Introduction
Energy in all forms is an important part of our modern day world. Students will be studying different forms of energy and trying to figure out the best way to conserve energy for our communities. The evil Doctor Spark is hiding in the backgroung waiting for his oppurtunity to take over all the electricity of the world and hold it hostage.
Task
The evil Doctor Spark has taken hostage of all the world's electricity. He is demanding higher payments to continue the use of electricity in our homes and businesses.
Students will need to find ways to conserve energy. Students will find and identify items that use or create each type of energy. Students will investigate ways to save energy in the following categories:
- Biofuel.
- Biomass.
- Geothermal.
- Hydropower.
- Solar energy.
- Tidal power.
- Wave power.
- Wind power
Students will be formed into a total of eight groups. Where each group will be responsible to create a print ad to promote their renewable energy source.
Process
First, students will be separated into groups of four (4), . Each group will be given a type of energy to focus on.
Once the groups have been selected and the type of energy given to each group. The students in each group will pick a role to play.
Head Scientist: This student will be the leader of the group. He/She will ask for input and help develop a direction of thought. This student will also be responsible how the design of the poster will be
Assistant Scientist 1: This student is a researcher on the internet.
Assistant Scientist 2: This student is a helper to everyone in the group, but mostly to the head scientist and assistant scientist 1.
Assistant Scientist 3: This student is an assistant to the head scientist and will be keeping a record of all the information found by the others of the group.
Note: The head scientist and all the assistant scientists will be doing research, but in different resources.
Student groups will be given one (1) type of energy source to research. The groups need to find ways to conserve energy in their given topic, and give examples of items that use or create that type of energy. The following energy sources to be given to the students are:
- Biofuel.
- Biomass.
- Geothermal.
- Hydropower.
- Solar energy.
- Tidal power.
- Wave power.
- Wind power
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/alternativeenergysources.php
http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/renewables.html
https://us.sunpower.com/blog/2018/02/23/learn-about-seven-types-renewable-energy/
and three websites that you find on your energy source.
Students will be given three weeks to research their given energy topic. Students can use additional sites found on the internet. The additional sources must be approved by the teacher. By the end of the month, students will have completed their research and a poster, display board, or powerpoint for presentation. The presentations will be given in class the following week.
The presentation be in the form of an ad promoting your renewable energy source and why we should use it.
A few questions to consider
What is your energy source?
How does it work?
Why is yours the best?
How much does it cost?
Why is it important?
How many jobs does it create?
How Does it save the planet?
Why don’t we used it?
What is the drawbacks?
Evaluation
Evaluation
You will be evaluated using four assessments.
The Student Self Asssessment will be worth 50 points.
The Teacher Assessment will be worth 50 points.
This entire project is worth 100 points.
Conclusion
All the students will have learned ways to conserve energy and will have defeated the evil Doctor Spark. After completing the research, students will have become familiar with several different forms of energy. Students should be familiar with the uses of each energy and the items that use or create a specific type of energy.
A couple of extra questions to consider:
Do efforts to conserve energy make a difference in how we use energy?
Can the types of energy conservation learned be used at home?
How would the student encourage more people to conserve energy?
For more information visit the following websites. These sites may also be used to help find more information if needed.
http://www.mtpc.org/cleanenergy/energy/glossarygenenergy.htm
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/solar.html
Teacher Page
■ Energy exists in various forms: heat, electric, sound, chemical, mechanical, light. (4.1a) ■ Energy can be transferred from one place to another. (4.1b) ■ Some materials transfer energy better than others (heat and electricity). (4.1c) ■ Energy and matter interact: water is evaporated by the Sun’s heat; a bulb is lighted by means of electrical current; a musical instrument is played to produce sound; dark colors may absorb lig