The Biomass Balancing Act
(An Investigation of Biomass as a Sustainable Energy Resource)
Overview:
Students will work cooperatively to research biomass using an international energy research foundation's educational website. They will use evidence from the web search to assess biomass energy potential in Pennsylvania as part of a classroom “Alternative Energy Commission.” After preparing and sharing a fact sheet for biomass energy, students will witness a demonstration illustrating the presence of carbon dioxide and design an experiment to investigate carbon neutrality. The suggested time frame for this lesson is three to four (3-4) 50-minute class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Biomass is all plant and animal material on the earth’s surface.
2. Biomass energy is a form of stored solar energy.
3. Biomass can be used for heating, power (electricity) generation or transportation.
4. The process of sustainably producing energy with biomass is carbon neutral.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Identify biomass resources.
2. Describe how biomass is a form of stored solar energy.
3. Explain how a particular biomass resource can be used to produce heat or electricity or contribute to transportation resource needs.
4. Design an experiment to demonstrate how it can be said that sustainable biomass energy production is carbon neutral.
Assessment Strategies
1. Participation in small group and whole class discussion.
2. Small group completion of a web-investigation using various educational websites on biomass and bioenergy.
3. Evaluation of experimental design.
Materials
Parts 1 & 2
• 1 Computer with Internet access for each student group
• Teacher computer (if presenting video in a large group)
• Projection equipment (if presenting video in a large group)
• 1 Student Handout per group
Part 3
• Carbon Cycle lecture materials (found in the Teacher Notes)
Multimedia Resources
• PA Energy Biomass movie segment [QuickTime video (7:26)]
• Bioenergy Cycle image [bioenergy-cycle-med2.jpg]
External Multimedia Sources
Websites:
• http://www.eniscuola.net/eng/testo.aspx?id=7 (Part 1 and 2)
• http://www.ucar.edu/learn (Part 3)
• http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_4_2_17t.htm (Extension)
Procedures
Part 1: Pennsylvania Biomass Technology (30 min)
1. Share the PA Energy Biomass movie (Practitioners may elect to project the movie for the entire class or allow students to view from the internet in small groups). [If pressed for time with this content, the video may be shown as an introduction to Part 2.]
2. Divide students into small groups [Note: It may be helpful to sort into five groups since Part 2 works well with such an organization] and prompt them to help you formulate a working definition of biomass.
3. Debrief main points of video as a class and develop the concept of biomass from the offerings of small group work into a large concept map or visual.
4. Display the students’ definitions and concept maps/visuals in the classroom as a reference.
Part 2: Web Investigation (1-50 min Class Period)
1. To further investigate biomass as an energy resource, refer to an international energy research foundation 's Education Web Site on Biomass, http://www.eniscuola.net/eng/testo.aspx?id=7
(This website was created by the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei with the support of: Ministry of Education, University and Research -Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory
© Eniscuola.net - All rights reserved.)
2. Break the class into five (5) groups to explore the site’s first five subtopics (Group 1 may focus on “What is it?”, Group 2, “What is it for?”, Group 3, "Where is it?", Group 4, "A bit of history", Group 5 "Energy Production".)
3. Present the website and discuss the subtopics. Set groups off to work independently to complete their sections of the Student Handout.
4. Bring groups back to a whole class setting to share findings and create a summary document or fact sheet for biomass and bioenergy. Encourage students to see how a Pennsylvania perspective may differ from or be similar to an international perspective on biomass.
Part 3: Designing an Experiment (1-50 min Class Period)
1. Give a short lecture using the diagram of the Carbon Cycle from the page 3 of the Teacher Notes.
2. Demonstrate an experimental set-up for identifying the presence of carbon dioxide modified from Activity 17 of Project Learn, “Where in the World is Carbon Dioxide?” found at http://www.ucar.edu/learn from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). (Demonstration procedure included on page 6 of the Teacher Notes).
3 Allow students to work in pairs to select a particular type of biomass and brainstorm and/or design a short experiment to gather evidence about carbon neutrality and their biomass source.
Extension
(1-2 50 min Class Periods)
1. Take it the next step--implement a student-designed experiment (or combination of designs) to model a life scale investigation to quantify the emissions of various biomass resources. Using the full experiment sequence in Activity 17 of Project Learn is a fantastic model and can be found at: http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_4_2_17t.htm.
Thinking about Energy
(A Survey of Students’ Understandings of Energy Resources in Pennsylvania)
Overview:
The following PA Standards-aligned lesson allows practitioners to assess students’ prerequisite knowledge about energy concepts to implement instructional strategies that capitalize on students’ understanding to create the most effective learning environment.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. their perceptions about various concepts of energy affect their understanding of these concepts.
2. studying physical science will enhance their comprehension of energy concepts.
3. natural resources vary in their value, location, and availability.
4. resources can be nonrenewable or renewable.
5. the sustainability of natural resources is important.
6. there are differences in energy efficiency for various types of resources.
7. there are differences in usage of resources (for energy) in various societies.
Teachers will become familiar with
1. the usability of a pre- and post-instructional web-based survey tool.
2. the prerequisite knowledge upon which students build their conceptions of energy.
3. any misconceptions that could impact future student learning.
4. the alignment of curricula with Pennsylvania Science & Technology and Environment and Ecology Standards.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. navigate through a web-based survey that sparks curiosity and understanding of energy concepts.
2. describe how their prior perceptions influence their understanding of energy concepts.
3. identify how their conceptions of energy change or are reinforced by completing the survey.
4. evaluate their comprehension about concepts of energy.
Assessment Strategies
1. Student understandings about energy-related concepts will be evaluated through their completion of a multimedia driven, pre-and post-instructional survey tool, Thinking about Energy.
2. Students will participate in a metacognitive journaling exercise to document their pre-instructional experience with the survey.
3. Student participation will be assessed through a small group activity to examine the nature of resources.
Materials
• Reference materials to activate prior knowledge (print, manipulables, multimedia)
• Computer with Internet access
• Student Handouts
• Student Answer Sheet (Energy Survey)
• Teacher Notes, Teacher’s Guide, Teacher’s Survey Guide
Multimedia Resources
• “History of PA Energy through the 20th Century” [QuickTime movie](3:31)
• Energy Basics Student Survey “Thinking About Energy”
Before the Lesson
• Gather reference materials
• View the “History of PA Energy through the 20th Century” video and test-run with technology set-up of your choice. You may want to download the video to your computer or copy it to a DVD.
• Make copies of the group discussion document from the Student Handout and “Thinking About Energy” student answer sheet.
Procedures
Part 1: Introduce Content & Complete Survey (1- 50 minute Class Period)
1. Introduce 6-8 grade students to the content using a framing question such as:
What resources will allow us to continue to live the way we do through the 21st century and beyond?
Students in grades 9-12 could be introduced to the content using a framing statement and question such as: In order to maintain our current standard of living, we depend upon environmental quality; the availability, use and access to resources; and our society’s political and cultural structure. What resources will allow us to continue to live the way we do through the 21st century and beyond? What factors impact the resources we will rely upon?
2. To present the survey, explain the idea of “thinking about your own thinking” as a means to better understand energy concepts as well as a means for teachers to prepare their instruction. Inform students that they will complete a survey about their understandings about energy concepts to help identify all of the things they know already and what the class should do as a whole to learn more about energy.
3. Allow students to work individually to complete the Thinking about Energy survey. They will need to view the energy animations on the computer to complete the survey. The survey is located at http://www.pspb.org/E21/media/student_energy_survey.html. Be sure to emphasize the fact that students will need to use the answer sheet to complete the exercise.
4. Review the survey with the class to address any questions and alternate conceptions. (This step could also be done later in this lesson or a larger unit studying energy to allow students to assess how their thinking about energy may have changed.)
Part 2: Homework Assignment
1. Revisit the framing questions and invite a short discussion to further hook students by illustrating our current standard of living through the use of manipulables such as an iPod, cell phone, and print or electronic visuals of transportation infrastructure and the products we have visuals access to because of the systems we have in place (i.e., exotic foods, clothing, etc).
2. Assign students the homework task of pondering the framing question and identifying at least two resources that they will use in the next 24 hours. Encourage students to collect and share the resources during the next class meeting.
3. In addition, prompt students to use the Student Handout “Reflective Writing Activity” to reflect on their experience with the survey. Have them explain any concepts that made them question their current beliefs about energy, define what a resource is, and describe how confident they are in their definition. Give students the opportunity to record any new questions they want to ask about resources and energy. This response could be emailed or delivered in hardcopy with students’ examples of resources.
Part 3: Debrief Homework and View “History of PA Energy through 20th Century” Video (30 min Class Period)
1. Allow students to share their examples of energy use in small groups. Challenge groups to develop a scheme for categorizing the examples they present. Assign group members with responsibilities so that a record of the small group discussion can be preserved for later use.
2. Share video with students as a large group.
3. Return students to their small groups and give them an opportunity to make any modifications to their categorizations.
4. Develop a class discussion about the differences among perpetual, renewable, and nonrenewable resources and those that are recycled and reusable based upon student categorizations of energy resources.
5. Collect each small group’s discussion document and share ideas.
Running on Renewables
(Utilizing HOMER: Modeling Software for Hybrid Electric Power Systems)
Overview:
Students utilize software developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) called HOMER to find out what costs and benefits are associated with converting or combining sustainable technology to their school’s power production portfolio. Their mission will be to best utilize a “Clean Energy Grant” to assist the school in the purchase of renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaic arrays (solar panels). Two separate courses or tracks of study based on experience are presented. In Track 1 students use a pre-existing data file and in Track 2 students create a data file to make decisions about what renewable energy sources are best utilized and most cost-effective in their region. Suggested time frame for implementing this lesson is three (3) 50 minute class periods.
Please note: the HOMER software works only on PCs. You will need extra time to download and learn how to use the software, prior to implementing this lesson. If you would like to learn more about HOMER and how it works, visit these sites:
http://www.nrel.gov/homer
http://www.mistaya.ca/homer
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Renewable and nonrenewable resources supply energy and materials.
