Part 1 - Lesson 1: Why Use Renewable Energy?

Grades:
6-12
Unit:
A Community Powered by Renewable Energy
Lesson Number:
1
Description:

The purpose of this lesson is for students to obtain base knowledge of how renewable and non-renewable energy is generated and identify differences between renewable resources and fossil fuels. Students will research the potential long-term and short-term...

Energy Content:
Electricity Generation,
Energy Fundamentals,
Fuels,
Solar Photovoltaic,
Sources of Energy,
Wind Energy
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
1.Students will define and explain the differences between renewable and non-renewable energy sources.2.Students will research, summarize, and present the (short- and long-term) benefits and drawbacks of utilizing wind and solar energy.  3.Students will research, summarize, and present the (short- and long-term) benefits and drawbacks of utilizing fossil fuels.4.Students will generate questions about the greenhouse gas effect, identify and isolate variables, and then conduct an experiment to answer a class generated question about the greenhouse gas effect.5.Through Socratic seminar, students will use the knowledge gained over the course of this lesson to discuss the potential long- and short-term benefits and drawbacks of using fossil fuels, solar energy, and wind energy.
Pedagogy & Practice:
English Language Strategies,
Establishing a Culture of Science,
Phenomena-Driven Instruction,
Place-Based Learning,
Project-Based Learning,
Research-Secondary,
Research-Primary
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems,
4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data,
7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence,
8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Author:
Jonathan Strunin
Relevant NGSS PE:
MS-ESS3-3
Other Subjects Covered:
ELA: Reading: Scientific & Technical,
Math: Graphing & Representation
Estimated Activity Length:
8 hours

How might we design a battery that reduces e-waste? Phenomenon and Exploration

Grades:
4-5
Unit:
Understanding E-Waste Through Battery Design
Lesson Number:
1
Description:

During this introduction lesson series students will explore the guiding phenomenon to understand e-waste and connect it to battery design. Students will utilize online resources to learn about problems from e-waste around the world and the environmental...

Energy Content:
Batteries & Storage,
Circuitry,
Electrical Energy,
Electricity Generation,
Electronics,
Electrons,
Energy Fundamentals,
Fuels,
Hydrogen,
Potential & Kinetic Energy,
Solar Photovoltaic,
Wind Energy
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
1.Students will learn about the phenomenon of e-waste through online resources to explore the history of electronics.2.Students will ask questions and define problems involving the environmental impact of electronics and human impact.3.Students will evaluate and obtain information about electronic waste from online resources such as news articles and videos.4.Students will learn (or review) knowledge of circuits to design a model and explain how a circuit works.
Pedagogy & Practice:
21st Century Skills Development,
Engineering Design,
Group Work/Collaboration,
Hands-on Materials,
Phenomena-Driven Instruction,
Project-Based Learning,
Research-Secondary
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems,
2: Developing and Using Models,
6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,
7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence,
8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Author:
Jonathan Strunin
Relevant NGSS PE:
4-PS3-2,
4-PS3-4,
4-ESS3-1,
5-ESS3-1,
3-5-ETS1-1,
3-5-ETS1-2,
3-5-ETS1-3
Other Subjects Covered:
Environmental Sciences,
ELA: Informational Text,
ELA: Reading: Scientific & Technical,
Math: Graphing & Representation,
Math: Measurement,
Social Sciences: Analysis
Estimated Activity Length:
2 hours

Cost Effective Solar Cells: Researching Chemicals and Materials for Solar Cell Construction

Grades:
9-12
Unit:
Cost Effective Solar Cells
Lesson Number:
10
Description:

This lesson is designed to be completed in three 80-minute sections. The teacher will facilitate student research on solar cell designs centering around the engineering problem: How can we make a cheaper, cleaner or more efficient solar cell? Teachers...

