■ Background

◦ Increasing the severity of climate change

Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that due to continued greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale, the Earth will reach a temperature increase of 1.5℃ in the near future, and even if the increase in surface temperature is limited, loss and damage are inevitable, including irreversible changes such as rising sea levels, collapse of the Antarctic ice sheet, and destruction of biodiversity, and that this climate change is entirely caused by human activities.

◦ Realizing carbon neutrality

The biggest victims of climate change are future generations, and it is important to achieve carbon neutrality so that they can live in a safe global ecosystem. In order to achieve carbon neutrality, it is important to provide climate crisis and environmental ecology education for future generations and spread the carbon neutrality practice culture to local communities and schools.

◦ Providing carbon neutral education with various contents

In order to spread the culture of realizing carbon neutrality, we need carbon neutrality education activities in the form of diverse content that can be understood and approached in a fun way regardless of age or gender.

■ What kind of project is it?

Most of the blocks that children love are made of environmentally friendly plastic. However, the blocks used in this project are made of CXP wood, which is a wood by-product discarded from forests or the lumber industry, and has properties similar to plastic. It is lighter than wood, resistant to moisture and humidity, and has a soft color.

And the 'Solar Play Block', which combines a solar panel with this block, creates electric energy with the solar cells inside the solar panel when exposed to sunlight, and the electricity created is charged in the lithium battery (accumulator) inside the block, which can be used to connect a USB product to use electricity. This is a carbon neutral activity project that fosters net-zero imagination and creativity through blocks that children like, directly experience renewable energy, and learn and experience the core areas of carbon neutrality, such as energy transition, architecture, and waste.

Introducing carbon-neutral teaching aids for “Wooden Blocks (100pcs) ” and “Solar Play Blocks” used in this project.

Solar Play Blocks can be combined with wooden blocks (100 pcs) and Lego Duplo blocks commonly used at home. However, please use wooden blocks (100 pcs) for this project activity. You can check the photos of the combined two types of blocks in the 'Data Room' section.

1. Common Matters

The common material used in the production of “Wooden Block (100pcs)” and “Solar Play Block” products is “cxp” . To help you understand the details of cxp material, we have prepared a ‘Manual’ that can be downloaded from the ‘Data Room’ section, so please check it out.

■ Product quality : CXP (Cellulose X-linked Polymer)

CXP is a thermoplastic wood material that replaces plastic and synthetic wood by being made of wood as the main component and self-bonding cellulose, and the raw material wood utilizes discarded forestry byproducts. The material is clearly distinguished from recycled plastic and can be recycled, so it can be used in various plastic applications. In addition, it has environmental value in that it does not contain harmful toxicity and does not synthesize toxic substances when decomposed.

2. Wooden blocks (100pcs)

“Wooden Blocks (100pcs)” is a set of 100 blocks of 5 different types . You can check the specifications and composition information in the ‘Data Room’ section.

3. Solar Play Block

1) Product specifications

① Specifications

◦ Weight: 48g

◦ Size: 64mm*64mm*18mm

◦ Color: Beige, yellow, blue, red

※ You can check the colors in the ‘Data Room’ section.

② Accessory composition

The main material of the product is CXP, a bioplastic that is a KC-certified plastic alternative. The upper part consists of a solar module, and the inside consists of a lithium battery and controller. You can check the photos of the accessories in the 'Data Room' section.

③ Detailed information on accessories

■ Solar module (solar panel): 5.5V / 60mA / 60*60mm

◦ A solar module contains a ‘solar cell’, a device that converts sunlight into electrical energy to create electricity.

■ Lithium battery: 3.7V / 300mAh / Note) KC certification completed

◦ Unlike ordinary batteries that are discarded after one use, batteries that repeat charging and discharging of generated electricity (can be charged and reused)

◦ Lithium batteries are a type of storage battery.