2. Examples of alternative sources of renewable energy are solar photo voltaic (PV) cells, wind turbines, biomass and fuel cells.
3. The sun is a major source of energy that emits wavelengths of visible light, infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Light is captured by solar photo voltaic (PV) cells and converted into electricity.
4. A wind turbine uses the wind which turns the propeller like blades. The blades turn a shaft that spins a generator to make electricity.
5. Alternative sources of renewable energy can supply supplemental energy or can be utilized as an independent energy source.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Devise and carry out a procedure in HOMER to make decisions about what renewable energy sources are best utilized, and most cost-effective, in their region using a regionally-specific sample data set.
2. Evaluate and analyze design options for different micropower systems that model an on-grid power source to determine if the renewable resources are an adequate power source.
3. Change the renewable energy parameters within HOMER - including PV, wind turbines, fuel cells, etc.
4. Analyze factors affecting the availability of renewable and nonrenewable resources.
5. Evaluate the advantages of reusing our natural resources and renewable energy sources.
6. Describe how technology has changed the use of natural resources and how newer technologies are allowing us to create renewable energy sources.
Assessment Strategies
1. Evaluation of completed student handout utilizing HOMER to assess the best renewable energy sources for their school.
2. Group discussion of key ideas about renewable energy sources.
3. Evaluation of the inquiry based worksheet, which evaluates how HOMER was utilized to solve an individually devised sustainable problem, and what results were interpreted from HOMER’s analysis data.
Materials
Per student:
Track 1:
• Computer with HOMER software and PA Energy File
• Download the free HOMER software (version 2.19) by accessing http://www.nrel.gov/homer/
• Download the free PA Energy File for HOMER from the E21 Web site
• Student Handout (Track 1): A Guide to Using the PA Energy File and HOMER (5 pages)
• Student Worksheet Tracks 1 & 2, one copy per student or show on projector for entire class to view.
• Extension Worksheet Tracks 1 and 2: Running on Renewables (3 pages)
• Calculator
Track 2:
• Computer with HOMER software
• Download the free software (version 2.19) by accessing http://www.nrel.gov/homer/
• Student Handout Track 2: A Step-by-Step Guide (9 pages)
• Student Worksheet Tracks 1 & 2, one copy per student or show on projector for entire class to view.
• Extension Worksheet Tracks 1 and 2: Running on Renewables (3 pages)
• Calculator
Multimedia Resources
Interactive
• Wind Story
Videos
• Wind (6:36)
• Photovoltaics (pv4) (1:11)
• Power Systems (1:58)
• PA Energy’s Energy from the Sun (4:15)
Procedures
Part 1: Review on Renewable Energy Sources (30 minutes)
1. Facilitate a small discussion about the importance of renewable energy sources. Provide an overview of the activities that the class is going to embark upon.
2. As a class have the students watch the Wind movie and go through the Wind Story interactive.
3. Have the students also watch a movie clip on solar panels called Photovoltaics (pv4).
4. Follow with a look at the Power Systems movie.
5. If time permits, also watch the movie clip called PA Energy’s Energy from the Sun.
6. Review and discuss how wind and solar energy are renewable resources.
Part 2: Introduction to HOMER (1 50 minute Class Period)
Track 1
1. Introduce the basis of the HOMER lesson.
2. Have students complete the Running on Renewables Student Worksheet for Tracks 1 & 2.
3. Allow students to work alone or in pairs at the computer to become familiar with HOMER.
4. Allow the students to follow the instructions on using HOMER using the Student Handout Track 1: A Guide to Using the PA Energy File and HOMER. They will input data from the PA Energy File.hmr into the HOMER program.
5. After students have gone through the exercise allow them to discuss their results and thoughts on renewable energy.
Track 2
1. Introduce the basis of the HOMER lesson.
2. Have students complete the Running on Renewables Student Worksheet for Tracks 1 & 2.
3. Allow students to work alone or in pairs at the computer to become familiar with HOMER.
4. Allow the students to follow the instructions on using HOMER using the Student Handout Track 2: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using HOMER. They will input data from the Student Worksheet for Tracks 1 & 2 into the computer program.
5. After students have gone through the exercise allow them to discuss their results and thoughts on renewable energy.
Extension
Part 3: Inquiry Based Investigation Using HOMER (1 50 minute Class Period)
1. Give students Running on Renewables Extension Worksheet Tracks 1 and 2.
2. Explain that they want to come up with a scheme that allows HOMER to simulate their school running solely on renewable energy.
3. Have the students work at the computer following the instructions on the Extension Worksheet Tracks 1 and 2.
4. Students will first remove the Diesel generator.
5. Students will need to adjust specific parameters and add a battery to the system. (Hint: Students may need to use an excessive amount of batteries (300 or more), about 300 or more wind turbines and at least a 25kW PV array.)
6. Students can alter as many parameters as needed so that HOMER will be able to calculate the data.
7. Discuss with the class if their renewable sources were effective and feasible to run a school.
Maximum Power Point
(The Principles of Optimizing Photovoltaic Cell Power Output)
Overview:
In this lesson, students will investigate how to optimize the power output of a photovoltaic cell using a home-made gnomon stand. Data collected from students’ investigations will be used to create current-voltage and power-voltage curves to determine the “maximum power point,” (MPP) at which their PV cell operates. The suggested time frame for this lesson is two to three (2-3) 50-minute class periods .
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Photovoltaic (PV) systems have unique advantages over conventional power-generating technologies. PV systems can be designed for a variety of applications and operational requirements.
2. The high cost of PV modules and equipment (as compared to conventional energy sources) is the primary limiting factor for the technology.
3. Voltage is the measure of the force by which an electron is pushed through a circuit; its unit is the volt (V). Current (I) is defined as the flow of electrons, and its unit is the ampere (A). Power is the product of voltage times current; its unit is the watt (W).
4. Ohm’s Law describes the relationship between current, voltage and resistance.
5. The angle at which a solar cell is positioned in relation to the sun affects its power output.
6. The amount of current produced by a PV cell is proportional to the amount of the light hitting the cell; therefore, increasing light intensity or increasing the size of the cell itself will increase the power output of the cell.
7. In order to construct a solar-powered system that will work at maximum efficiency, numerous factors pertaining to the design must be considered.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Identify the main parts of a PV system.
2. Wire a solar cell, resistor, and multimeter in series.
3. Determine the optimal conditions for operating a PV panel in a circuit with known resistance.
4. Graphically illustrate the relationship between power and voltage to describe a PV cell’s “maximum power point” (MPP).
Assessment Strategies
1. Evaluation of the completed student handouts and the student’s participation in class discussions.
2. Observation of student’s participation and performance during an inquiry-based activity.
Materials
Part 1:
• Teacher computer with internet access
• Student computers with internet access–small groups
• Projection equipment
• Video Clips (see multimedia resources below)
Part 2, Per Group:
• Photovoltaic panel
• 2 Multimeters (or an ammeter and a voltmeter) (capable of reading at least 200mA of current)
• 2 insulated wires with alligator clips
• Several resistors of varying capacity (different for each group, if possible)
• 1 “gnomon stand” (construction directions included in Teacher Notes)
• Compass
• Computer
• Microsoft Excel or comparable graphing software (optional)
Notes on Materials
Most materials should be available in a physics lab. However, RadioShack and other electronics stores will carry inexpensive multimeters and circuit building equipment. A great compendium of suppliers for various science materials can be found at the following website: http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/snacksupplies.html.
A great resource for solar panels and solar car kits is Sun Wind: http://www.sunwind.ca/kits/sunnyside_instruct.html.
Multimedia Resources
Part 1
• Energy from the Sun (4:15) [QuickTime movie]
Part 2
• Pv4 (1:11) [QuickTime movie]
Optional
• Inverter (:44) [QuickTime movie]
• Solar Water Heater(1:37) [QuickTime movie]
• Passive Solar (1:01) [QuickTime movie]
Procedures
Part 1: Investigate solar energy and how a PV cell works (30 minutes)
1. Introduce the investigation of solar power with a discussion of the major source of energy in the system—the sun. The supplemental video segment from Penn State Public Broadcasting’s PA Energy’s, “Energy from the Sun” may be used to introduce the array of solar applications in Pennsylvania. [Optional: The following series of movies filmed at Penn State’s Center for Sustainability may be used to highlight components of the photovoltaic system including the inverter and two different types of solar applications: “Inverter,” “Solar Water Heater,” and “Passive Solar.”]
2. Allow students to work in small groups to manipulate the PV system animation (http://www.greenspec.co.uk/html/design/materials/pvcells.html) and complete Part 1 of the student handout. To take a look at the micro-scale of what happens in a solar cell, allow students to access and view the short video, "Pv4” from individual computers.
Part 2: Build and test a PV system (1-50 minute Class Period)
1. Distribute “Part 2” materials to pairs or trios of students.
2. You may wish to demonstrate how to wire the solar panel, resistor, and multimeter in series (described in the Maximum Power Point student handout) before taking your class outside. Utilizing two multimeters perfects the circuit science in this lesson. Realizing that access to such materials is limiting, the multimeter can be wired parallel to the solar cell and one lead moved to the resistor to proceed with the experiment.
3. Circulate among student groups as they work together to wire their solar panel circuits and turn on the multimeters. [They should obtain a current reading of about 120-150mA. If not, make sure that they have their multimeters set to the 200mA, 20VDC setting.] Students should obtain a gnomon stand and attach their solar panel to the stand with duct tape.
4. Students should now head outside and follow the instructions for Part 2 in the Maximum Power Point student handout. In this section, students should experiment with the PV cell to investigate solar orientation and angle of incidence. Once they determine the angle producing the highest power output, they should investigate how varying the direction at which the panel is facing affects power.
5. Once students have completed the outdoor portion, return to the classroom to discuss what conditions optimized the power output of the PV cell in students’ explorations and allow students to complete questions b-g of the student handout.
Part 3: Construct current-voltage and power curves (1, 50 minute Class Period)
1. Create Table 2 (in Part 3 of the student handout) by compiling each group’s data for the resistance, angle of incidence, current, and voltage that produced the most power in Part 2.
