Students will understand the general structure of an energy grid
Students will develop an understanding of the living conditions in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria
Students will collaborate to brainstorm needs to support safety, health and comfort in a natural disaster setting.
Students will identify energy resources that one might desire to have in order meet the needs they identify.
Through an examination of media published in the five months following Hurricane Maria in 2017, students will develop an understanding of the electrical grid, the vulnerabilities of a grid system, and the
Students will develop a model through collaborative inquiry to explain thermal kinetic energy and predict the outcome when heat is added to a substance.
Students will build argumentation from evidence skills through collaborative sense-making and gallery walk presentations.
Students will develop a model of atomic and molecular structures.
Through a series of exploration and inquiry activities, students will explain kinetic molecular theory, atomic, and molecular structures. Students will be challenged to gradually increase the precision of
1. Through hands-on exploration, create a working speaker for a cellphone.
2. Use the creation of a speaker to observe as a model for the process of generating electrical current in a simple generator/motor.
Using energy analysis and some tinkering students hand wind speakers to play music from a phone. This acts as a phenomenon to engage students in the exploration of electromagnetism. At this point, they have
Students will observe a discrepant event and write down questions about what they observed.
Students will participate in a variety of activities using a meter stick in order to experience and learn about center of gravity.
Students will find the center of gravity of an irregular shaped paper object by using a plumb line.
Students will apply the concept of Center of Gravity and find the center of their solar aircraft that is to be used on their solar mobile.
Since the concept Center of Gravity (mass) is a key factor in a mobile, students will participate in some activities to help them experience and understand this principle so it can be applied to their final
Students explore the conservation of mass in chemical reactions by observing and modeling combustion reactions and exploring the essential question/phenomena, “is all fire the same?”
Students will use information resources and a 3D model of a PV cell to understand how solar modules generate electricity. “How do PV cells make electricity?”
Students will construct circuits to explore PV modules and variables involved in powering devices.
Students evaluate, revise, and justify the energy resources suggested on an emergency preparedness supply list.
Students will return to the phenomena of energy resources to support safety, health, and comfort in an emergency situation. They will distinguish between how common materials provide energy and develop an
1. Design, build, and refine a wind turbine in order to effectively and efficiently convert motion into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy
After working through Lessons 1 and 2 of this Unit, students are now familiar with the physics of how generators work. The next step in Lesson 3 is to investigate how existing power generation systems operate
1. Students will evaluate information to describe the impact on society from resource extraction and materials-processing for PV cells.
2. Students will communicate their understandings of different impacts from converting natural resources into PV cells through participation in a Socratic Seminar.
Students will engage in guided research to explore resource acquisition, material processing, and electricity generation associated
1. Design, build, and refine a system that most effectively converts energy from the sun into electrical energy.
Somewhat similar to the first part of the wind turbine project from Lesson 3, students are tasked with optimizing the performance of a photovoltaic system. This objective both allows students to apply the
1. Students will develop models of the interaction between atmospheric composition and surface temperature using simple diagrams. 2. Students will reflect on the impact of energy sources and power production on the environment.
Building on student’s understanding of energy production methods developed over previous lessons, Lesson 5 asks the class to identify and measure trade-offs between environmental impacts – human needs – and
