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Document Sample
Sustainability
and
Renewable Energy
Construct and Analyze Your Own
Solar Heat Model
7/30/08
Erich Ziegler
Science – 7th Grade
Introduction
Statement of Problem
Sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (EPA, 2008). As our world
continues to evolve, the need for sustainable practice increases. Controlled consumption
of renewable energy sources is an integral part of living sustainably.
Akin to the issue of global climate change, sustainable choices and differences
can be made on an individual basis. Government and industry can initiate these changes,
but the most likely solution is through education. By educating our future voters and
policy makers, we have the unique opportunity to mold our future world. Helping
students decide on issues based on facts are important, especially in the area of energy
use and sustainability. This lesson will help middle-school aged students become more
aware of renewable energy sources and how they work.
We can make a difference in today’s world as well. There are many resources
available to help individuals, schools, industries, and communities become more
sustainable. Education is the key and as a teacher, I cherish the opportunity to help bring
this change.
Intended Outcomes
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to define sustainability.
2. Students will be able to apply sustainability to the area of energy use by
describing sources of renewable energy and understanding how they work.
3. Students will be able to create their own solar heat model and describe how it
works.
Materials
This lesson will be based on student research and application. Renewable energy
is continuously evolving – therefore the Internet will serve as our major resource to
ensure that our information is relevant and up to date. The following websites will serve
as resources:
https://eed.llnl.gov/flow/
Provides energy use information for the United States in a graphical form.
I will use the flow charts to discuss our country’s recent energy sources.
www.re-energy.ca
Resource for renewable energy sources. The “backgrounders” on the
website provide information on renewable energy sources including solar, wind,
water, biomass, geothermal, ground source heat pumps, and hydrogen fuel cells.
The website also provides plans for a solar oven – we will be using these plans to
build our own solar heat models.
www.willyoujoinus.com
Interactive game allowing students to make choices about energy in a
hypothetical city. I will use this game to represent the issues involving energy
use.
We will also need the appropriate tools and supplies to build our solar heat
models. They, along with the steps to build the model, can be found at http://www.re-
energy.ca/pdf/solaroven.pdf
Corrugated cardboard (large flat sheets from appliance boxes work best)
Shredded paper (for insulation)
Cardboard box (with flaps, approximately 25 cm by 35 cm by 16 cm deep)
Duct tape
Black tempera paint, powdered
Plastic spoon
White glue
Utility knife
Plastic container, approximately 500 ml
Meter stick or metric tape measure
Oven thermometer
Felt tip marker
Aluminum foil (45.7 cm by 7.6 m roll)
Sunglasses
1 Large aluminum foil cake tin (15 cm by 30 cm by 8 cm deep)
Paint brush, 3- to 5 cm wide
Oven mitts
1 large (turkey- sized) transparent oven bag
Safety Considerations
Safety is always important in a science lab. Lab safety expectations are engrained
from the beginning of the school year. I will review these expectations with this lesson,
as we will be construction solar ovens. Tools such as utility knives and heat pads must be
used correctly. I will model and supervise the construction and testing process to ensure
safety.
Lesson
Background Material
1. Introduction
a. Discuss energy use, including renewable and non-renewable sources, in
the United States
b. Define and discuss sustainability and its importance to our world, both on
an individual and global basis
2. Overview of Lesson’s Activities
a. Discussion of energy use and sustainability
b. Research renewable energy sources in small groups (different groups
research different sources) do you need to say how you will group
students?
i. www.re-energy.ca
c. Share research with class through oral presentations
d. Play interactive energy use game
i. www.willyoujoinus.com
e. Build solar heat models in small groups
i. www.re-energy.ca
3. Overview of Lesson’s Goals
a. Objectives:
i. Define sustainability
ii. Apply sustainability to the area of energy use by describing
sources of renewable energy and understanding how they work
iii. Create solar heat model and describe how it works
4. Equipment
a. Computer with Internet access to play interactive game
b. Supplies and tools to build solar heat model
i. Listed in plans on http://www.re-energy.ca/pdf/solaroven.pdf
5. Data Collection and Analysis Techniques
a. Try to warm (or even cook) food in solar heat model
6. Evaluation
a. Rubric based on quality and accuracy to evaluate research and
presentation on renewable energy sources (Teacher-assessed, Appendix 1)
b. Qualitative assessment of solar heat models (Self- and teacher-assessed)
i. How effective was your model?
ii. What was the highest temperature that your model produced?
iii. Describe the limitations of a solar heat source.
iv. How could you increase the efficiency of your model?
v. Apply your model to a real-world setting. How could solar heat be
used?