2. Allow student groups to work through Part 3 of the student handout to calculate the power output for each resistance and create an I-V Curve and Power Curve for their solar panels by hand or using spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel.
3. Lead students through question 6 in the student handout to analyze their graphs to determine the maximum power point for their solar panels.
4. Discuss the importance of operating at Maximum Power Point (MPP) to be able to get the most power out of the solar panel. A good example discussed briefly in the teacher notes is the use of PV panels in transportation.
Food or Fuel?
(The Chemistry and Efficiency of Producing Biodiesel)
Overview:
After taking a virtual tour of Penn State’s Combustion Lab with Professor André Boehman, students will be introduced to the idea of renewable, homegrown fuels. Students will investigate the relationship between fuel properties and chemical structure by making their own batch of biodiesel from virgin olive oil. The suggested time frame for this lesson is three to four (3-4) 50-minute class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Biodiesel is a clean, renewable, domestically produced fuel source that could lower United States dependence on imported oil.
2. The properties of compounds are determined by their chemical structure.
3. Biodiesel is derived from three reactants: glyceride (oil), alcohol and a catalyst.
4. The chemical structure of biodiesel is described as a mono alkyl ester of long chain fatty acids derived from natural oils.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Describe the process of transesterification utilizing chemical formulas.
2. Identify fuel properties and resulting issues. For example, cold weather usability of biodiesel as a function of its chemical structure.
3. Diagram methods of biodiesel production from raw materials for virgin oils.
4. Construct and compare models of chemical structure of the substances involved in biodiesel production such as: alcohols, alkenes, alkanes, alkyls, acids, esters, etc.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of Food or Fuel? laboratory handout and related calculations.
2. Completion of small group analysis of biodiesel as a viable fuel source for transportation.
3. Informal evaluation of participation in group discussion.
4. Performance assessment of modeling and comparison of chemical compounds involved in biodiesel production.
Materials
• Laboratory Set-up and special materials part of Student Handout and Teacher Notes
Note: Several chemicals included to be used with caution: lye and methanol. Sodium methoxide is formed in the transesterification of vegetable oil to make biodiesel and should be performed under a hood.
• Ball-and-stick modeling sets or virtual simulation for each pair of students (not required)
• Teacher computer with internet access
• Computers with internet access:1 per student group
• Projection equipment
Multimedia Resources
• PSU Combustion Lab Tour: Movies 1-7 [QuickTime movies]
• Virtual Gasoline engine simulation: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm
• Virtual Diesel engine simulation: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/diesel1.htm
• UNH Biodiesel Group PowerPoint presentation (optional)
• “Biodiesel-O-Matic” Excel spreadsheet (optional)
Procedures
Part 1: Take a virtual tour of PSU’s Combustion Lab (30 minutes)
1. Share selected movies [1-3] of the PSU Combustion Lab tour to introduce the idea of what engineers researching renewable, homegrown fuels do.
2. Allow student pairs or small groups to explore how internal combustion engines work and compare that to how a diesel engine works using How Stuff Works? http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine3.htm & http://auto.howstuffworks.com/diesel1.htm.
3. Follow up with a discussion to reveal students thoughts on the differences between the two types of engines. Also, make the connection that rotational motion is produced by the crankshaft.
Part 2: Grease Monkeys: Form and Function in a Fuel (1-50 min Class Period)
1. Revisit the video collection to view segments 4-7 for specific background on fuel properties and Professor Andre Boehman’s “State of Biodiesel” comments.
2. Introduce students to the process of transesterification and the chemical structures of the components of biodiesel (glyceride, alcohol and catalyst).
3. Discuss the role of chemical structure in determining physical properties of a substance. For example, the solvent properties of biodiesel in an engine.
4. Allow students to work in small groups to reflect on the video series by asking: How does biodiesel measure up to today’s fuels? Challenge students to make models of the components of the biodiesel production reaction using ball-and-stick sets, Styrofoam and pipe cleaners, or a virtual modeling simulation like ChemStudio if you have access to it. Students should submit their modeling efforts and a journal or written record of their discussion of the video as homework if it cannot be completed in class. A helpful website to direct students to for schematics is: http://www3.me.iastate.edu/biodiesel/Pages/biodiesel1.html (Chemistry is discussed on Pages 2 and 3 of this site).
Part 3: Homework and lab prep (Homework)
1. Prompt students to the idea that many individuals are making and using biodiesel to power their vehicles and that energy security relies on a diverse energy portfolio. Explain to students that they will be producing some biodiesel as a lab exercise and that they need to be aware of the process.
2. Give each student a lab handout to review and assign the National Biodiesel Board’s article, “Biodiesel and Energy Security,” for supplementary reading. The article is available online at: http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Energy_Security.pdf
Part 4: Lab time! Make some biodiesel… (2-50 min Class Period)
1. Important: Run through an oral quizzing activity to review lab safety for the group.
2. Allow students to work through the lab handout with a partner to answer the questions and produce biodiesel from virgin olive oil (students are prompted to get your initials after calculating how much NaOH they need to catalyze the reaction for the volume of oil specified).
3. Give students instructions on the next steps for further investigation and storage of their biodiesel.
4. Debrief lab activity and address any questions generated from the reading assignment.
5. Allow students to complete lab handouts and Questions to Consider. Questions to Consider may be assigned for homework if not finished in class.
Extension
1. Visit the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website to compare the fuel properties and trade-offs for biodiesel to other alternative fuels: http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/properties.html
2. Wash and test your biodiesel products for quality and compare to the
American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) standards .
3. Use the EERE Alternative Fuels locator website: http://afdcmap.nrel.gov/locator/LocatePane.asp to find the closest refueling station and if possible, visit a local vendor and/or find out how to donate your product for use in a diesel engine.
4. Titrate waste vegetable oil (WVO) and try a round of processing with fryolator feedstock (see Mike Pelly’s biodiesel method for more information, http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_mike.html). The titration procedure is included on the next page.
Titration Procedure:
Approximately 3.5g of NaOH per L of oil is needed when using virgin oil. However when using waste oils (which therefore have free fatty acid (FFA) content), the pH must first be determined (by titration) to calculate the additional amount of NaOH needed.
The titration (for used oils, or older oils that could have degraded some, producing FFAs) is done as follows:
Dissolve one gram of NaOH into 1 liter of distilled water. Dissolve 1ml of the filtered oil into 10ml of isopropyl alcohol and add two drops of phenolphthalein, an acid base indicator. Now slowly add, by calibrated dropper or pipette, the NaOH(aq) solution to the oil solution, mix intermittently. When the oil solution turns pink and stays pink for ten seconds the titration is complete. The volume of NaOH(aq) solution in milliliters necessary to neutralize the free fatty acids corresponds directly with the number of additional grams per liter of NaOH needed for transesterification.
5. Use the “Biodiesel-O-Matic” Excel spreadsheet to compute costs for the biodiesel students have produced.
As the Rotor Turns: Wind Power & You
(An Investigation of Wind Power as an Energy Resource in Pennsylvania)
Overview:
Engineers of the future, step forth! Students will get acquainted with the basics of wind energy and power production by fabricating and testing various blade designs for table-top windmills constructed from one-inch PVC pipe and balsa wood (or recycled materials). The suggested time frame for this lesson is three to four (3-4) 50-minute class periods .
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Wind is an important form of energy because it is clean, safe and perpetually renewable.
2. Modern technology has improved blade design based on already successful technology of aircraft propellers and aircraft wings to increase the efficiency of wind turbines.
3. There are geographic, social and economic constraints affecting the placement and viability of wind farms.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Describe how wind is generated by the uneven solar heating of the earth.
2. Analyze the transformations of energy involved in electricity generation by wind machines.
3. Demonstrate how electricity is generated using a wind power generation device of their own construction and evaluation.
4. Discuss how the design of wind turbine components is related to the power it generates.
Assessment Strategies
1. Evidence of student understanding based on completion of written handout materials.
2. Participation in classroom and small group discussions.
3. Evaluation of student design and construction of table-top wind turbines.
Materials
Part 1:
• Teacher computer with Internet connectivity
• Projection equipment
• Websites:
Wind Generation
http://www.windpower.org/en/tour/wres/coriolis.htm
http://www.pserie.psu.edu/academic/science/degrees/biology/energyfieldtrips/windIndex.htm
Websites:
Beaufort Scale
http://www.mountwashington.org/education/center/arcade/wind/beaufort.html
• Student Handouts
• Clipboards or writing surfaces for student groups
Parts 2 & 3:
• Pennsylvania map (paper or electronic: if electronic, you will need a teacher computer and projection equipment)
Per Group:
• Kidwind Basic PVC Wind Turbine Kit or comparable resources to build a table top wind machine (detailed list included on page 4 of the student handout )
• Multimeter
• Desktop-sized fan
• Blade materials (variable-student determined)
• Student Handouts
Multimedia Resources
Video Sequences :
Sequence 1: Wind Turbine Specifications & Construction
1. Foundation [0:45]
2. Building the Road [0:30]
3. Bringing in Parts [0:43]
4. Specs and Process [1:10]
5. Blade onto Tower [0:54]
6. Environmental Concerns [1:23]
Sequence 2: Capacity Factor
1. Topography [0:48]
2. Turbine Production [1:01]
3. Turbine Type and Specs [0:33]
4. Power Grid [0:49]
Additional Resources
Below are some websites that provide useful information related to this lesson's topic.
• The American Wind Energy Association
http://www.awea.org/
This Web site has a well-written section of FAQ's as well as references to more technical applications of wind energy.
• Putting Wind to Work
http://www.mjjsales.com/articles/putting-wind-to-work.html
• The National Renewable Energy Laboratory
http://www.nrel.gov/
This site for the U.S. Department of Energy's lab for renewable energy research and development includes many links to other sites and activities. This lesson's directions for building wind turbines were adapted from this site.
• Re-Energy
http://www.re-energy.ca
This site is provided by the Pembina Institute in Canada, which describes itself as a non-profit think tank and activist organization. It features backgrounders on renewable energy and technology, as well as detailed construction plans for renewable energy models, including a complex wind turbine model suitable for high school science projects.
