A Sustainable Cooling System Made with Wet Terracotta Cones

Positives

• This video highlights a real-world example of an architect and engineer solving problems and positively impacting his own community. 
• The video is a great example of innovations happening in India, while also bringing attention to challenges with sustainable development.
• The video and the article use simple enough descriptions to be appropriate for many ages.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be familiar with the terms biomimicry and evaporation.
  

Differentiation

• Science classes can use this resource to highlight natural, low-tech solutions to problems and could extend the lesson by watching the linked video about animals that have engineered air conditioning using their environment.
  
• Physics classes could investigate this phenomenon in more depth by performing an experiment using terra-cotta planters to understand why they are an effective cooling device. 
• Social studies classes could use this video to discuss the need for affordable alternatives to traditional air conditioners, which use gases that are extremely powerful greenhouse gases.
  
• Similar resources include this video about using heat pumps as a cooling device and this video about an initiative in New York City to reduce the urban heat island effect.