Activities
1. Introduction (1 Class Period – 50 minutes)
a. Discuss energy use in the United States (Large group)
i. How do we use energy in our everyday lives? What things do we
use that require energy?
1. List different ways on board
b. Create a list of energy sources (Small group)
i. After coming up with list, have small groups differentiate between
renewable and non-renewable
ii. Share with class
1. List renewable and non-renewable resources on board
c. Discuss energy sources in the United States (Large group)
i. Show flow charts from https://eed.llnl.gov/flow/
d. Discuss renewable energy and its use (Large group)
i. Is renewable energy being used in our area today? Could it?
e. Define and discuss sustainability and its importance to our world, both on
an individual and global basis (Large group)
i. Sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs” (EPA, 2008)
2. Research renewable energy sources (1 Class Period with additional time outside
of class)
a. Each group will read about a different renewable energy source (6 groups)
i. Provide information from www.re-energy.ca
ii. Sources include:
1. Solar electricity
2. Solar heat
3. Wind energy
4. Water power
5. Biomass energy
6. Other clean energy technologies
3. Share research with class (1 Class Period)
a. Groups will present research with posters and presentations
4. Play interactive energy use game (1 Class Period)
a. With an understanding of energy sources, students will play the interactive
game at www.willyoujoinus.com that allows them to make choices about
energy use in a hypothetical city. Each student will receive a score based
on their choices. Economic, environmental, and security impacts
influence their “energy management score” (lower impacts result in a
better score)
b. Discuss individual results as a class and reasons for high/low scores
5. Build solar heat models in small groups (1 Class Period to build, 1 Class Period to
test)
a. Using plans from http://www.re-energy.ca/pdf/solaroven.pdf, each group
will build their own solar heat model
b. Test and analyze models
6. Closing (10 minutes after model testing)
a. Revisit sustainability and its importance in our world
b. Discuss how we could apply what we learned about renewable resources
to the “real-world”
Strategies for Promoting Student Inquiry
Inquiry is an integral part of science, and therefore, of a science classroom.
Inquiry is defined as the “process by which scientists pose questions about the natural
world and seek answers and deeper understanding, rather than knowing by authority or
other processes” (National Science Education Standards, 1996). Scientific inquiry is
threaded throughout the MI State Standards and Grade Level Content Expectations
(GLCEs).
This lesson naturally incorporates scientific inquiry. In the introduction part of
the lesson, I will present open-ended questions about energy use. After a general
discussion, I will ask the students to seek out their own answers about renewable energy
sources. By acting as a guide during the construction and analysis of the solar heat
model, I will be promoting scientific inquiry. Students will be meeting several of the
standards listed under “Science Processes” in the MI GLCEs.
Assessment of Learning
This lesson will include both formative and summative assessments. These
assessments will be based on the objectives that I have set for the class, which are written
to be effective and engaging for the science concepts that we are covering, as well as the
MI State Standards and GLCEs.
In terms of formative assessment, I will observe students during the discussion
and research sections of the lesson. These informal observations will help guide my
questions and use of scaffolding in order to ensure that everyone is engaged.
Summative assessments will include the renewable energy presentation and the
solar heat model. I will assess the presentation using a rubric that evaluates quality and
accuracy (Appendix 1). I will qualitatively assess the solar heat models. This evaluation
will be based on the following questions: (How effective was your model? What was the
highest temperature that your model produced? Describe the limitations of a solar heat
source. How could you increase the efficiency of your model? Apply your model to a
real-world setting. How could solar heat be used?) Students will also self-assess their
models based on this evaluation.
These assessments will allow me to determine that all of my students have
achieved the lesson’s objectives and appropriate MI Science GLCEs. This lesson is
designed for a 7th grade Science class and therefore meets the following 7th Grade
Science GLCEs:
S.IP.07.11 Generate scientific questions based on observations, investigations, and
research.