• Wind Power
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/jan-june01/blowing.html
This April 5, 2001 segment from THE NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER discusses business and legislative aspects of the wind power industry.
• WindPower.org
http://www.windpower.org/composite-8.htm
The Danish Wind Energy Association has produced an excellent site listing information, activities, and a FAQ. It has a special section entitled, "Wind with Miller" that focuses on explanations and activities for students.
Renewable Energy Glossary:
• http://www.horizonwind.com/about/ftkc/glossary.aspx
Procedures
Part 1: Filling Our Sails: Where Does Wind Come From? (1, 50 min Class Period, Hmwk)
1. Before students begin construction of their table-top wind turbines, allow them to go outdoors and make and record some observations in pairs about the current on page 1 of the student handout.
2. Return students to the classroom to elicit their ideas about how wind is generated.
3. After hearing a few student responses to the question, “How is wind created?” discuss the formation of wind currents with students using a simulation from The Danish Wind Energy site under the “Wind” tab: http://www.windpower.org/en/tour/wres/coriolis.htm or at Penn State Erie’s “Renewable Energy Field Trips”: http://www.pserie.psu.edu/academic/science/degrees/biology/energyfieldtrips/windIndex.htm.
4. Allow students to work in small groups to recapitulate their explanation of what is happening in the simulation of wind currents forming and prompt them to make additional notes from their group discussion on page 1 of the student handout or in any lab journals used in your classroom.
5. Reconvene to wrap-up the class period by sharing and clarifying observations.
6. Assign reading of “Power in the Wind…A Simple Look” [page 2 in the student handout] for homework.
Part 2: The Power Equation and Wind as an Energy Resource (30 minutes)
1. Review the power equation included in the reading and explain that engineers designing and developing wind turbines face the same challenges that they will in upcoming class periods as they construct a table-top wind turbine.
2. Show students a Pennsylvania map and allow them to assist you in finding the Bear Creek site near Wilkes-Barre, PA .
3. Share the first video sequence (Wind Turbine Specifications and Construction) of the Bear Creek Wind Farm tour with the class (approx. 6 minutes, in 6 segments ).
4. Gather students’ thoughts on the video and make a list or concept map of student ideas about wind as a renewable resource for producing electricity on the board. Concerns to include may be environmental, political, and economic.
5. If time allows, break students into groups for wind turbine construction that begins in Part 3.
Part 3: The Construction & Evaluation of a Wind Turbine (2-3, 50 min Class Periods)
1. Put students up to the task of building their own table-top wind turbine by working through Part 3 of the student handout (begins on page 3). This section is materials-intensive and it may be useful to invite students to gather and bring in materials in advance if you are not ordering wind turbine building kits for the lesson.
2. Before students move on to Steps 4-6 of Part 3, share Bear Creek video sequence 2 (Capacity Factor) to think about wind turbine design and the factors that affect power production (approximately 4 minutes, 4 segments).
3. Set students free to work through Steps 4 and 5 to get blades on their wind turbines and do some initial testing.
4. Once all student groups have had an opportunity to make certain that their blades are secure and that their turbine is worthy of producing power, demonstrate the procedure for measuring the power output of a turbine for the class.
5. Allow teams to proceed through Step 6 of the student handout to calculate the amount of power their individual turbines are producing.
6. Share out teams’ results and discuss students’ beliefs about how the power output for the wind turbines could be improved.
7. Allow student teams to decide whether they would like to explore wind speed or blade design and assist them in designing experiments (Step 7) to collect data about their claims. (If you would prefer to have students work through a more structured experiment with their turbines, please see www.kidwind.org’s curricular materials section for lessons entitled, “Wind Power Curves” and “Wind Blade Design.”)
Solar Racing
(The Design, Construction and Evaluation of a Solar-Powered Car)
Overview:
In this design challenge, students will harness the power of the sun to design, construct and evaluate a solar-powered model car of their creation. Students will utilize the design process and undergo review by their peers to select an optimal gear ratio and components for their car. As a culminating activity, students compete in a “Solar Sprint” race modeled after the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Junior Solar Sprint competition. Depending upon the depth of investigation, the suggested time frame for this lesson is four to ten (4-10) 50-minute class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Solar energy is a renewable energy source, and its utilization has numerous benefits for our environment.
2. The angle at which a solar cell is positioned in relation to the sun affects its power output.
3. The amount of current produced by a photovoltaic cell is proportional to the amount of the light hitting the cell; therefore, increasing light intensity or increasing the size of the cell itself will increase the power output of the cell.
4. In order to construct a solar powered system that will work at maximum efficiency, numerous factors pertaining to the design, such as gear ratio and power output, must be considered.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Describe three factors influencing a solar car’s power needs: friction, air drag, and acceleration.
2. Calculate the gear ratio used in the drive system of their solar powered car.
3. Describe the motion of their solar car based upon its position, direction, and speed.
4. Explain how the solar car design was optimized based upon gear ratio and materials used.
5. Utilize the design process to construct a solar-powered car.
Assessment Strategies
1. Evaluation of the completed student handouts and of the student’s participation in class discussions.
2. Observation of student’s participation throughout the process of designing a solar car.
3. Student participation in a team presentation of their solar-powered car design.
4. Completion of the student’s solar car design evaluation.
Materials
Per Group:
• Solar Sprint kit (from the Junior Solar Sprint website)
- Solar panel
- Motor with lead wires and clips
- Motor mounting bracket with screws
- Gears for motor shaft
• Solar Sprint accessories kit (from the Junior Solar Sprint website)*
- 2 shafts
- 4 wheels with tires
- 2 spur gears
* Instead of purchasing Solar Sprint kits, many accessories can be extracted from old toys, VCRs, tape recorders, old “Spirograph” gears and reused as shafts, wheels and gears
• Various reused materials to construct a body for the car (foam core, Blue board, wood, corrugated cardboard)
• Stopwatch
Teacher Tools:
• Soldering Iron
• Sharp Utility Knife or Coping Saw
• Cool-Melt Glue Gun
• Needle-Nose Pliers
• 1/8” Drill Bit or Electric Drill with Bit
• 2 C-Clamps
• Rulers
• Pencils
• Wire Strippers and Wire Cutters
Multimedia:
• “Solar and Car Fundamentals” PowerPoint presentation (Part 2) (Created in 2005 by Andy Lau and Dale and Toby Short for the Penn State University (PSU)/Middle Schools Solar Racers Workshop.)
• Junior Solar Sprint PowerPoint presentation, titled, “Build_Junior_Sprint_Car” (optional)
Procedures
Part 1: The Design Process (1, 50 minute Class Period)
1. Introduce students to the U.S. Department of Energy’s contest, Junior Solar Sprint using background information and rules from this website: http://www.nrel.gov/education/jss_hfc.html. (An optional introductory video produced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is available for $10 and is listed in the additional Resources section.)
2. Allow them to get into teams and select a name, colors and number, etc.
3. Briefly describe the components of the solar car (Solar panel, Chassis; Wheels, Axles & Bearings; Transmissions; Body Shells) about which students will be able to make design choices. If your students have not worked with solar panels previously, you may need to spend more time discussing and exploring how a solar panel works.
4. Share the Design Process diagram (Figure 1 in Teacher Notes and on page 1 of the Student Handout) with students and give them a general overview of where and when they will apply the steps of the process in making their cars. The Chimacum School Junior Solar Sprint website has an excellent description of how each step of the design process is connected to building successful solar cars and it can be accessed at: http://eagle.csd49.org/middle/jss/Course_DsgnProc.htm.
5. Allow teams to work together to get their initial car concepts onto paper and prompt them to generate a list of questions they have before they can select a design.
6. Be sure that your students are clear about the task before them. Make sure that you articulate that the students should be thinking about the design of the chassis, wheels and bearing, body and the solar energy source.
Part 2: Experiment with Principles and Prototypes 1 or 2-50 minute Class Periods
1. Field any questions students have generated and share the “Solar and Car Fundamentals” PowerPoint presentation with your students, highlighting the concepts that direct the goals of the solar-powered car project.
2. Focus specifically on how to calculate gear ratio and give students team-time to make decisions about their transmissions and work through the Gear Ratio calculations section beginning on page 4 of the student handout.
3. Allow students to return to teams to further time to conceptualize their design and prepare for their class presentation.
Parts 3 & 4: Design Review and Solar-Powered Car Construction Multiple Class Periods
1. Allow teams to complete page 9 of the student handout and make presentations of their designs to their classmates that explain their decisions regarding the four major car components (transmission, chassis, wheels and bearings, body and Photovoltaic array) with a rationale for each.
2. After teams have taken time to revisit the “drawing board” on page 10 of the student handout, set them off to construct their cars. (A materials list for tools is also included. If students will be using any tools, instruct them to make safety a priority.)
3. Encourage and allow time for some test runs. If you are lacking sun, halogen lamps work well to power cars in a short distance test-track area.
Part 5: Design Test: Solar Racing! 1-50 minute Class Period
1. Get ready to race. Spend some time prior to race day looking at the following website: http://eagle.chimacum.wednet.edu/middle/jss/Course_Rules.htm for information on official rules for the contest. The Chimacum School District Junior Solar Sprint website is a wonderful all-around resource. If you are interested in spending a full two weeks on the project, an extensive model program for creating solar-powered cars with embedded investigations on each stage of the design process is available.
2. Celebrate the teams’ design successes with a solar-power awards ceremony.
Part 6: Make Connections: What other applications can the sun power? 20 minutes
1. Debrief the project and allow teams to work together to complete Part 5 of the student handout.
2. Spend time as a class sharing ideas and reflecting upon how technology and science solutions impact our society.
Extension
1. Apply solar-powered car knowledge to designing a component for a home such as a solar water heater using a 16-ounce bottle of water.