Energy Content:
Circuitry,
Electrical Energy,
Electricity Generation,
Electrons,
Energy Fundamentals,
Materials Science,
Solar Photovoltaic
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will research chemicals, materials and procedures for their own solar cell designsStudents will write an introduction to the problem, including criteria, constraints, and solar cell conceptsStudents will research and write a rough materials and procedure for the solar cellStudents will research and describe their solar cell designs.
Pedagogy & Practice:
21st Century Skills Development,
Engineering Design,
Research-Secondary
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems,
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations,
4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data,
6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,
7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence,
8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Author:
Tom Wolverton
Relevant NGSS PE:
HS-PS1-2,
HS-PS2-6,
HS-PS3-3
Other Subjects Covered:
ELA: Reading: Scientific & Technical
Estimated Activity Length:
4 hours

Cost Effective Solar Cells: Unique Solar Cell Model Sketch and Presentation

Grades:
9-12
Unit:
Cost Effective Solar Cells
Lesson Number:
11
Description:

This lesson is designed to be completed in two 80-minute sections. The teacher will facilitate brief class presentations on the unique solar cell models. Teachers will model and encourage students to provide warm and cool feedback to the presenters,...

Energy Content:
Circuitry,
Electrical Energy,
Electricity Generation,
Energy Fundamentals,
Materials Science,
Solar Photovoltaic
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will sketch 2D or 3D models of their proposed solar cellsStudents will present their unique solar cell design ideas and sketches of their solar cells
Pedagogy & Practice:
21st Century Skills Development,
Engineering Design,
Hands-on Materials,
Research-Secondary
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems,
2: Developing and Using Models,
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Author:
Tom Wolverton
Relevant NGSS PE:
HS-PS1-2,
HS-PS2-6,
HS-PS3-3
Estimated Activity Length:
3 hours

Cost Effective Solar Cells: Unique Solar Cell Construction & Testing

Grades:
9-12
Unit:
Cost Effective Solar Cells
Lesson Number:
12
Description:

This lesson is designed to be completed in four 80-minute sections. The teacher will facilitate the construction of unique solar cells for student projects. General chemistry equipment and fabrication equipment will be needed for student construction and...

Energy Content:
Circuitry,
Electrical Energy,
Electricity and Magnetism,
Electricity Generation,
Electrons,
Energy Fundamentals,
Solar Photovoltaic
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will construct their unique solar cellsStudents will test unique solar cellsStudents will revise procedures based on solar cell testing resultsStudents will re-build and re-test solar cells
Pedagogy & Practice:
21st Century Skills Development,
Engineering Design,
Hands-on Materials,
Project-Based Learning,
Research-Secondary
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems,
2: Developing and Using Models,
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations,
4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data,
5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking,
6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,
7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence,
8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Author:
Tom Wolverton
Relevant NGSS PE:
HS-PS1-2,
HS-PS2-6,
HS-PS3-3
Other Subjects Covered:
Environmental Sciences,
ELA: Reading: Scientific & Technical
Estimated Activity Length:
0 sec

Cost Effective Solar Cells: Construction Progress and Obstacles

Grades:
9-12
Unit:
Cost Effective Solar Cells
Lesson Number:
13
Description:

This lesson is designed to be completed in one 80-minute section. The teacher will facilitate 3-4 groups as they share their construction progress and obstacles. Students will share individual results in a fishbowl setting and will participate in...

Energy Content:
Circuitry,
Electrical Energy,
Electricity Generation,
Electronics,
Electrons,
Energy Fundamentals,
Solar Photovoltaic,
Sources of Energy
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will present construction progress and project obstacles
Pedagogy & Practice:
21st Century Skills Development,
Engineering Design,
Group Work/Collaboration,
Hands-on Materials,
Project-Based Learning,
Research-Secondary
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems,
2: Developing and Using Models,
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations,
4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data,
5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking,
6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,
7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence,
8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Author:
Tom Wolverton
Relevant NGSS PE:
HS-PS1-2,
HS-PS2-6,
HS-PS3-3
Other Subjects Covered:
ELA: Reading: Scientific & Technical
Estimated Activity Length:
1 hour

Cost Effective Solar Cells: Unique Solar Cell Engineering Report

Grades:
9-12
Unit:
Cost Effective Solar Cells
Lesson Number:
14
Description:

This lesson is designed to be completed in three 80-minute sections. The teacher will have students write their engineering reports with the following sections: Introduction (taken from Lesson #10), Design (incorporating the model from Lesson #10),...