■ Controller: PH2.0 / USB 3.7V / on-board PCB / Note) Not subject to KC certification

◦ A device that regulates the flow of electricity so that the electricity generated from the solar panel flows to a component connected to the USB port.

■ Block material: CXP / Note) KC certification completed

◦ Eco-friendly, non-toxic new material with wood by-products as the main raw material

④ Product characteristics

■ Renewable energy

◦ Can be charged at any time as long as there is sunlight, and can be used to convert electric energy into lighting and power products using various USB products.

◦ Energy-efficient with long, bright LED lights.

■ Waste

◦ Eco-friendly blocks made of CXP materials can replace various plastic products, resulting in waste reduction.

■ Eco-friendly building (green building)

◦ Compatible with general blocks or CXP bio blocks, you can create your own green building and learn about carbon neutrality in building energy efficiency.

※ Green building: “Green building that minimizes the energy load required for the building and minimizes energy consumption by utilizing renewable energy” 「Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the Green Building Construction Support Act revised in 2016」

1. Learning Execution Plan

The first class will provide basic education on carbon neutrality using storybooks and children's workbooks so that students can understand the current state of the Earth and recognize activities that we can practice.

2. Detailed learning implementation plan (example)

Depending on the target audience, educators can reconstruct the lecture content themselves by using the children's workbook. Please note that this educational plan is an example (draft) to guide the flow of education.

1. Learning Execution Plan

The second class will be conducted as a carbon neutral practice experience program called “Making a House That Embraces the Sun” using wooden blocks (100 pcs) and solar play blocks, which are carbon neutral teaching aids. The class will be centered around activities where students can directly participate and experience renewable energy.

Block play allows children to develop their imagination, creativity, and teamwork, and they can create not only houses, but also factories, cars, and other facilities and transportation that require renewable energy.

When working in groups, it is also a good idea to provide guidance on a common theme to create. For example, if all participants attend the same school, guide them to create a carbon-neutral school of their own. Although it is the same theme, each person can come up with different results, which can be fun and reveal unexpected intentions. (You can check out what kinds of works can be created using the two teaching aids in the data room.)

2. Preparation

1) Check if the Solar Play Block is working.

2) Form a group (4 people per group) / ※ Group formation: 4 people or less, more than 4 people not allowed

3) Provide each group with a parish. / ※ Provide each group with 1 wooden block (100 pcs), solar play block, and USB type LED light bulb.

■ Guide to using Solar Play Block

① Take out the product and turn the switch to ON(-).

② Connect the LED bulb to the USB port and check operation.

③ If the USB product does not work even when connected to the port, charge it in external sunlight with the switch turned to the ON (-) position.

④ It takes about 5 hours from discharge to full charge. (It may vary depending on the amount of sunlight.)

⑤ When not in use for a long time, turn it OFF (O).

※ You cannot charge your mobile phone with the Solar Play Block.

3. Detailed learning implementation plan ( example )

Depending on the target audience, educators can reconstruct the lecture content themselves by using the children's workbook. Please note that this educational plan is an example (draft) to guide the flow of education.

This carbon-neutral parish is a parish that can be used repeatedly in the school curriculum. It can be operated continuously and autonomously in conjunction with regular classes and environmental campaigns within the school.

In addition, in order to spread carbon neutrality and renewable energy education socially within the local community, we can donate the parish to an institution where children and youth in the region can freely experience it, and support its active use within the local community in the future.

1. Example of how to use

- Curriculum-linked teaching tools: Class operation linked to related subjects such as environment, science, and practical arts

- Experiential club activities: Use as materials for invention, environment, and maker clubs

- Environmental campaign linkage: Composed of core content for carbon neutrality practice campaign activities

- Linkage with after-school programs: Introduced during creative science or maker classes

2. Donation Place

1) Elementary school

2) Local children's centers, local libraries (including small libraries)

3) Children's Foundation, children's support organization

4) Local government carbon neutrality center, environmental education center, regional energy center

5) Special schools, etc.