Overview

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Standards

Partners in Time Kits:

Authors: Mindy Brown; Lori Scott Subject(s): Coordinated and Thematic Science 10 and Mathematics Grade Level: 7-12

Unit Objective(s)/Overview:

Students will be divided into groups and assigned a country to investigate. They must assume the country is having an energy crisis.  The student will research and decide which alternative energy source(s) would be most efficient in their assigned country.  The student will then engineer and construct a model of the alternative energy source using materials they already have and give a presentation about the country and the alternative energy source they chose. They must discuss why they chose the particular energy source as opposed to others.

Scenario:

There have been rolling blackouts in your country due to government attempts to encourage citizens to conserve electricity.  Your mission is to prevent your country from plunging into darkness.  In six months, if citizens have not reduced their electrical usage by 25%, the electricity will be shut off for twenty-four hours.  Each region will have an assigned day of the week that they will be without electricity. You and your fellow engineers from various schools of engineering work for the government.  You have been charged with reducing your country's need for fossil fuels as the major source of electricity.  You must find an ideal location for the best alternative energy source(s) in order to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels.  You will be national heroes if you find the most efficient alternative energy source.  A billionaire software engineer that lives in your country, Gill Bates, has pledged to give the members of the team that solve this problem the automobile of their choice, along with a lifetime supply of alternative fuel.  You must submit a typed proposal of your solution and your group must come to a consensus about which alternative is the best for your country.  Additionally, teams must construct a 3-D model of the alternative energy source and present a PowerPoint on your country, the energy source(s) you considered, and how this alternative energy source will keep the lights on.

Standards:

Students will be developing solutions to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels through research and constructing models of various alternative energy sources.   The standards we will be addressing describe students investigating the interdependence of science and technology.   In this problem the student will research how scientists are trying to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.  Many of these problems have been created by technology and are societal problems. Students need to be aware of the problems and understand their role in solving these problems.   It is very easy for students to see how our reliance on oil is driving gasoline prices higher.  Any alternative energy source reduces our reliance on fossil fuels.  A reduction in consumption of fossil fuels not only will be more cost effective, but will also help clean up and preserve the environment.

Resources:

Computers with Internet access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, calculators, various common materials that the students already have at home as further outlined in the lessons, rubrics, handouts

Pre-Assessment:

Post-Assessment:

Credits and References: