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EXPERTISE

STEP 1: Become an expert on one aspect of energy, from its production to its transport through circuits, to gain a deeper understanding of the problem at hand. CHOOSE ONE WAY from the choices below.

Click here and CHOOSE ONE of the ways to gain Expertise

Become a Circuit Expert

Circuits are used in all electrical appliances to convert electrical energy into other, more useful forms. Every computer, cell phone, and even your fridge has a circuit integrated somewhere, giving us control over that item using electrical energy. Find out about building electrical circuits using this animation program.

Become an expert on Renewable Sources

Renewable energy sources represent the future for our planet, as they, unlike non-renewable sources, will never run out. The more efficiently and effectively we can harness these sources, the smaller our dependence on non-renewable sources becomes, and the less we damage our environment through the use of fossil fuels. Find out more about renewable sources here. Watch a short movie about renewable energy sources here.

Become an expert on Bio fuels

Bio fuels are a more recent development in the renewable fuel source market. Huge fields of oil-producing plants are harvested and converted into a fuel that some modern vehicles and machines can run on. Find out about its effectiveness here. However, this renewable fuel also has a lot of problems associated with it, such as deforestation to make space for the huge fields required, and release of Greenhouse Gases.

EMPATHY

STEP 2: Imagine seeing the world through the eyes of a person or organism directly affected by our methods of generating and using energy. CHOOSE ONE WAY to learn more about how energy production affects organisms and people that live in the surrounding area.

Click here and CHOOSE ONE of the ways to gain Empathy

Complete this page (also in Portfolio) to complete ONE Empathy activities listed below.

Consider the impact of wind turbines on birds

Large wind turbines in the countryside are a fantastic way of harvesting clean, renewable energy. However, there are multiple problems with a wind turbine's impact on the local wildlife. Birds frequently collide with the turbine's large blades, and the noise can also disorient birds flying nearby.

Consider the impact of Fossil Fuels on humans

In many industrialized cities around the world, air quality is rapidly deteriorating due to the use of fossil fuels. Cars, power stations, and factories all burn huge quantities of these fuels every day, impacting the people around them.

Consider the impact of hydroelectric dams on animals living in rivers

Dams have long been used as a reliable source of power, as a river will never stop flowing. However, the construction of a dam has a huge impact on the flow and the course of a river, and this causes a lot of problems for the fish and mammals living in the river. Many fish migrate to breeding rounds to reproduce. However, the construction of dams can interfere with these migration routes. In certain areas of Asia, river dolphins have almost been driven to extinction, partly due to bad water quality in rivers, and partly due to the disturbance of their habitat through dams.

ENGINEER

STEP 3: To understand more about renewable energy, you will complete an engineering challenge to create a model of one aspect of energy. CHOOSE ONE challenge from the list below. [Note: Some supplies for the Challenges are provided in the ecoSTEM Renewable Energy Kit.]

Click here and CHOOSE ONE engineering design challenge

Engineering Practices

Refer to this Engineering Design Challenge flow chart (included in your Portfolio) to learn more about the iterative process of prototyping, testing, and revising designs until an effective product is created. Also check out this rubric from Iridescent Learning for assessment of student engineering projects.

Solar Oven

Design a functional cooker that uses the heat of the sun to cook whatever you put inside it! Find out more about requirements and materials here.

Wind Turbine

Design a turbine that uses the wind to generate electricity, that you can then use to power a light bulb or charge a battery. Find out more about the process here. The wind turbine is provided in Captain Planet's EcoSTEM Renewable Energy Kit.??

Solar Powered Device

Design a device that harnesses the energy of the sun, converting it to electrical energy using photo-voltaic cells, more commonly known as solar panels. Find out more about the process here. ??

EXAMINE

STEP 4: Complete this group activity on Power Generation and Energy Transformation

Click here to open the case study

Jigsaw Activity

Divide into evenly numbered groups of around 6 - 8 members. Each member of the group is assigned a section with the corresponding articles. Members of different groups who have been assigned the same section then read and discuss the article together. Finally, each person reports back to their original group about the article they read, and what they learned from it.

Topic	Articles
Electricity in the US	How electricity is generated, by state Electrical sources in the US
Fossil Fuels	Fossil fuels data and charts on production and consumption with analysis Converting coal into electricity Greenhouse gas equivalency calculator
Wind Energy	Khan Academy / NOAA wind and solar energy modules online
Solar Energy	Converting solar into electricity Khan Academy / NOAA wind and solar energy modules online
Energy Transformation	Each step / each energy transformation How power is generated from steam

EXPERIMENT

STEP 5: Implement the scientific method to carry out an experiment

Click here to open information on the experiment

Deliverable: Explore an aspect of local water quality

I gained Expertise in one aspect of energy.
I gained Empathy for an organism or people affected by energy production.
I designed and prototyped an Engineering solution to an energy problem.
I completed the jigsaw activity to learn more about renewable energy.
I completed an experiment to answer a question about renewable energy.

TO REASON

To ACT

Renewable Energy

Portfolio

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Gather

Reason

EXPLORE

Act

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