Additional Resources
Video:
• A video on Junior Solar Sprint is available for $10 from the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)
http://www.nesea.org/education/jssvideo.html
Websites:
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Education page on Junior Solar Sprint Competition:
http://www.nrel.gov/education/jss_hfc.html
• Suggested JSS lessons and background information on solar power: http://eagle.chimacum.wednet.edu/middle/jss/index.htm
o For more information on Using the Design Process:
http://eagle.csd49.org/middle/jss/Course_DsgnProc.htm
• Two interdisciplinary middle school units on transportation:
o Getting Around Clean and Green
http://www.nesea.org/education/CandG.html
o Getting Around Without Gasoline:
http://www.nesea.org/education/GAWG.html
Siting Wind Power
(Wind Power Curves & Community Considerations)
Overview:
This lesson allows students to analyze and understand a variety of curves that describe the power extracted from the wind by a variety of commercially produced wind turbines. Students will then join construction manager, Ed DeJarnette on-site at the Bear Creek Wind Farm, near Wilkes-Barre, PA, to talk shop about the details of siting and constructing a large-scale wind farm. Students will investigate the major factors influencing wind farm siting such as: wind speed, direction and turbulence; state and federal incentives and turbine design. Students will utilize site specific topographic maps and political boundary data to evaluate and make recommendations to their class and community about potential sites for future wind development. The suggested time required for the entire lesson sequence is four to five (4-5) 50-minute class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1.Wind is an important form of energy because it is clean, safe and perpetually renewable.
2.Important variables in how much power we can extract from the wind are its speed, direction, turbulence.
3.There are geographic, social and economic constraints affecting the placement and viability of wind farms.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1.Describe how wind is generated by the uneven solar heating of the earth.
2.Analyze the transformations of energy involved in electricity generation by wind machines.
3.Discuss how the electricity created by wind is delivered to the power grid.
4.Analyze a wind power curve.
5.Compare a variety of wind turbines based on their power output.
6.Assess the feasibility of using wind energy as a resource in the geographic region of the students’ learning community.
Assessment Strategies
1.Evidence of student understanding based on completion of written handout materials and participation in classroom discussions.
2.Evaluation of student recommendations for local siting of a wind farm.
Materials
Part 1:
• Teacher computer with Internet connectivity
• Projection equipment
• Websites:
o Google Earth
http://earth.google.com/
o Wind Speed and Power Maps:
• http://www.pawindmap.org/index.htm
• http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/
• Pennsylvania map (could be electronic via Google Earth or another mapping software)
• Student Handouts
• Clipboards or writing surfaces for student groups
• Readings for homework
o Find the current AWEA: Wind Power Outlook by scrolling down the web page below. There is a document for each year beginning in 2002.
http://www.awea.org/resources/resource_library/index.html
o Google news stories about siting wind farms in Pennsylvania and identify the perspectives represented (citizen, government, and/or business). Note the date and source of the story.
Part 2:
• Teacher computer with Internet connectivity
• Projection equipment
• Bear Creek video sequences 1 & 2 (see Multimedia Resources)
• Student Handouts
• PowerPoint presentations reorganized to suit your needs as lecture notes
o Powerinthewind.ppt
o SitingActivities.ppt (optional)
Part 3:
• Teacher computer with Internet connectivity
• Projection equipment
• Bear Creek video sequence 3 (see Multimedia Resources)
• Student Handouts
• Student computers with Internet connectivity
• Website for Wind Siting Master Resources (PDF document from the American Wind Energy Association
http://www.awea.org/pubs/factsheets/Resources&References-April2005.pdf)
Multimedia Resources
Bear Creek Wind Farm Video Sequences (QuickTime movies):
• Sequence 1: Specifications & Construction
1. Foundation [0:45]
2. Building the Road [0:30]
3. Bringing in Parts [0:43]
4. Specs and Process [1:10]
5. Blade onto Tower [0:54]
6. Environmental Concerns [1:23]
• Sequence 2: Capacity Factor & Power Output
1. Topography [0:48]
2. Turbine Production [1:01]
3. Turbine Type and Specs [0:33]
4. Power Grid [0:49]
• Sequence 3: Community Concerns
1. Private vs. Public Land [2:01]
2. Owners [0:26]
PowerPoint presentations:
• Powerinthewind.ppt
• SitingActivities.ppt (optional)
• Kidwind Basic Workshop Slide Show found at http://www.kidwind.org/lessons/PPoint.html
Procedures
Part 1: What’s Up with Wind in Pennsylvania? (30 minutes, Homework)
1. Before students begin comparing the power outputs of commercial wind turbines, share the Beaufort scale (example on page 1 of the student handout) with students and allow them to quickly go outdoors and make some observations about the current wind conditions using the scale.
2. Return students to the classroom to share and confirm students’ ideas about how wind is generated.
3. Assign reading of the American Wind Energy Association’s most current “Wind Power Outlook” and whatever news stories students can find on the Internet related to siting wind farms in Pennsylvania. Use these sources to answer discussion questions on page 2 of the student handout for homework (see Materials for web sites).
Part 2: Wind Power Curves (1 50 minute Class Period)
1. Before giving a short lecture on wind power curves and capacity factor, review the recent homework assignment and discussion questions.
2. Allow students to assist you in finding the Bear Creek site just south of Wilkes-Barre, PA. (Google Earth is a great free resource to utilize, http://earth.google.com/) in order to provide the geographic context for video of an interview and tour of Bear Creek with the site’s former Construction Manager, Mr. Ed DeJarnette.
3. Share the first two video sequences of the Bear Creek Wind Farm tour with the class (approximately 10 minutes, in 10 segments). [A variation could be to allow students to view the QuickTime movies in small groups, but this would require Internet connectivity and student computers].
4. Focus students on the construction of the wind turbine and the factors that could affect its ability to produce power and give a short lecture on the basics of the wind power curve (see Teacher Notes for Part 2) and how it is useful in making siting decisions for wind turbines.
5. Allow students to work collaboratively to analyze some wind power curves and answer questions in Part 2 of the Student Handout .
Part 3: Siting a Wind Farm: Feasibility for All? (3 50 minute Class Periods)
1. Share Bear Creek video sequence 3 (approximately 2-1/2 minutes) with students.
2. Gather students’ thoughts on the video and introduce the task of evaluating local wind resources to make a recommendation about the feasibility of siting a wind farm near their school.
3. Allow students to get into assessment teams of 3 to 4 students. They will use the student handout as a “getting-started” guide for their wind resource assessments.
4. Depending upon student needs, you will be involved on an “as needed” basis to facilitate data collection strategies for student teams’ wind resource assessment.
5. Allot students a full class period each to evaluate potential sites, collect data, and present their recommendations to their classmates.
Extension
(1 or 2, 50-minute Class Periods)
1. Generate your own wind power curves using small wind turbines that your students construct. Resources and lessons on building table-top wind turbines can be found at: http://www.kidwind.org/materials/buildingwindmills.html.
2. Present your siting recommendations to a local governing body like your town council as a sustainable energy alternative.
Acknowledgments
Many of the materials and photographs included in the background section and part 2 of the student handout have been adapted from the lesson, “Wind Power Curves” with written permissions from the Kidwind Project, 2093 Sargent Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105
http://www.kidwind.org
Kidwind’s production of this document (12/05 Version 1.0) was supported in part by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory through subcontract LEE-5-55877-01.
Managing Your Energy Budget
(An Ecological Footprint Assessment)
Overview:
Students will experience an inequitable resource distribution (using a circular treat like cake or pizza) and electronically calculate their own Ecological Footprint. Students will assess their resource use and learn more about sustainable living strategies in a video tour by Penn State University graduate student and Center for Sustainability full-time resident, David Lettero. Students will be challenged to reflect on their own patterns of consumption to suggest ways in which they could realistically reduce their resource use. This lesson will require two to three (2-3) 50 minute class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Natural resource distribution varies geographically.
2. Social and economic activities affect how resources are made available to communities and individuals.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Describe an inequitable resource distribution.
2. Explain how technology has decreased the use of raw natural resources and increased our efficiency of their use.
3. Analyze the connection between resource distribution and human social and economic systems.
Assessment Strategies
1. Participation in classroom discussion.
2. Reflective writing activity.
3. Completion of individual ecological footprint interpretation and student handout.
Materials
• Cake, pizza or other circular treat that can be cut into wedges
• 1-paper plate, napkin, fork per student
• Server
• Teacher computer with Internet access (for video presentation)
• Computers with Internet access -1 per student
• Printer access per student
• Projection equipment
• Graphics of Population and Gross National Income Comparison
• Student Handouts
• Student Journals
Multimedia Resources
Part 2
• PSU Center for Sustainability website: http://www.engr.psu.edu/cfs/
• Hybrid Homestead Tour: http://www.pspb.org/e21/media/center_for_sustainability.swf
Video Segments 1 (Welcome) and 2 (Ecological Footprint)
Part 3
• Redefining Progress Ecological Footprint Calculator: http://www.myfootprint.org/
• Major Trends website: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=footprint_acres
Part 4
• Hybrid Homestead Tour http://www.pspb.org/e21/media/center_for_sustainability.swf
Video Segments 3-7 (3-Inside Yurt, 4-Kitchen Tips, 5-Bathroom Details, 6-Greenhouse, 7-Bike Power)
Procedures
Part 1: Eating Cake (1 50 minute Class Period)
1. Prior to the lesson day, make or purchase a cake, pizza, etc. to share with your class.
2. Show the cake to the class and explain that you have brought it to share with them and learn more about natural resources.
3. Ask the students if the classroom next door should be invited to join then in eating the cake. If the students say no, ask them why not. Explain that this represents the concept of environmental scarcity, where there is not enough of a resource for everyone who wants or needs it. (If the class from next door came over, there would be less resource per person.)
4. Explain that you will not invite the class from next door; you will divide the cake for the class to share. Ask them to imagine that they represent all the people on the earth. Share the pie graphs found in the Teacher Notes comparing the distribution of population (the graphic has two pie graphs--cover the second one focusing on GNI (Gross National Income) so that you can build the discussion about the first pie graph.)
