Phenomena-Driven Instruction

Students will understand ten renewable and non-renewable energy sources on the earth.Students will learn the locations of different energy sources on the earth.Students will learn the history of energy sources and how humans have used them.Students will learn about innovations and inventions used to find, recover, store, and release energy for human consumption.Students will understand that hot air risesStudents will understand why hot water and hot air rise and cold air and cold water sink.Students will learn that wind is produced by warm air rising and cold air sinking.Students will learn that the energy of moving hot air can be converted into other forms of energy.Students will understand that energy from the sun can be converted into heat.Students will discuss the effects of the chimney stack phenomenon.Students will understand that wind energy can be converted into other forms of energy.Students will determine different methods to increase the effectiveness of a wind turbine blade by harnessing and converting the mechanical energy of the wind.Students will determine that thermal energy resulting from the sun’s radiation can create an updraft that will power a turbine to spin.                                       Students will identify characteristics of turbine design that improve the success of their device.Students will utilize content from previous phenomena they investigated, such as the chimney stack effect and Norwegian candle toys, to determine how to best harness the energy transformed by their device from the sun.Students will be able to define and explain what a solar updraft tower is.Students will make connections between their previous engineering challenge and a real world solution to the world’s growing energy demands.

1. Students will demonstrate energy transfer through space using electromagnetic phenomena. 2. Students will design a model that demonstrates that a current-carrying wire can induce magnetism. 3. Students will define and build an electromagnet. 4. Students will demonstrate electromagnetic induction. 5. Students will describe and model the energy transfer and transformation in a wave attenuator. 6. Students will build a wave attenuator using a diagram and selected materials. 7. Students will test the model wave attenuator they built. 8. Students will investigate variables that may affect the output of an energy conversion device (wave attenuator). 9. Students will interpret data to identify which variables increase electrical output for these model wave attenuators. 10. Students will communicate results from scientific inquiry to identify factors that are important to optimizing the design of a wave attenuator.

Students will understand the general structure of an energy grid Students will develop an understanding of the living conditions in Puerto Rico after Hurricane MariaStudents 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.