Paul M. Jones
The following are three suggested interdisciplinary lessons/assessment tools that can accompany this unit. Each lists essential questions that are tied to district, state, and national learning objectives and descriptions of goals. Each of these should be assessed using a simple rubric.
Lesson one- What is Sustainable?
Essential Questions
What are the causes and effects of global climate change?
What is sustainable energy use?
How are population and energy use related?
Crucial to any forward discussion on energy use is a lesson on data and graph formation and interpretation. Students should be instructed to interpret data sets and learn to retrieve data and present it. Below are two example sets of data, one of national energy use for 2007, and another of historical energy use in Connecticut. Either can be used to show energy use over time or to make graphs presenting types of energy. Data sets of this type are available from the Energy Information Administration (link in teacher resources), state administrations, or local power companies. If historical population data are provided, students can make various graphs and look at the relationships of data. Teachers should be sure to provide additional information as needed, and be prepared to provide graphs with units and intervals prepared for special needs students or to account for limited class time.
After the student graphs are completed, direct discussion towards sustainable energy use. Have students discuss rates of resource use versus resource reserve; the effect of increasing population on unchanging reserves; and how energy policy reflects the amount of energy available. This activity provides an opportunity to look at what types of power are currently used, and the trends of their use.
Energy Information Administration updated 12/15/04
Energy Consumption Estimates by Source, 1960-2001, Connecticut
Units in trillion Btu
Energy Consumption Estimates by Source and End-Use Sector, 2007 (Trillion Btu)
Energy Information Administration
State Energy Data 2007: Consumption (Excerpt, New England States, Sources only)
Where shown, (s) = Value less than +0.05 and greater than -0.05.
Lesson two- The Carbon Footprint
Essential Questions
How do human populations use resources in the environment in order to maintain and improve their existence?
What natural resources have been and will continue to be used to maintain human populations?
What are the causes and effects of global climate change?
This lesson connects individual behavior to resource use and depletion. It could be an introduction to the unit, or used as a before and after tool to make predictions about how different behaviors and choices affect energy use.
Several websites have energy use and carbon use calculators and are listed in teacher and student resources. Have students calculate their energy use, and give them simple data sets converting this amount of energy to renewable energy. Students can easily relate their energy use to how many windmills or photovoltaic cells it would take to maintain their current lifestyle, and how much renewable energy it would take to live a carbon neutral existence. This activity will facilitate further research and discussion.
For example, students may complete an energy use calculator and determine their monthly use is 950 kWh. If a local wind turbine produces 1 megawatt of power, discussions may lead to the number of wind turbines needed to provide for the class. Keys to feasibility of sustainable energy, such as availability of power will be introduced, leading to research on the cost benefits in pursuing various renewable energies. When students conduct further research, keeping in mind their own energy use, it will help them keep figures and reasonable avenues of power generation in perspective.
Lesson three- Choose a Power: a look a current and future energy sources
Essential Questions
What are the commonly used forms of renewable energy?
What forms of renewable energy are used or could be used in your home state?
What are the pros and cons of various renewable energy forms?
What makes a website reliable?
As a mini-research project, renewable and sustainable energy offers many media for student research. Many reliable websites exist for students, often specific to state and region, that can be used to look at many forms of renewable and fossil fuel energy sources. In the student resource section is a short list of current websites that have ability level information on fossil fuel and renewable energy resources.
Students can work in groups to prepare small presentations about renewable energy sources and create graphic organizers to present to class. Group work and group presentations are an effective assessment tool to share learning and groups can be directed to investigate one specific energy source to focus on to present in a roundtable discussion. The benefit of this strategy is that different ability levels can be expected to complete the same assignment and assessed using a similar rubric. Since students can base the strength of their argument on their preferred energy source and make a case for why they chose it, it allows for variation of ability, interest, and varied sources of information. This is an effective strategy to teach about reliability of information of websites, as well as bias within information. Assessment of completed work can be assessed using a rubric that addresses reliability of information, thoroughness of research, presentation quality and teamwork.