5. Separate the class into groups as shown in the table below:
| For a class of 30: | For a class of 20: | Representing | % of Earth’s Population |
| 4 | 3 | Africa | 13% |
| 2 | 1 | US and Canada | 5% |
| 3 | 2 | Latin America | 9% |
| 4 | 2 | Europe | 12% |
| 17 | 12 | Asia | 61% |
6. Ask each region how they feel about this distribution. Explain to students that the cake is going to be distributed as resources are actually divided up in the world, based upon per capita GNI. Share the second pie graph at this point. Cut the cake into proportions indicated by the second pie graph. Put the pieces of cake on separate plates and distribute to each region.
7. Ask each region how they feel about their share of the cake. Ask each region what they are going to do about the situation. Will they migrate to the US & Canada to share in their cake? Allow students to work through this issue (some discrimination may not be a bad point to allow students to make).
8. To end this class period, some sample prompts are listed below to assist students in completing a reflective free-write about their experience. Have them use the student handout to complete their reflection.
• How does this game relate to the real world?
• How would this have been different if you had not eaten much or anything in a few days?
• What are some real examples of people trying to get more cake?
• What are some ways that you can address the inequitable distribution of resources?
Part 2: What is Your Ecological Footprint? (1 50 minute Class Period)
1. Introduce Penn State University’s Center for Sustainability (http://www.engr.psu.edu/cfs/) and share Hybrid Homestead Tour http://www.pspb.org/e21/media/center_for_sustainability.swf video segments 1 (Welcome) and 2 (Ecological Footprint) to introduce the concept of ecological footprint.
2. Share the ecological footprint calculator with students and discuss ways in which non-driving students can complete the questions about travel and transportation. Clarify any unfamiliar terms by walking through the survey with the entire class. Allow students to access and complete the ecological footprint calculator at: http://www.myfootprint.org/ and print their personal report.
3. Share the following website with students and highlight the major trends: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=footprint_acres. It is helpful to exemplify the term acre. A helpful comparison is that an acre is roughly the same size as a football field.
4. Describe homework activity (Part 3) and model ways that one may reduce their ecological footprint.
Part 3: Take It Home to Think (Homework Assignment)
1. Students should use page 2 of the student handout to prepare a short analysis of the results of their ecological footprint report for homework. Additionally, ask students to brainstorm and record any ways that they may personally be able to reduce their impact on resource use.
Part 4: (40 minutes)
1. Share the Hybrid Homestead Tour http://www.pspb.org/e21/media/center_for_sustainability.swf video segments 3-7 to share an example of how one person is working to reduce his ecological footprint.
• Video 3 – Inside Yurt
• Video 4 – Kitchen Tips
• Video 5 – Bathroom Details
• Video 6 – Greenhouse
• Video 7 – Bike Power
2. Challenge students to propose ways that they would be comfortable altering their lifestyle to reduce their impact. Give them an opportunity to revisit their brainstorming from the previous class to modify it if necessary. Remind students that not everyone would see the way of living proposed in the video as acceptable and that geographic constraints will dictate what options are even available as alternatives.
3. Allow students to formulate and record their ideas on separate sheets of paper and then prompt them to share their ideas with a partner or small group.
4. Lead a class discussion to highlight students’ strategies for reducing their ecological footprint.
Extension
1. Undertake an action project with students to identify the ecological footprint of the school or community. Links to “calculators” (metrics) developed by the Environmental Protection Authority of Victoria, Australia, are included in the Additional Resources section.
2. Mathematics connection: Analyze the metrics used by the organization Redefining Progress in calculating ecological footprint.
Solar Cooking
(Warming Up to the Properties of Solar Radiation & Its Uses in Our Homes)
Overview:
Students experiment with a virtual solar cooker to discover the mathematical relationship among reflection, transmission and absorption. They won’t stop there, though! Students than apply their knowledge to building and testing a solar cooker of their own invention. In an extension, students investigate how these principles can be used as sustainable energy sources for homes in Pennsylvania through passive solar heating. Approximately two to three (2-3) 50-minute class periods are required for this lesson.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Incident sunlight is reflected, transmitted, and absorbed when it falls upon a surface.
2. A solar cooker is a solar collector; it “collects” and traps the sun’s energy, creating heat.
3. Solar cookers require three (3) components: glazing, insulation and reflectors.
4. There are limitations to how we can maximize solar energy depending upon our geographic location.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Describe how passive solar energy can be used in our everyday lives and homes.
2. Discuss the mathematical relationship among reflection, transmission, and absorption: incident solar radiation (I) must equal reflected (R) plus transmitted (T) plus absorbed (A) radiation (I = R + T + A)
3. Predict the relative transmission, reflection, and absorption properties for various materials.
4. Construct a solar cooker that fully cooks a food of the students’ choice.
Assessment Strategies
1. Observation of students’ interaction with the virtual solar cooker as a pre-instructional tool.
2. Evaluation of the completed student handouts, and of the students’ participation in class discussions.
Materials
Part 1:
• Student computers with internet access
• Student handouts
• Virtual Solar Cooker interactive simulation
• Solar incidence equation lecture notes
Part 2:
• Model solar cookers
• Cardboard cutting tools
• Thermometers or electronic temperature sensor data loggers
Per Group:
• Various household/classroom materials for demonstration and cooker components
o Mirror
o Window glass
o Frosted glass
o Aluminum foil
o Unpainted copper sheeting
o Wood
o Waxed paper
o Clear plastic wrap, sheet protectors or transparencies
o Cellophane: clear, yellow, red, blue, green
o Construction paper: black, yellow, red, blue, green
o Cardboard boxes or foam board
o Black paint
o Torn-up paper
o Scissors
o Tape (clear and masking tape)
o Rulers/meter sticks
o Compass
o Thin wooden skewers
o Hot dogs or S’mores ingredients
o Sunglasses
o Light source (including the sun)
Multimedia Resources
• Background movie on solar cooking around the world and types of solar cookers from http://solarcooking.org/media/presentations/voa_files/default.htm (requires Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher)
• Box cooker design plans and FAQ: http://solarcooking.org/sbcdes.htm
• Panel cooker design and rationale: http://solarcooking.org/cookit.htm
• Parabolic cooker examples: http://solarcooking.org/DATS.htm
External Websites
• Passive solar design homes: http://www.solaror.org/ftp/Lesson2.pdf and check out this PDF for great visuals: http://www.solarminnesota.org/heatbuilding/hppassivesolar.pdf.
• A sun path chart can be made for your town/school at the University of Oregon’s Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory using the “Sun Chart” program: http://solardat.uoregon.edu/SunChartProgram.html
• Figure 1. Diagram of Azimuth Source: http://www.heavens-above.com/gloss.asp?term=azimuth
• Figure 2. Reflection of Light Source: http://www.colormatters.com/seecolor.html
Procedures
Part 1: Experimenting with a Virtual Solar Cooker (30 minutes)
1. Begin the lesson with a lively discussion that investigates students’ conceptions about radiant energy. Describe what a solar cooker is and spend several minutes eliciting students predictions about what types of materials will be best for use in constructing a solar cooker.
2. Allow students to investigate the virtual solar cooker and prompt them to try to figure out which combination of materials performs the best as a solar cooker. Remind students to make notes about their virtual solar cooker’s performance in Part 1 (Virtual Solar Cooker Wrap-up) of the student handout. (A link to the virtual solar cooker learning object can be found on the Solar Cooking lesson page and in the multimedia objects table of the E-21 website.)
3. Discuss the results of investigating the virtual solar cooker with the students. Define transmission, reflection and absorption for the students and introduce the expression,
I= T + R + A. Depending upon the level of your students, this may be more of a lecturing activity rather than discussion. Having sample materials to cite examples from the list for Part 2 is suggested. [A suggested demonstration is to throw crumpled pieces of paper at students and illustrating how this is an example of what happens when light strikes a surface (the pieces of paper caught are absorbed, those falling to the floor are transmitted and those bouncing off are reflected.)]
4. Have students work in small groups to rank the materials included in Data Table 1 on page 2 of the student handout.
Part 2: Collecting Solar Energy (2, 50-min Class Periods)
1. Share physical models of each of the three types of solar cookers (box, panel, parabolic.) If presenting physical examples is not possible, digital images will work well and the Solarcooking.org website referenced in the Multimedia Resources section of this lesson is a great source. Give a short lecture describing the function of each component of a solar cooker (cover or glazing, insulation, reflector). Instructions for constructing each type are included in the Additional References section of the Teacher Notes. A short movie link available from The Solar Cooking Archive may also be of interest: http://solarcooking.org/media/presentations/voa_files/default.htm (requires Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher).
2. Divide the class or allow students to sort themselves into teams of 2 to 3 and set them to work on Part 2 (Select a Solar Cooker and Test Your Predictions) of the student handout. While working through Part 2 each student team needs to decide what type of solar energy collector will best cook the food that they choose. Students may not realize that the cooker cannot reach temperatures much higher than about 300º F, so they may need some coaching away from cooking things like raw meat. They will also need to generate their list of materials based upon their relative properties of transmittance, reflectance and absorbance. An extensive sample materials list is provided in the materials section and the Frequently Asked Questions document from The Solar Cooking Archive embedded in the Teacher Notes may be a useful document to share with students. (Internet Explorer versions 5.0 or higher are necessary for viewing.)
3. Assist students in making connections to the mathematical expression, I = T + R + A in question #3 (Part 2) on page 4 of the Student Handout.
4. Students will then sketch their solar cooker (question #4 of Part 2 of the Student Handout.) Question #5 prompts them to figure out how to measure the temperatures reached by the solar cooker. If necessary, interject a short lecture on how to collect temperature data, otherwise, allow students to devise their plan and make a data table.
5. Allow students to proceed with construction and testing of their cookers.
6. Once all teams have had an opportunity to test the cookers, allow students to investigate others’ designs and debrief the experience by sharing the data collected for each cooker and analyzing the success of each type of cooker. Students may do questions 6-10 in the Student Handout (Solar Cooking Thought Questions) as part of the in-class wrap-up or for homework.
Extension
Part 3 (Extension): Applying Solar Principles to Building Design (2, 50-min Class Periods)
1. Allow students to explore some of their ideas from question 10 in the Student Handout. Visit the Solar Energy Association of Oregon’s site for a lesson complete with overheads on passive solar design homes: http://www.solaror.org/ftp/Lesson2.pdf and check out this PDF for great visuals: http://www.solarminnesota.org/heatbuilding/hppassivesolar.pdf.
