school cool in warm months.
Fact: Some interesting facts about white roofs are
that it saves money and also saves energy.

18. green roof
A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or
completely covered with vegetation and soil, or a
growing medium plated over a waterproofing membrane.
The term green roof can also be used to indicate roofs
that use some form of ‘’green” techonology, such as
solar panels or a photovoltaic module. Green roofs are
also referred to as eco roofs, vegetated roofs, and living
roofs.
By Jenny Chavez

19. You can be saving thousands of dollars a year
Journey to the and making the earth a better place at the
same time! You could be doing this by using
geothermal energy. Geothermal energy
Center of the happens when pipes are installed deep under a
building and a heat absorbing liquid (usually a
Earth water solution) is poured down the pipes. The
water solution absorbs heat from the earth.
The underground temperature of the earth
doesn't change and the earth is warmer
underground in the winter and colder in the
summer. After the solution absorbs the heat
the pipes carry the heat to the heat pump and
then the building. Then in the summer the
process is reversed. Heat is extracted from the
air and goes through the pipes to the heat
pump. Fresh, clean, and natural cold air flows
through the building. Geothermal energy is
clean, safe, and has no CO2 emissions. It’s
efficient, renewable and cheap. After pipes are
installed it starts to pay off immediately. Saving
By Hope Willis
thousands of dollars could help the school buy
more energy efficient things, build things for
the school, buy technology and other things to
make our school a better place.

20. the power of the sun
A great energy source for us to use is the sun. The way you
harness energy from the sun is by using solar panels. There is
more than one type of solar panel. Solar photovoltaic is the one
most common used. The way they work is by converting sunlight
rays into electricity. The shorter term for solar photovoltaic is
solar PV. Now you are probably wondering how solar panels are
eco-friendly for the environment? Well, for one they don’t release
CO2 into the atmosphere, which is a good thing. The way the
panels are designed is by collecting sunlight near them. The good
part is that it doesn't need direct sunlight for it to work.
Facts:
By Camila Sarmiento
• The sun shines about 1,000 watts of energy per sq yard.
• If solar panels keep on being bought the way they are, in the
future the price of them will be about the same price of coal fire
power.

21. the cold sun
Is the air flowing through the ventilation
system clean? Well, with solar chimneys
that will always be the case. A solar
chimney is a green device that is usually
put on the roof of a building and what it
does is once a window is open, a vent
opens in the chimney and releases hot air
from the classroom up to the solar chimney.
New fresh air from outside blows in to
replace the air to create a sort of breeze. A
solar chimney is green because it does not
emit CO2 into the atmosphere when it is
producing energy and it filters the air. A
solar chimney is the mother of new air.
By Luis Carrera
Fact: Solar chimneys can also produce
energy by creating new wind to spin
turbines to power the school.

22. Water

23. H2O saving
Using low-flow sinks reduces your water
use. If each household in the U.S. installed
one low flow sink faucet or aerator it would
save more than 60 billion gallons in water.
This is important because there are places
in the world where there are droughts so
we have to start saving water. Also, 97% of
the water in the world is salty, 2% is in ice
caps or glaciers, and 1% is for all our need.
So using low-flow sinks and sensors is
better for us because we use less water.
By Aries Diaz

24. want to use less water
for toilets?
How do you save water for toilets? Install a dual flush toilet
in your bathroom or school bathroom. The dual flush toilets
are different from other toilets that have a little silver flusher
on the side of the toilet. The dual flush toilets have two
buttons. They have one big brown button and a small yellow
button. The brown button is when you do number two the
yellow button is for peeing. They are easy to install in your
house or school. One of the buttons is for 0.9 gallons and
another one is 1.6 gallons. It is good to use less water
because it saves you money and it will help the environment.
By: Malika Jones
Fact: Colors of the dual flush toilet range from white to
almond and will vary based on brand and manufacturer.

25. green and so clean 
Cool, check out this urinal! Oh, did I mention it has no
water? This urinal uses a filter instead of water. So
when you use it your wiz is sent down the filter (the
filter may look like the one on the right). Once your
wiz has been sent down the filter the filter will remove
all the mineral/chemicals from your pee.
By Olmar Zelaya

26. wet
science
How much do you depend on
city water? Well, using city
water costs money and
wastes the city’s fresh
water. But there’s an
ecosystem that collects and
reuses water in a building.
This ecosystem is called a
wetland. A wetland collects
water from different sources
and reuses them in toilets. If
you run the water through a
reed bed, it cleans itself.
Also, science classes can go
By Josue Olivares
and study the plants and
animals around.
Fact: A wetland can cost
$250,000 to install when a
sewage treatment can cost 1
to 3 million dollars.

27. Things You Can Do At
School and At Home

28. why do we
recycle?
Why should we recycle? Recycling is part of the world because if we don’t we will have
more pollution. Recycling cuts down on new materials being used, energy, and water used.
Recycling paper is good because it saves trees, water, and energy. So these are some of the
reasons why we should recycle paper, glass bottles, plastic bottles, and so much more.
Facts: About 80% of what Americans throw away is recyclable. 17 trees are saved by
recycling one ton of paper, and those trees can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon
dioxide out of the air each year.
By Davianna Jones

29. don’t throw away
that bottle!
Did you know that schools can use recycled materials in their
bathrooms? I don’t mean just recycled toilet paper and paper towels.
They are great too, but I was thinking about recycled stalls. Recycled
stalls are made of plastic bottles. To make plastic bottles, factories use
a lot of oil, and when we recycle plastic we use less energy and oil. Did
you know that 1.8 tons of oil is saved for every ton of recycled plastic
bottles?! That’s a new record! 60 billion plastic water bottles alone are
thrown away each day. About 23% of those are recycled. We can do
much better! We can also recycle paper, which means that less paper
goes to landfill sites. And it also uses less energy than producing new
materials.
Fact: Recycled materials are green because you are saving up energy to
use in the future. Also, when things are recycled less plastic and other
By Cindy Cruz
sources are produced so that means less chemicals are released into
the atmosphere.