Environmental Issue: Energy
Background Information
| Energy |
| "Energy is the vital force powering business, manufacturing, and the transportation of goods and services to serve the American and world economies. Energy supply and demand plays an increasingly vital role in our national security and the economic output of our nation. It is not surprising that the United States spends over 500 billion dollars annually on energy." |
| U.S. Department of Energy |
Designed for grades 4 and up
An Earth Force project could be:
The Event: New Pennsylvania energy law requires the state's electric utilities to draw nonrenewable energy and other alternative energy sources for a percentage of the electricity supplied to their customers.
The Problem: Increasing use of clean and reliable energy
The Issue:
Can wind urbine be used to gnerate additional energy and minimize harm to flying animals(birds and bats)?
or
How can we help promote the fastest growing renewable energy source=wind energy?
or
Identify your own issue after conducting an environmental inventory.
Pennsylvania Academic Standards, Environment and Ecology, addressed with this issue:
4.2. Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources
4.2.4 A Identify the needs of people
4.2.7.A Know that raw materials come from natural resources
4.2.7.B Examine the renewability of reosurces
4.2.7.C Explain natural resource distribution
4.3.7. Environmental Health
4.3.7. A Identify environmental health issues
4.3.7. B Describe how human action affect the health of the environment
4.9.7. Environmental Laws and Regulations
4.9.7. A Explain the role of environmental law and regulations
Documents on Energy:
Glossary A-P; Glossary Q-Z
Websites with Energy Information:
General Information
- Alliance to Save Energy - The site includes useful on-line lesson plans for K-12 and a hands-on, multidisciplinary educational initiative program called Green Schools that encourages energy-efficiency in both behavioral changes and retrofitting of schools.
http://www.ase.org/educators/download.htm - Bonneville Power Authority - energy efficiency and "Classroom-In-A-Box" program.
http://www.bpa.gov/Energy/N/ - U.S. Department of Energy
http://www.energy.gov/foreducators.htm - Energy Matters - Office of Industrial Technologies, this site has a link to Best Management Practices at Home
http://www.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/energymatters/ - Energy Matters - Section/Category Directory
http://www.thinkenergy.com/
Renewable Energy
- Renewable Energy
http://www.ecomall.com/activism/renew.htm
- Energy Independant Communities - The Institute for Environmental Research and Education has recently completed a study of community-based energy sustainability, and has produced a guide to help communities evaluate their energy uses and the potential for renewable energy development.
http://www.iere.org/documents/EnergyIndependentCommunities-10yearplan.pdf - Geothermal Education Office
http://geothermal.marin.org/ - KidWind Project - Michael Arquin's web page provides curriculum materials, PowerPoint presentations, links to science projects, and a wind challenge project - all can be used to prepare students to promote wind energy in their communities.
Nonrenewable Energy
- American Petroleum Institute
www.api.org
Activities/Lesson Plans
- Conducting an energy audit - visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/greenschools/index.htm
- Energy and Society - Energy Education, Pre K-8 Activity Guide, 1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 780, Washington, DC 20036
Project Learning Tree - Ask ERIC Lesson Plans Database - US Dept. of Education's "Educational Resources Information Center"
http://askeric.org/Virtual/Lessons - The Atoms Family - learn about atoms, electricity and more
http://www.miamisci.org/af/sln - Bang! Boing! Pop! - interactive physics tutor
http://library.thinkquest.org/3042/?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0402 - Dr. E's Energy Lab - Dr. E's Energy Lab provides informative and interactive games and links for students and adults alike.
http://www.eren.doe.gov/kids/ - Education World - lessons on energy
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2124.shtml - Energy Quest - This award-winning site begins teaching students all about energy by allowing them to explore different objects in a child's room.
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/ - Energy Information Administration Kids' Page - The EIA Kids' page offers a wide variety of information including milestones in energy, renewable and nonrenewable energy, and student and teacher resources.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/ - Energy Matters - This interactive simulation challenges 6th-12th grade students to make energy decisions for an imaginary country. To help understand energy challenges, students learn about the history, theory, economics, and drawbacks of major sources of energy.
http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/index.html?tqskip=1&tqskip1=1&tqtime=0708" - Florida Solar Energy Center - teacher's resources page with various curriculum
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/ed/k12_teach_rsrc/index.htm - Franklin Institute Wind Learning Center
http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/units/energy/wind.html - General Electric (GE) - Learning Unit on Light & Lighting
http://www.gelighting.com/na/home/gela/index.htm - Houston Museum of Natural History - Energy Lesson Plans, Energy is ... is one of the activities, this is a good introduction activity.
http://www.hmns.org/education/education.asp?r=1 - InfinitePower.com Lesson Plans - Texas State Energy Conservation Office lesson plans on renewable energy
http://www.infinitepower.org/lessonplans.htm - National Science Teachers's Association - Integrated Energy Lessons
http://www2.nsta.org/energy/find/lessons/ - The Teacher's Corner - magnets and electricity
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/thematicunits/current.htm - Teacher's Lab - A Place for Teachers to Explore New Ideas in Learning
http://www.learner.org/teacherslab/ - Watt's New - A site sure to interest elementary students, users learn to be less wasteful while helping a mad scientist find enough power in his castle to awaken a monster.
http://www.wattsnew.com - List of available curriculum re-alignment materials offered through the Department of Education, Office of Environment and Ecology.