2. A sun path chart can be made for your town/school at the University of Oregon’s Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory using the “Sun Chart” program: http://solardat.uoregon.edu/SunChartProgram.html.
Spotlight on Photovoltaics & Fuel Cells
(A Web-based Study & Comparison)
Overview:
Students will utilize Internet resources to uncover the pros and cons of two hot topics in alternative energy technology: photovoltaics and fuel cells. Students will analyze the structure and function of each system to make observations about the implications of relying upon each technology and prospects for their future use. Approximately three (3), 50-minute class periods are required for this lesson.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. A fuel cell is an electrolytic cell.
2. The four main parts of a fuel cell are the anode, catalyst, cathode, and electrolyte.
3. A fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen to produce an electrical current.
4. The main parts of a photovoltaic cell are the n-layer, p-layer, covers and junction.
5. A photovoltaic cells coverts sunlight into electricity.
6. The flow of electrons creates a direct electric current in both fuel cells and photovoltaic cells. (DC voltage)
7. Scientific research on fuel cells and photovoltaic cells has been heavily influenced over the years by societal and economic factors.
8. There are both similarities and difference with the technology behind fuel cells and photovoltaics.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Describe how energy is created from the flow of electrons.
2. Compare and contrast fuel cells and photovoltaics.
3. Generate ideas about why these technologies can be considered clean energy sources.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the entire student handout.
2. Class discussions on material and web simulations.
Materials
Per class:
• Student computers with Internet access
• Teacher computer
• Projection equipment
• Student handouts – one per student
• Images of photovoltaic layers and fuel cells (Teacher Notes)
• Chemistry model kits or toothpicks and gum drops
Multimedia Resources
• PowerPoint presentation, “PV Presentation FSEC”
• QuickTime movie, Photovoltaics (pv4) (1:11).
• Websites:
• http://www.greenspec.co.uk/html/energy/pvcells.html
• http://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/hydrogen/images/interactive.swf
• http://www.dsireusa.org/
Procedures
Part 1 (1, 50-min Class Period)
1. Show students photos of a Photovoltaic (PV) array and a fuel cell and ask them what they know about the chemistry that makes each technology produce electricity.
a. PV array: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pv_use.html
b. Fuel cell: http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/12508.jpg
2. Review the chemistry terms: electron, photon, cathode, and anode.
3. Have the students work in pairs to create the following models: hydrogen, oxygen, water, silicon. Students may use molecular modeling kits if available, pipe cleaners and gum drops or drawings to model the molecules.
4. Give a short lecture using the “PV Presentation FSEC.ppt.” Students will need to be able to make a general comparison between a PV system and a fossil-fueled one in a discussion at the end of the section. The “PV Presentation FSEC” content may be edited to suit the needs and skills of your students.
5. Discuss the questions on the last slide of the presentation as a class.
Part 2 (1, 50-min Class Period)
1. Have the students watch the web simulation on fuel cells at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/hydrogen/images/interactive.swf
After viewing the simulation on fuel cells, have the students spend a few minutes working in groups to fill out the differences and similarities charts on their student handout.
2. Have the students watch and take notes on the following simulations on a photovoltaic cell at their computer:
∑ QuickTime movie on how photovoltaics work: Photovoltaics (pv4) (1:11)
∑ http://www.greenspec.co.uk/html/design/materials/pvcells.html
∑ http://eagle.chimacum.wednet.edu/middle/jss/Course_SolarPanel.htm
3. Have the students fill in the schematic of the n-layer, p-layer and junction on the student handout and explain the chemistry behind how they function.
4. Invite students to share what they think are the differences between photovoltaic and fuel cells. Record the student responses on the board, or assign a student to this task.
Part 3 (1, 50-min Class Period)
1. Review how both the fuel cell and photovoltaic function to reinforce the differences in the chemistry between the two systems.
2. Ask the students to explain why and how both systems produce electricity.
3. Review and discuss how electron flow creates a current.
4. Review how both the fuel cell and photovoltaic function to reinforce the differences in the chemistry between the two systems using the diagrams of the photovoltaic and the fuel cell provided in the Teacher Notes or multimedia links provided on the E-21 website.
5. For homework have the students find a source that awards either a tax incentive or grant for using renewable energy. Have them write a paragraph about how their family might benefit from such an award. A great site for students to refer to is: http://www.dsireusa.org/.
The Structure of Materials
Overview:
High school students will view short clips on matter, atoms, and atomic bonding, and complete answer sheets on what they have learned. They will pair up to participate in an activity called "Building a Glass of Water" in which they will build water molecules with marshmallows and toothpicks. Then they will view more clips that introduce the relationship of matter to nanoscience. Extension activities include making table salt and discussing a newsreel about the Hindenburg disaster.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will know the definition of matter, volume, and mass
2. Students will know that matter is composed of atoms
3. Students will know the parts of an atom
4. Students will know the basic properties of the subatomic particles which make up an atom
5. Students will know the basic bonding characteristics
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will be able to describe the structure of an atom
2. Students will be able to illustrate an atom and its various components
3. Students will be able to construct molecular models demonstrating basic atomic bonding
4. Students will be able to explain similarities and differences between different atoms
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the Matter Handout
2. Construction of models illustrating various compounds
3. Informal evaluation of participation in group discussion
4. Performance assessment of modeling molecule
Materials
• Video
What is Matter? (1 minute 16 seconds)
What is a Molecule? (28 seconds)
What Holds A Molecule Together? (57 seconds)
Using Nanoscience to Understand the Properties of Matter (48 seconds)
Taking Pictures of Things You Can't See (1 minute 17 seconds)
Hindenburg Disaster Newsreel (5 minutes 26 seconds)
• Structure of Materials Worksheet
• Periodic table pdf
• Marshmallows
• Gummy Bears
• Toothpicks
• Large transparent container (1000 mL beaker)
Procedures
Procedure
PART 1: Basics of Matter and Atoms
1. Students should view What is Matter? (1 minute 16 seconds) and What is a Molecule? (28 seconds) videos
2. Students should complete Part I of the Structure of Matter Worksheet. They will need a computer to view the periodic table electronically as a pdf. (5-10 minutes)
PART 2: Basics of Atomic Bonding
1. Students should view What Holds a Molecule Together? video (57 seconds)
2. Students should complete Part II of the Structure of Matter Worksheet. (10-15
minutes)
PART 3: Building a Glass of Water
1. Students should pair up. Pass 1 marshmallow, 2 gummy bears, and 2 toothpicks to each pair. Each pair of students should then construct a model of a water molecule. (2 minutes)
2. Teacher should then direct each pair of students to bond their water molecule to another group’s water molecule. Teacher should then direct that pair of molecules to bond with another pair of molecules. (2 minutes)
3. Teacher should then place all of the bonded water molecules into a large transparent container (large 10000 mL beaker will work). Teacher can then lead a discussion about this “glass of water”. (2-5 minutes)
4. Students should then complete Part III of the Structure of Matter worksheet (5-
10 minutes)
PART 4: Introduction to Matter and Nanoscience
1. Students should view Using Nanoscience to Understand Properties of Matter (48 seconds)
2. Students should view Taking Pictures of Things You Can't See video (1 minute 17 seconds)
Extension
Extension #1:
1. Some of the students can make table salt (NaCl) using the other food products as the sodium and chlorine atoms.
2. The students can then put the water molecules and the salt molecules into the beaker representing salt water.
3. Teacher can then lead a discussion: When salt and water are put together in a beaker, do the salt and water retain their properties? Is the salt bonded to the water? What is this called?
Extension #2:
1. Students can view the Hindenburg Disaster Newsreel (5 minutes 26 seconds) and discuss theories of what happened to cause the explosion.
Building Blocks of Matter
The Structure of Materials
Overview:
Middle school students will brainstorm what matter is and how they might define it. Using a packet on the structure of materials and video clips, they will explore the following topics: what matter is, what the important parts of an atom are, what a molecule is, and how chemical bonds change the properties of a substance. Students will construct a water molecule with marshmallows and toothpicks. They will be introduced to the idea of using nanoscience to understand the properties of materials and view some nanoscience tools.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will know the definition of matter, volume, and mass.
2. Students will know that matter is composed of atoms.
3. Students will know the parts of an atom.
4. Students will know the basic properties of the subatomic particles that make up an atom.
5. Students will know the basic bonding of atoms to form molecules.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will be able to describe the structure of an atom.
2. Students will be able to construct models demonstrating basic atoms.
3. Students will be able to construct models demonstrating basic atom bonding to form molecules.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the “Structure of Materials Packet.”
2. Construction of models illustrating various compounds.
3. Informal evaluation of participation during group discussion.
Materials
• Structure of Materials packet included with the lesson
• Computers with internet access (Either one for each pair of students or a projection system for the class)
• Enough marshmallows, gumdrops, and toothpicks for the class to construct water molecules
•Videos
• What is Matter? (1 minute 16 seconds)
• What is a Molecule? (28 seconds)
• Using Nanoscience to Understand the Properties of Matter (48 seconds)
• Taking Pictures of Things You Can't See (1 minute 17 seconds)
• Hindenburg Disaster Newsreel (5 minutes 26 seconds)
• A large glass container
• Enough raisins, gummy bears, and toothpicks for the class to construct NaCl molecules
Procedures
Part 1: “Introduction to the Structure of Materials” (10 minutes)
1. Explain to the students that today they will be introduced to the building blocks of all matter. Have students brainstorm what they think matter is and how we might define matter.
2. Pass out the “Structure of Materials Packet.” Ask the students to fill in the answers to Part 1 of the Packet as they watch the What is Matter? Video (1 minute 16 seconds). Show the What is Matter? video.
3. Review the answers to Part 1 of the packet with the students.
Part 2: “Constructing Models of Atoms” (10 minutes)
1. Explain how we can build models of atoms. Have the students refer to the carbon atom example in Part 2 of the packet. Have the students identify the important parts of the atom. (Nucleus, protons, neutrons, electrons, and the electron orbit)
2. Allow the students some time to complete Part 2 of the packet.
3. Hold a discussion about question 5 in the packet. Explain that it is the differences in the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons that change the properties of an atom. Explain that all atoms with the same number of protons have the same properties.
