Eco-Phone Open Schooling Resource related to SDG 12 for teachers, students, scientists and families

Eco-Phone

REAL-PROBLEM

Smartphones are essential to modern life, but their production and disposal create global challenges. Vital elements like indium (for touchscreens) and lithium (for batteries) are at risk of running out, and some materials and recycling practices are harmful to people and the environment. As demand grows, students are asked: Could you live without your phone? They explore why one day they might have to—because of resource scarcity or environmental bans on hazardous materials.

FUTURE-ORIENTED SCIENCE ACTION

Eco-Phone is a participatory science activity (1–2 lessons plus homework) that prepares students to advise manufacturers on making more sustainable smartphones. Students investigate the origins, uses, and impacts of over 40 elements in phones, then research and propose eco-friendly alternatives for specific phone parts (casing, battery, or circuit board support). They use inquiry skills: interrogating sources, critiquing claims, analysing patterns, considering consequences, and communicating ideas.

SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)

12. Responsible Consumption and Production

13. Climate Action

3. Good Health and Well-being

CURRICULUM LINKS

Knowledge: Chemistry (materials, elements), Physics (energy, recycling), Environmental Science (sustainability)

Skills: Interrogate sources, critique claims, analyse patterns, consider consequences, communicate ideas

Working Scientifically: Model with evidence, collaborative inquiry, performance assessment

BLUEPRINT CURRICULUM LINKS

Concepts: Resource scarcity, environmental impact, material properties, sustainability

Learning stage: Analyse, Evaluate, Apply

ACTIVITY CONTENTS

Teacher’s guide: Step-by-step facilitation, background science, and assessment guidance

STEM professional info: Context for real-world relevance (mining, recycling, design)

Teaching PowerPoint: Structured lesson flow, discussion prompts, and visuals

Home task: Researching new materials for phone parts using a KWHL grid

Student sheets:

Materials Quest game board and cards (exploring global sources and impacts of phone materials)

Consequences game (exploring the ripple effects of business-as-usual in phone production/disposal)

KWHL grid for structured inquiry

Assessment rubric for knowledge, skills, and science capital

ACTIVITY FLOW

Engage: Students reflect on their dependence on smartphones and discuss potential reasons for future unavailability (resource depletion, toxicity, bans).

Explore: Play the Materials Quest game to discover where phone elements come from, their uses, and environmental/social impacts. Play the Consequences game to map out the effects of not changing current practices.

Investigate: Research alternative materials for a chosen phone part using the KWHL grid, guided by real and adapted sources.

Communicate: Present findings and recommendations to a simulated audience of phone manufacturers.

Reflect: Consider the consequences for people, money, and the environment, and propose solutions for a more sustainable future.

FUN PARTICIPATORY SCIENCE

Students work in groups, engage in games, and use real-world data, making the activity interactive and memorable.

Family members and STEM professionals can be involved in the home research or as guest speakers.

COMPETENCE-BASED ASSESSMENT

Student and teacher templates assess knowledge, inquiry skills, and science capital.

Students give feedback on their engagement, confidence, and how the activity shaped their science identity and understanding of sustainability.

In summary:

The Eco-Phone activity immerses students in a real-world sustainability challenge, develops critical inquiry and communication skills, and empowers them to envision and advocate for greener technology—directly linking science learning to global citizenship and the SDGs.