• Know how hydropower is created.
• Communicate how kinetic energy is converted to electrical energy.
• Inform others on issues related to hydroelectric power.

As an introduction to the Renewable City Unit or a standalone lesson, students begin by analyzing their own ideas about climate change and sustainability using a Socratic Circle discussion. Next, an investigation of the phenomena of planet earth and local starfish helps students further relate to climate change. Finally, by contributing to a sticky note wall in response to the question, “What do we know so far about systems which help care for our planet?” students’ ideas help shape their unit and how their Renewable City model will develop in the weeks to come. The lesson also introduces students to their goal of creating a model of an equitable, sustainable city.

In order to help students understand sustainability, students engage in a Tragedy of the Commons activity. During the game, students discuss their ideas about sustainability. In order to track their growing metacognitive ideas about sustainability and climate change, students begin a personal mind map.

This introductory lesson aims to help students investigate answers to the questions: “What is Energy?” and “How can we see or measure energy?”. The lesson serves as a first step in understanding energy as a phenomena, and will help scaffold students’ abilities to better comprehend renewable resources later. Using the energy summary sheet to collect data, students are challenged to: (1) visually see energy at work at three energy carousel tables and (2) measure the energy using tools or visual counting at the stations.These simple engineering experiments build community and lay groundwork for students to work successfully in pairs and small groups throughout the unit. Students discuss their discoveries once the Carousel ends.

After reading about different forms of renewable energy, students explore wind and design mechanisms that capture the power of wind. Lessons are scaffolded from designing windmills which lift weight, to testing and improving firefly blade designs, and finally to building and investigating large wind turbines. Students work to test and improve their designs using these a series of three wind power models.

After discovering ways to harness the power of wind, learning how water can also generate electricity is a logical next step. This lesson allows students to understand why water is a renewable resource and how it can do work to create energy. Before creating their own hydropower model, students also observe, make predictions and test a power wheel; learn about regional and national hydropower sites in a scavenger hunt; and research information and issues about hydropower plants to share using a group jigsaw process.

Using the question, “How might we design a renewable city with sustainable systems that will help the inhabitants live equitably and reduce carbon?”, students will research individually chosen topics and construct 3D models of different systems to help reduce climate change. Group collaboration will build community as students work towards the common goal of creating a sustainable city with renewable resources.
A study of our local Quinalt community, currently in the process of moving their town to higher ground, will allow students to consider ways to better plan a city with changing weather and diminishing coastlines in mind. By tracking their climate footprint, students will see other important ways to reduce their personal carbon footprints.
Students build written and oral communication skills by writing about their 3D design investigation, and sharing their ideas with an audience.

Students decide on a community project they’d like to do to personally help with climate change or energy justice.