Solving the Puzzle of Sustainability

Introduction

Puzzles and mysteries surround us! We're so happy you've arrived. We've been waiting for energy detectives like you. Enter this WebQuest, and help our school solve the puzzle of sustainable energy.

Task

As a group, use your Chromebooks and our field trip to the AZ Science Center to research your chosen renewable energy.

Geothermal Energy
Solar Energy
Hydroelectric Energy
Biomass Energy
Wind Energy

You can choose how to best collaborate as a team.

Maybe you all research the same question, discuss your findings, and then draw conclusions you can agree upon. Afterwards, you move on to the next question.
Maybe you each choose a question to research and hold full responsibility for discovering, recording, and reporting on your findings independently.
Maybe you work in pairs on a couple of the questions and record and report the information as a pair.

Your final product will be an illustrated puzzle piece that presents the information clearly and accurately to your classmates. As a team, you will report your findings while your classmates take notes on your research.

Through your research, you must answer the following:

What is it?
Benefits and Risks
Who first invented this type of power and how did they do it?
Where is it used in Arizona?
Could it work for Big Park Community School?

Process

Step one: Decide how you will work as a team.

Step two: Research using the provided links. As you find answers to questions, take notes in your Science journals. Everyone in the group is responsible for taking notes.

Step three: Record findings and final answers to the five questions on the puzzle piece in a neat and well-planned way, following the scoring rubric (see Evaluation tab).

Evaluation

Scoring Rubric:

Puzzle Poster (50 points)

Content is accurate ___/15

All five questions are answered ___/15

Poster is neat and shows care for work ___/10

All illustrations are purposeful and help the audience better understand the information ___/10

Presentation (50 points)

Speaker Voice (audible from the back of the room) ___/10

Information is explained clearly ___/10

Students share responsibility in presenting (everyone helps) ___/10

Information is accurate and corresponds to the poster ___/10

Group is able to answer reasonable clarifying questions related to their content ___/10

Daily participation grades during the process will be taken for classwork grades.

Science journal notes will be graded for classwork grades.

The above rubric will be used for a final project (assessment) grade.

Notes during others' presentations will be graded, as well, for accuracy and completion.

Conclusion

Thanks to your investigation, our school has discovered some possibilities for renewable energy sources. Nonrenewable resources, fossil fuels, may be used by 91% of the United States right now*, but our school has a path into the future. Thank you!!!

*Source: https://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=2

Credits

You're done, already?!

If you're not, you'd better get back to work! Our school needs your energy (ability to work). Cut it out with that potential energy nonsense, and show me some kinetic energy!

Okay, so you're really done? No fooling?

Your poster is on the wall?
Your team has practiced your presentation a few times?
You have notecards written of what each of you will say, and they are attached to the puzzle poster with a paperclip?

Well, then...

Here are some fun games!:

EIA Games and Activities

https://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=5

Renewable Resource Games and Review

http://www.need.org//Files/curriculum/infobookactivities/Primary/Renewable.html

http://www.need.org//Files/curriculum/infobookactivities/Elementary/BiomassFillintheBlank.html

http://www.need.org//Files/curriculum/infobookactivities/Elementary/GeothermalFillintheBlank.html

http://www.need.org//Files/curriculum/infobookactivities/Elementary/HydropowerFillintheBlank.html

http://www.need.org//Files/curriculum/infobookactivities/Elementary/SolarFillintheBlank.html

http://www.need.org//Files/curriculum/infobookactivities/Elementary/WindFillintheBlank.html

Nonrenewable Resource Games and Review