Energy Content:
Circuitry,
Electrical Energy,
Electricity and Magnetism,
Electricity Generation,
Electronics,
Electrons,
Energy Fundamentals,
Materials Science,
Solar Photovoltaic,
Sources of Energy
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will format solar cell data into tables and graphsStudents will draw conclusions based on testing dataStudents will construct an engineering report in a research poster format
Pedagogy & Practice:
21st Century Skills Development,
Engineering Design,
Group Work/Collaboration,
Hands-on Materials,
Place-Based Learning,
Research-Secondary
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,
7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence,
8: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Author:
Tom Wolverton
Relevant NGSS PE:
HS-PS1-2,
HS-PS2-6,
HS-PS3-3
Other Subjects Covered:
Environmental Sciences,
ELA: Reading: Scientific & Technical
Estimated Activity Length:
4 hours
Solar Car Student

Solar Car Challenge: Criteria, Constraints and Background

Grades:
6-8
Unit:
Solar Car Challenge
Lesson Number:
2
Description:

Students will play around with the solar car kits to familiarize themselves with the materials in preparation for the solar car engineering challenge.

Energy Content:
Solar Photovoltaic
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
To introduce students to the problem that this project will attempt to solve: building a solar car that will go straight, far, and fast to win a race.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Engineering Design
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
1: Asking Questions and Defining Problems
Author:
Karen Nelson
Other Subjects Covered:
ELA: Writing
Estimated Activity Length:
50 min
Solar Circuit

How Light Intensity Affects Solar Cell Output

Grades:
6-8
Unit:
PV Output
Lesson Number:
2
Description:

Students will expose solar cells to a light source from different distances and measure the output with a multimeter. They will compare and contrast the outputs that the different distances produce.

Energy Content:
Circuitry,
Electrical Energy,
Electricity Generation,
Light (Visible),
Solar Photovoltaic
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
After the completion of this lab, students will be able to describe how the light intensity affects solar cell output, have practiced using a multimeter, and have analyzed collected data.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Group Work/Collaboration,
Hands-on Materials
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations,
4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data,
6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions,
7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Author:
Todd Freiboth
Other Subjects Covered:
ELA: Writing,
Math: Graphing & Representation,
Math: Measurement
Estimated Activity Length:
40 min
Solar Rooftop

Macro-Scale Solar

Grades:
9-12
Unit:
Solar Resources Assessment
Lesson Number:
2
Description:

This lesson begins with basic chemistry with regards to atomic structure. The lesson then moves to understanding the special properties of silicon as a photoelectric semi- conductor. Building on this, the basic structure of photovoltaic solar cells is...

Energy Content:
Circuitry,
Electrical Energy,
Electricity Generation,
Solar Photovoltaic
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More Details Less Details
Learning Goal(s):
Students will be able to describe the basic structure of a photovoltaic solar module implementing the ideas of series and parallel wiring. Students will be able to describe the basic structure of a photovoltaic solar array implementing the ideas of series and parallel wiring. Students will be able to describe the function and necessity of an inverter when using photovoltaic arrays.
Pedagogy & Practice:
Hands-on Materials,
Project-Based Learning
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:
3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations,
6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Author:
Clayton Hudiburg
Relevant NGSS PE:
HS-PS3-3
Other Subjects Covered:
ELA: Writing,
ELA: Vocabulary Development,
Math: Measurement
Estimated Activity Length:
3 hours

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