S.IP.07.13 Use tools and equipment (spring scales, stop watches, meter sticks and tapes,
models, hand lens, thermometer, models, sieves, microscopes, hot plates, pH meters)
appropriate to scientific investigations.
S.IP.07.14 Use metric measurement devices in an investigation.
S.IP.07.15 Construct charts and graphs from data and observations.
S.IP.07.16 Identify patterns in data.
S.IA.07.12 Evaluate data, claims, and personal knowledge through collaborative science
discourse.
S.IA.17.13 Communicate and defend findings of observations and investigations.
S.RS.07.15 Demonstrate scientific concepts through various illustrations, performances,
models, exhibits, and activities.
S.RS.07.16 Design solutions to problems using technology.
S.RS.07.17 Describe the effect humans and other organisms have on the balance of the
natural world.
S.RS.07.18 Describe what science and technology can and cannot reasonably contribute
to society.
P.EN.07.62 Explain how only a tiny fraction of light energy from the sun is transformed
to heat energy on Earth.
E.ES.07.11 Demonstrate, using a model or drawing, the relationship between the
warming by the sun of the Earth and the water cycle as it applies to the atmosphere
(evaporation, water vapor, warm air rising, cooling, condensation, clouds).
E.ES.07.12 Describe the relationship between the warming of the atmosphere of the
Earth by the sun and convection within the atmosphere and oceans.
E.ES.07.13 Describe how the warming of the Earth by the sun produces winds and ocean
currents.
E.ES.07.41 Explain how human activities (surface mining, deforestation, overpopulation,
construction and urban development, farming, dams, landfills, and restoring natural
areas) change the surface of the Earth and affect the survival of organisms.
E.ES.07.42 Describe the origins of pollution in the atmosphere, geosphere, and
hydrosphere, (car exhaust, industrial emissions, acid rain, and natural sources), and how
pollution impacts habitats, climatic change, threatens or endangers species.
References
Chevron Corportation. (2007). Will You Join Us. Retrieved July 29, 2008, from
http://www.willyoujoinus.com/
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. (2007). E & E: Energy, Carbon Emissions,
and Water Flow Charts. Retrieved July 29, 2008, from https://eed.llnl.gov/flow/
Michigan Department of Education. (2007). Science K-7 Grade Level Content
Expectations. Retrieved July 30, 2008, from http://www.michigan.gov/mde
National Committee on Science Education Standards and Assessment, National Research
Council. (1996). National Science Education Standards. Washington, D.C.:
National Academy Press.
Pembina Institute & Re-energy.ca. (2007). Renewable Energy Project Plans to Build
Working Models. Retrieved July 29, 2008, from http://www.re-energy.ca/
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2008). Sustainability. Retrieved July
29, 2008, from http://www.epa.gov/Sustainability/
Appendix 1: Rubric for assessment of renewable energy source group presentations
Group Presentation Rubric
Beginning Developing Accomplished Exemplary Score
1 2 3 4
Audience Audience has Students
cannot difficulty Students present present
understand following information in information in
Organization presentation presentation logical sequence logical
because there because which audience sequence which
is no sequence presenters jump can follow. audience can
of information. around. follow.
Students
demonstrate full
Students do not Students are
Students are at knowledge
have grasp of uncomfortable
ease with (more than
information; with information
Subject expected answers required) by
student cannot and are able to
Knowledge to all questions, answering all
answer answer only
but fail to class questions
questions rudimentary
elaborate. with
about subject. questions.
explanations
and elaboration.
Students
Students' voices Students use a
mumble, Students' voices
are low. clear voice and
incorrectly are clear.
Students correct, precise
pronounce Students
incorrectly pronunciation of
Public terms, and pronounce most
pronounces terms so that all
Speaking speak too words correctly.
terms. Audience audience
quietly for Most audience
members have members can
students in the members can
difficulty hearing hear
back of class to hear presentation.
presentation. presentation.
hear.
Everyone in the
One person in Two people in Three people in
group
Group the group did the group the group
participated in
Participation the entire participated in participated in the
the
presentation. the presentation. presentation.
presentation.
Students use Students
Students' Students'
unnecessary occasionally use
Use of graphics and/or graphics and/or
graphics and/or graphics and/or
Graphics props relate to props explain
props or no props that rarely
and/or Props text and and support
graphics and/or support text and
presentation. presentation.
props. presentation.
