Project Summary

What is the CEI Hour? The CEI Hour is our school’s K1-12 annual tribute to Earth Hour. It is a dedicated time where we intentionally power down the campus to conserve energy. This year in our 11th edition, 5th grade focused on "Artistic Energy Representations." We built scale models of homes using recycled materials and integrated independent electrical circuits to demonstrate how we can visualize and reduce energy consumption through creative design and sustainable technology. 

Why did you do this project?

The school created the CEI HOUR project to address the global issue of excessive energy consumption and its impact on climate change. Our goal was to demonstrate that small, collective actions, like turning off the lights, can lead to significant energy savings and to inspire our community to adopt more sustainable daily habits.

How did you make your project or solve this problem?

This year, to solve the problem of energy waste (a problem we usually focus on in 5th grade), we delved into an artistic representation of energy consumption at home. We began by researching how energy is converted, then sketched a prototype that used recycled materials and specific electrical components to function without being plugged into a wall. Finally, we assembled the models and tested them during the CEI Hour to show the many options we can have when it comes to reducing energy consumption.

What did you find out?

With each edition, we found out that creating awareness is necessary, and art is a powerful tool for communication. When the lights went out, our projects became a visual story about sustainability. After testing our models, we saw how different materials interacted with light to create moods (using softer light to represent efficiency and bright light for consumption). 

Why do your results matter?

Our results matter because they show that caring for the environment is not only about using less energy, but also about designing smarter and more creative ways to live. By building scale models with recycled materials and adding electrical circuits, we learned that our homes can be designed to reduce energy consumption while still being functional and beautiful.

What could you do next?

We could expand the project by trying to make it interactive, so people could move parts of the models to see how energy flows differently. Another idea is to use more natural textures, like moss or stone, to show the harmony between our homes and nature.

References

Global Earth Hour Movement: For the inspiration behind the CEI Hour event. https://www.earthhour.org/ 

Special Thanks: A huge thank you to our teachers and coordinators for encouraging our creativity, and to students A, M, M, M, T and S for working so hard and choosing the best materials for the artistic display.