Energy Lesson Plan: Alternative Energy Companies

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Anabel McGee
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1 Energy Lesson Plan: Alternative Energy Companies Ashlee Giordano Northfield Jr. Sr. High School Grade 7-8 Overview: Students will be in small groups of 3-4 people. Each group represents an alternative energy company. Students will persuade the mayor of the city to buy their energy. Student Objectives: Students will define fossil fuels and alternative energy. Students will explain how fossil fuels affect the environment. Students will use evidence from internet research to persuade the teacher that their alternative energy is better than the others. Students will diagram how their alternative energies work. Driving Question: What alternative energy source is best suited for the geography surrounding your school? Standards: Indiana State Standards: Core Standard: Explain that energy cannot be created or destroyed but instead can only be changed from one form into another or transferred from place to place. (7.1.1, 7.1.2, 7.1.3, 7.1.4) Core Standard: Describe how human activities have changed the land, water, and atmosphere. (8.2.6, 8.2.7) Understand that energy is the capacity to do work Explain that energy can be used to do work using many processes (e.g., generation of electricity by harnessing wind energy). Indiana Science Literacy Standards: 6-8.RS.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science texts. 6-8.RS.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. 6-8.WS.1 Write arguments to focus on discipline-specific content. Day 1: 1.) Starter Question: What are fossil fuels? How do humans use them? 2.) Students will take this quiz to show how much they know about power plants. 3.) Mini lecture on how fossil fuels are formed, how humans use them, and the effects on the environment. Day 2: 1.) Starter Question: How do fossil fuels form? 2.) Look at chart on what type of energy Indiana uses. Determine which give off carbon emissions, and which types are renewable versus non-renewable. 3.) Students will get into their groups to brainstorm (using whiteboards if available) the different kinds of alternative energy sources. 4.) Class discussion about each alternative energy sources that they come up with, listing some benefits and drawbacks of each. This will address prior knowledge. 5.) Students will be introduced to the project. (See the letter from the mayor pg. 3, assessment pg. 4 and time sheet pg. 5) Day 3: 1.) Starter Question: What alternative energy source does your company sell? Briefly explain how it works. 2.) Make a diagram on whiteboards showing how their alternative energy works by doing Internet research (suggest 3.) Start letter of intent (the purpose of this is to make sure the group has a plan in place for their business presentation) Day 4: 1

Students will explain how fossil fuels affect the environment. Students will use evidence from internet research to persuade the teacher that their alternative energy is better than the others.

2 1.) Starter Question: Why is your alternative energy source the best for the area? 2.) Letter of intent, logo, business cards Day ) Starter Question: Compare your alternative energy to another source of alternative energy in a Venn Diagram. 2.) Get letter approved; start making business pitch in form of powerpoint, prezi, imovie, skit Day 9-10: 1.) Starter Question: What other energy company do you think is your biggest competition and why? 2.) Presentations 3.) Wrap Up Discussion: Is it really best to only have one type of energy in an area? Extension Activity: Students can do the Duke Energy Challenge found at: It can be a class competition where the student with the lowest carbon emissions and lowest cost wins. City of Northfield 2

) Get letter approved; start making business pitch in form of powerpoint, prezi, imovie, skit Day 9-10: 1.

3 154 W 200 N Wabash, IN Office of the Mayor Miss Giordano The City of Northfield is inviting your company to participate in a sales presentation. Our town has extremely high standards and expects our energy supplier to have the same. If you want our business, you will need to convince us that you are a better company than your competitors and that you can provide highly reliable, environmentally safe energy to our town. Your company must send a letter of intent to the mayor. The letter will introduce your company to us. Please present your letter in the form of a business letter. The letter will inform the town what your company is and what you are willing to provide to our town. In order to show your professionalism, your company must have the following (minimum): A company name A company logo A company motto A company folder with the company logo A professional presentation organized in Google Docs (could include an imovie, or other forms of media within) A marketing director will be appointed in each company. At all times the marketing director is responsible for the company folder. The marketing director is responsible for keeping attendance, and writing down the tasks completed that day. The other roles include data analyst who is responsible for making sure information is credible and citing information, graphics director who is responsible for the company logo, and adding in all graphs and pictures to the Google presentation, and writer/editor who is responsible for writing the letter of intent and checking for grammatical errors in the presentation. All students are responsible for researching information and being knowledgeable on your topic. We are waiting your reply. If you should have any questions, please contact Mayor Giordano. Sincerely, Miss Giordano Mayor City of Northfield Assessment: 3

If you want our business, you will need to convince us that you are a better company than your competitors and that you can provide highly reliable, environmentally safe energy to our town.

4 Energy Project Presentation Requirements Requirement Points earned Points possible minute presentation 5 Professionally presented 10 (dress, speech, knowledge) Logical (introduction, body, 5 conclusion) Clearly explain how your 10 type of energy is produced (show evidence of research) Include at least 3 visuals 9 one must be a graph you have made or interpreted (others pictures, videos) Include information that is 10 well-researched include a works cited page Letter of intent 5 Company Name 1 Company logo 5 Company motto 5 Persuade the Mayor to choose your company (talk about why other energies are not as good and why yours is, include what is currently being used in Indiana) 5 Total: 70 Time Sheet (5 points a day for active participation) 4

5 Date Person Activity Complete: Yes/No Costs: -Card Stock Paper for Business Cards 5

6 -Poster Board if needed -Construction Paper -Sharpies -Markers Total = $30 Sources: How Much Energy Does Each State Produce? (Energy.gov) Quiz: Know Your Power Plant (Energy.gov) Duke Energy Vision (Duke Energy Vision) 6

gov/maps/how-much-energy-does-each-state-produce Quiz: Know Your Power Plant (Energy.

The purpose of this unit plan is to help students research and share information about Renewable

Page 1 of 6 Renewable Sources of Energy: A Research and Building Unit Plan Brief description The purpose of this unit plan is to help students research and share information about Renewable Sources of