Design a 50 Year Energy Plan

50 Year Energy Plan - Unit Plan

Grades:
9-12
Description:

Throughout this creative, hands-on Unit, students are challenged to scale up every Disciplinary Core Idea and Science & Engineering Practice they’ve learned - from simple electricity generation, to building their own stereo speakers and DIY electric...

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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Explore causes and effects of climate change as related to energy production. Develop a working understanding of varying stakeholder perspectives on the causes and effects of climate change. Through hands-on exploration, build a working speaker that can connect to a cellphone. Use DIY speakers as a model to observe the process of producing electrical currents with a simple generator. Design, build and refine a wind turbine to efficiently convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Design, build and refine a system that is the most effective at converting the sunlight into electrical energy. Students develop models to study the relationship between the Earth’s atmospheric composition and the Earth’s surface temperatures using simple diagrams. Students reflect on the impact of energy sources and power production on the environment. Students utilize their knowledge of how energy generation processes impacts the environment to inform how and why they develop a 50-year Energy Plan for their local community. 
Author:
Bradford Hill
Estimated Activity Length:
0 sec
Source:
NGS Navigators Podcast
Published:
2019
Last Updated:
2021
Intended Grade Level:
PreK-2,
3-5,
MS,
HS,
OST,
Post Secondary
Description:

NGSNavigators podcast featuring Dr. Daniel Morales-Doyle, who discusses powerful impact of a justice-centered science pedagogy, which is one of the core pedagogies that informs CE's approach. He gives examples of what this looks like throughout different grade bands. He specifically shares a high school chemistry unit he taught in Chicago. In the show notes, find his research and similar articles of the impact of justice centered science pedagogy.

Location:
Source:
Murdock Charitable Trust
Published:
2020
Last Updated:
2020
Intended Grade Level:
HS,
Post Secondary
Description:

This unique program pairs high school science teachers with a mentor doing cutting-edge research in an academic lab or a lab associated with another nonprofit institution. The Murdock Trust awards approximately 25 Partners in Science grants each year to fund these teacher-mentor research opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. Our goal is to help teachers bring knowledge from the research lab directly into the classroom to promote hands-on science education. 

Other Subjects Covered:
SODIS_UV Treament

Solar and SODIS: Creating Clean Water for the World

Grades:
5-8
Description:

According to Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley, the number one and two challenges for humanity are energy and clean water. This classroom activity will introduce students to a low cost, renewable technique that connects these two issues. During the activity,...

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Learning Goal(s):
Students will be introduced to the range of microbes in the environment, understand the risks of “dirty water” and be able to explain how energy from the sun can purify water through the SODIS technique.
Author:
Jamie Repasky
Estimated Activity Length:
1 hour
Source:
The Nature Conservancy
Published:
2020
Last Updated:
2020
Intended Grade Level:
MS,
HS,
Post Secondary
Description:

An interactive map that examines the opportunity and impact of wind development in the Great Plains states, with an opportunity for students to explore siting of wind facilities using factors that professionals would be required to consider. Great for both tech skills and problems solving skills development.

Other Subjects Covered:
Source:
Open EI
Published:
2020
Last Updated:
2020
Intended Grade Level:
3-5,
MS,
HS
Description:

An interactive map of national tours of hydropower facilities, including in-person field trip opportunities and virtual tours (mostly videos of tours). Has resources for dam tours across the coutnry.

Energy Content:
Source:
Hukseflux Thermal Sensors
Published:
2020
Last Updated:
2020
Intended Grade Level:
MS,
HS,
Post Secondary
Description:

A free iPhone app that allows you to take data on irradiance (in Watts/area), to be able to compare electrical output from solar photovoltaic panels to the irradiance they receive. 

Location:
Energy Content:
Source:
State of Idaho
Published:
2020
Last Updated:
2020
Intended Grade Level:
PreK-2,
3-5,
MS,
HS
Description:

STEM AC is Idaho's statewide resource for everything STEM, including a wealth of programs, grants, oportunities, partnerships and more for Idaho's STEM educators. The mission of STEM AC is: Engineering innovative opportunities for educators, students, communities, and industry to build a competitive Idaho workforce and economy through STEM and computer science education.

Source:
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
Published:
2020
Last Updated:
2020
Intended Grade Level:
3-5,
MS,
HS,
OST,
Post Secondary
Description:

FWEE is a partnership of public power providers in the Pacific Northwest and other organizations that promote water and energy education. The site is a wealth of information for many aspects of hydropower generation, including a full list of projects in the Pacific Northwest, a video on the history of hydropower, infographics with information on fish ladders, generators, a full hydropower unit, and information on an annual Hydropower STEM Academy linking students to hydropower science and careers.