Andrea T. Bailey
Weeks One and Two
In weeks one and two, the class will be introduced to what energy is and the different forms of energy using mnemonic devices and real world applications, as well as, reading materials on energy. The students will gain an understanding of what energy is and the different forms of energy. Vocabulary words that will be introduced and integrated throughout this unit include: potential energy, kinetic energy, and renewable energy, and nonrenewable energy, solar, wind, geothermal, hydrothermal and converted. In doing this, the students will obtain background knowledge about energy which will be used to understand why the choice of energy needs to be a sustainable and renewable one.
Weeks Three and Four
During these weeks, the students will analyze how energy is converted. In order to develop a deep understanding of energy conversion, students will gain a deeper understanding of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. The students will gain an understanding about the conversion of energy. And how from one form to another energy is converted by a natural law: The Law of Conservation. This law states that energy can be neither created nor destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another. This change is one of quality, not quantity. As energy performs work it changes from a more concentrated form of energy to a less concentrated form.
Week Five
During this final week of the unit, students will be asked to apply their skills learned to their everyday lives. Projects and activities will allow students to apply their prior knowledge about nonrenewable and renewable energy sources. Based on their cumulative study, students can create and evaluate ways of saving energy. Participating in these activities will raise focus on the issue dealing with saving energy. Students will gain an understanding of good energy choices and how crucial it is for their future and the future of others. Students will then be evaluated on their application of the knowledge through this study.
In accordance with the Connecticut State Standards for Science, after completing this unit, students will be able to have the capacity to build and use tools to advance the quality of their lives, and use advances in technology that will allow individuals to acquire new information about the world. In accordance with the Connecticut State Standards for Language Arts, after completing this unit, students will be able to make connections between the text and outside experiences and knowledge, and select, synthesize and/or use relevant information within the text to write a personal response to the text. In accordance with the Connecticut State Standards for Reading, after completing this unit, students will be able read, comprehend and respond in individual, literal, critical and evaluative ways to literary, informational and persuasive texts in multimedia formats. Students will also be able to select and apply strategies to facilitate word recognition and develop vocabulary in order to comprehend text.