Replacing Fossil Fuels? (Lesson 1)

Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Solar Transportation
Author:
Clayton Hudiburg
Intended Grade Level(s):
10th
11th
12th
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Density
fossil fuels
Alternative Energy
Estimated Activity Length:
1 hour 20 min
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will define energy density.
2. Students will compare energy densities among various transportation fuel options.
3. Students will compare costs per unit of energy among various transportation fuel options.
4. Students will compare energy return on energy invested among various transportation fuel
options.
5. Students will assess which fuels have the most potential to replace fossil fuels in the
transportation sector using a weighted matrix.

Common Core Standard(s) Met:
11-12.RST.7

As students begin to look at the role photovoltaics might play within the transportation energy sector, it is important for them to understand why the phasing-out of fossil fuels is such a daunting task. This

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Designing a Solar Phone Charger (Lesson 7)

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0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Author:
Brett McFarland
Intended Grade Level(s):
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Fundamentals
electrical circuits
efficiency
Estimated Activity Length:
5 hours
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will be able to design a device that can charge a phone with 4 hours of sun a day.
2. Students will use collected data and be able to support their design – i.e. the data will show that the unit will produce enough energy to charge a phone given it receives 4 hours of sun
a day.
3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations.
4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies of their circuit to others tested in this unit.
5. Students can calculate how much energy 4 hours of sunlight can produce on the solar
modules they will use.

Common Core Standard(s) Met:
N.Q .1
N.Q .2

This is the culminating activity for the unit “Off the Grid.” Students will be given some restricted parameters around which to design a solar powered battery operated phone (or other USB device) charger

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Biolite - Fire to Phone Charging (Lesson 6)

Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Author:
Brett McFarland
Intended Grade Level(s):
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Fundamentals
electrical circuits
efficiency
thermo-electric effect
calories and heat
Estimated Activity Length:
1 hour 30 min
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will use thermometers and a stopwatch to calculate power.
2. Students will use collected data and be able to make power calculations from this data.
3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations.
4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies to other circuits tested in this unit.
5. Students will know what the Peltier Junction does.

Common Core Standard(s) Met:
N.Q .1
N.Q .2

This is the 6th part in the Off the Grid Unit. This lesson continues to look at the efficiency of USB charging devices, but this time we will be using a commercially available camping stove that uses heat to create electricity in order to charge a phone. This is the Biolite stove that exploits the Peltier Junction in order to... View full description >>

DC to AC to DC Efficiency (Lesson 5)

Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Author:
Brett McFarland
Intended Grade Level(s):
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Fundamentals
electrical circuits
efficiency
Estimated Activity Length:
3 hours
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will use multimeters to measure voltage and current in circuits.
2. Students will use collected data and be able to make power calculations from this data.
3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations.
4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies in order to identify the circuit that is most
efficient.
5. Students will be able to make circuits from a diagram and vice versa.
6. Students will know what an inverter is and what it does.

Common Core Standard(s) Met:
N.Q .1
N.Q .2

This is part of the Off the Grid Unit. This lesson will continue to deal with efficiency

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Exploring Buck and Boost Converters (Lesson 4)

Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Author:
Brett McFarland
Intended Grade Level(s):
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Fundamentals
electrical circuits
efficiency
buck and boost converters
Estimated Activity Length:
3 hours
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will use multimeters to measure voltage and current in circuits.
2. Students will use collected data and be able to make power calculations from this data.
3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations.
4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies in order to identify the circuit that is most
efficient.
5. Students will be able to make circuits from a diagram and vice versa.

Common Core Standard(s) Met:
N.Q .1
N.Q .2

This lab uses a variety of voltage conversion devices to output 5 Volts, the requirements for a USB charger such as for a cell phone. Students will take data on these devices and calculate, graph and compare

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Phone Charger Efficiency (Lesson 3)

Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Author:
Brett McFarland
Intended Grade Level(s):
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Energy Fundamentals
electrical circuits
efficiency
schematic diagrams
Estimated Activity Length:
2 hours
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will use multimeters to measure voltage and current in circuits.
2. Students will use collected data and be able to make power calculations from this data.
3. Students will also be able to calculate efficiency from their power calculations.
4. Students will be able to compare efficiencies in order to identify the circuit that is most
efficient.
5. Students will be able to make circuits from a diagram and vice versa.

Common Core Standard(s) Met:
N.Q .1
N.Q .2

This is part of the Off the Grid Unit. In this lesson students will explore the concept of efficiency

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Activities and Assessment of Vocab and Units (Lesson 2)

Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Author:
Brett McFarland
Intended Grade Level(s):
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Subject Area(s) Covered:
physics
electrical energy
Estimated Activity Length:
2 hours
Learning Goal(s):
  1. Students will be able to define voltage, current, power and energy as it relates to electricity.
  2. Students will be able to define electricity and have the units for all the above terms in their Journals.
  3. Students will be able to set up multimeters for voltage and current and will be assessed on this.
Common Core Standard(s) Met:
N.Q .1
N.Q .2

This lesson is intended as a way to check for student understanding regarding the content presented in the previous lesson of this unit. The assessment takes place in two parts: a written assessment of

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Electrical Energy and Solar Module Efficiency (Lesson 1)

Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Off the Grid
Author:
Brett McFarland
Intended Grade Level(s):
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Subject Area(s) Covered:
electrical energy
Calculating power
Estimated Activity Length:
4 hours
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will document necessary terms in their journals
2. Students will be able to set up a multimeter to measure voltage
3. Students will be able to set up a multimeter to measure current
4. Students will be able to calculate power from data collected
5. Students should be able to measure the collector area of a solar module (area of solar cell(s) within
solar module) and represent this value in square meters (m^2)

Common Core Standard(s) Met:
N.Q .1
N.Q .2

This lesson will let students do research to define terms that will be used in this unit. They will record this information in their Journals, which can be scientific or simple homemade notebooks. This lesson will also introduce the multimeter, small solar modules, and how to calculate power. Students will compare the power of the module to its... View full description >>

Coeur d' Alene Tribe Natural Resources

Location:
Plummer, ID
Grade Level:
K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Technology Type:
solar
PV System Size:
14.25 - kilowatts

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is excited to host a solar-electric demonstration project that will educate students who will become the leaders in the area in the next generations. This 14.25 -kilowatt system sits atop the Tribe's Natural Resources building and was installed in 2016.
Educators from across the... Read full project narrative >>

Bioreactor Water Circulation System (Lesson 3)

Average Rating:
0
Unit:
Bioreactor Water Heating
Author:
Tami Church
Intended Grade Level(s):
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Subject Area(s) Covered:
Physical science
Energy Fundamentals; Sustainable energy
Solar/Renewable energy
Estimated Activity Length:
4 hours
Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will examine the properties of solar water pumping systems using KidWind solar water pumps or similar water pumps.
2. Students will experiment with the properties of water and its limitations in circulating due to pump power and distance.
3. Students will evaluate the use of a heat sink/chiller in the circulation of water through the bioreactor.

Solar energy is available when the sun shines but energy can be supplemented at night by the decomposition energy in a bioreactor. In this activity we will experiment with the feasibility of using heated water in a bioreactor to circulate it through a water trough or pipe system to prevent it from freezing in the winter. This method will save... View full description >>

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