Part 3. “Constructing Models of Molecules” (20 minutes)
1. Show the What is a Molecule? video (28 seconds).
2. Explain that atoms can bond together to form molecules. Go over the model of a salt molecule in part 3 of the packet. Explain that the atoms bond by transferring or sharing electrons. (Do not go into great detail)
3. Give the students a few minutes to answer numbers 6 and 7 of the packet
4. Review number 6 with the class.
5. Review number 7 with the class by discussing how the properties of the atoms changed when the chemical bond formed. Have students identify the properties of oxygen. Have students identify the properties of hydrogen. Show the video of the Hindenburg Disaster newsreel (5 minutes 26 seconds) identifying hydrogen’s explosive property. Have students identify the properties of water (the combination of hydrogen and oxygen).
6. Explain how the number of subatomic particles did not change. The only change to the atoms is that they formed a bond. Discuss how chemical bonds can change the properties of a substance.
7. Pass out the materials needed to construct a water molecule. Allow students a few minutes to create their molecules. Have the students come up and put their molecules in a large beaker. Explain how molecules will group together to form a large quantity of a substance.
8. Have students answer number 9 of the packet. Review the answer to number 9.
Part 4. “Summary of the Building Blocks of Matter” (5 minutes)
1. Show the Using Nanoscience to Understand the Properties of Matter (48 seconds) video to introduce students to nanoscience or how scientists investigate the properties of atoms and molecules.
2. Show the Taking Pictures of Things You Can't See video (1 minute 17 seconds).
Extension
When the students make their water molecules also have them make a NaCl molecule using the raisins and gummy bears. You can mix the water and salt molecules together in the beaker and explain that salt water is not a chemical bond. It is the molecules of salt and the molecules of water mixed together. Have students identify the properties of saltwater. Students should notice that the properties of water and salt are still present so no chemical bond was formed. Have the students identify another substance that is not a chemical bond but a mixture of different molecules.
Earth, The Universe, And Culture
Lesson Plan 1
Overview:
Suggested time: 30 min
The following activity will help the students understand the cultural nature of scientific research. The students will understand how people interpret science in different ways based on their social environments.
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will:
• Explore famous scientists, their theories, places of origin, and their culture
• Document scientific viewpoints of famous scientists throughout history
• Discuss geographical region, culture, gender, and other factors effecting scientific theories and discoveries
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Class discussion through review of Explore the Famous Scientists (see Student Handout).
Materials
• A large map of the world
• Pins of different colors to stick into the map
• Computers with internet access
• Student Handout: Explore the Famous Scientists
• Images of Albert Einstein, Carolyn Shoemaker, and Abd AlRahman Al Sufi can be found at the following websites:
• Einstein: http://albert-einstein.org/
• Shoemaker: http://www.universetoday.com/html/articles/2001-1211a.html
• Sufi: http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/ScienceMath/Science2.html
• Video 1: Lesson Plan 1 [Time – 3:28]
Procedures
See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Part 1: Get students thinking about the processes of scientific inquiry and the nature of science by asking them questions. Show them Video 1: Lesson Plan 1 [Time – 3:28]. Guide them to reflect and discuss the video.
Part 2: Guide students to explore that science is a collaborative effort among all of the different cultures and countries of the world.
Part 3: Provide Explore the Famous Scientists (see Student Handout) and assign students work as individuals or in groups. Next, have the students place the scientists on the world map. Discuss how science is an accumulated contribution of different scientists coming from different cultures throughout many periods.
Extension
Ask students complete a report of a scientist from their selection.
Theories
Lesson Plan 2
Overview:
Suggested time: 30 min
This activity will help the students understand that science theories change in the face of new evidence, but those changes can be slow in coming. Before Galileo, most of the world’s educated people believed that the rest of the universe moved around the Earth: a geocentric model. Contrary to popular opinion today, their view was not the result of a failure to make careful observations. The earth-centered model—although now known to be incorrect—was actually very well understood by natural philosophers, who were able to use it to make accurate predictions about the movement of heavenly bodies.
We hope that your students come away from this activity with an appreciation for the sophistication of the geocentric model, which is most commonly associated with Ptolemy. You may wish to explain that at the point when natural philosophers abandoned the geocentric model, it was actually a better predictor of astronomical events than was the heliocentric (sun-centered) model of our solar system. However, the scientific community of the day appreciated the relative simplicity of the heliocentric model that was developed by Copernicus and Galileo, and anticipated that once refined, it would prove to be better able to predict future events.
The same process happens today. When new explanatory frameworks—or “theories”—are proposed to explain scientific phenomena, there is often a lengthy period during which groups of scientists use different competing theories to explain the same phenomena. Cosmic gamma ray bursts were first identified in the 1960s, but in the mid-1990s, there was still active debate among the astronomers about their source. Some astronomers believed that they originated just outside our galaxy; others argued that they occurred much farther away. We now know the latter theory is correct.
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will:
• Observe how scientific theories can change over time
• Be introduced to the sophistication of the geocentric model and the time it took to change the theory underpinning the heliocentric model
• Compare the heliocentric model to the geocentric model
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Questioning students to see their understanding of how retrograde motion is justified in both models and how theories can persist over time. See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Materials
• One or more computers with QuickTime installed (available free at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/)
• QuickTime movies available from our website (http://csats.psu.edu/files/SWIFT): Geocentric_1.mov, Geocentric_2.mov. Alexandria_Mars.mov, Alexandria_Mars_Path.mov. Students can view these on their own computers, but it will probably be better to project them to the entire class.
• Student Handout: The Voyage of Mars in the Ancient Night Sky
• Video 2: Lesson Plan 2 [Time – 4:58]
• Figures 1-3 (see Teacher Notes)
Note: It may be helpful for your students to have copies of the Figures 1, 2 and 3 (see Teacher Notes, p. 5-7) for this section. The graphics provided are a good supplement to use for an abstract topic such as this.
Procedures
Procedures
See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Part 1: Show your students Video 2: Lesson Plan 2 [Time – 4:58]. Explain how theories compete and are developed by different theorists through investigation over a long period of time. Refer to the theories of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) or, Aristotle and Ptolemy’s model of the universe as examples.
Part 2: Guide students to understanding why the geocentric model persisted for so long.
1. Show and explain your students the QuickTime clip, Alexandria_Mars.mov.
2. Discuss the movement of Mars in the movie. Next, allow students to work on The Voyage of Mars in the Ancient Night Sky (see Student Handout) in groups.
3. Briefly explain the terms “Azimuth” and “Altitude.” Figure 1 may make this easier. (see Teachers Notes, p. 5)
4. Discuss your students’ findings, before showing the second QuickTime clip, Alexandria_Mars_Path.mov which might help students understand what their own maps show.
5. Explain how retrograde motion was explained by the ancient Greeks and Ptolemy.
6. Show and explain the third QuickTime clip, Geocentric_1.mov.
7. Show the fourth QuickTime clip, Geocentric_2.mov and explain Ptolemy’s solution to the problem of retrograde motion, illustrated on Figure 2 (see Teacher Notes, p. 6).
8. As a final point, conclude that the geocentric theory was well received and lasted for more than a century.
Part 3: Ask the students if they know how Mars exhibits retrograde motion in the corrected model (heliocentric model). Explain why retrograde motion occurs according to the heliocentric model, by using Figure 3 (see Teacher Notes, p. 7). Then discuss both models with students.
Accidental Discoveries
Lesson Plan 3
Overview:
Suggested time: 45 min
The students will research scientific discoveries of the past that happened by accident. Students will work in teams, each coming up with a list of some of these accidental discoveries in science. From this activity, the students will understand that scientific discoveries are not always intentional.
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will:
• Research scientific discoveries that happened by accident in the past
• Learn how gamma-rays were discovered by 20th century scientists
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Ask the students how our explanations have changed about gamma-ray activity from the new evidence and ask them to explain how theories change with new information. See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Materials
• Five large pieces of art paper
• One set of large cut letters S-W-I-F-T
• Student Handout: Stories of Accidental Discoveries (p. 1) (to each student)
• Student Handouts: Stories of Accidental Discoveries (p. 2-6) (one letter/story per team)
• Tape, pencils, markers
• A computer and internet connection are useful for this activity
• Video 3: Lesson Plan 3 [Time – 3:39]
Procedures
See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Part 1: First, discuss with the students that every once in a while there are accidental discoveries in science. Ask them if they know any examples of accidental discoveries in science. Next, provide some examples such as about the discovery of quinine as an anti-malarial drug (see Teacher Notes, p. 2).
Part 2: Showing Video 3: Accidental Discoveries [Time – 3:39]. Have your students share what they have learned about the discovery of gamma-ray bursts. Supplement any missing information using the provided summary (see Teachers Notes, p. 2)
Part 3: Allow students to work on Stories of Accidental Discoveries (Student Handout, pg. 2-10) in groups. When finished, have each group present their work, to the larger group. Encourage the rest of the students to copy down the summary sentence being presented.
The Relationship Between Science and Technology
Lesson Plan 4
Overview:
Suggested time: 30 min.
Students will learn how technology can help scientists solve a problem. One of the challenges scientists face with any spacecraft is attitude control. Students will be introduced to the problem of attitude control in space and two different ways scientists address it.
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will:
• Discuss the technology(ies) that powers satellites and enable(s) them to move through space
• Be introduced to the concept of “attitude control” and the role technology has in the design of spacecrafts
• Engage in an angular momentum experiment
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Facilitate student discussion to recommend the best way that scientists can get the Swift satellite to change directions. See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Materials
• A swivel chair
• A gyroscope
• A bicycle wheel with handles (see Teacher Notes for an example of this, p. 3)
• Video 4: Lesson Plan 4 [Time – 4:11]
Note: Most physics teachers at your high school will have this bicycle wheel with handles.
Procedures
See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Part 1: Ask students how satellites change orientation in space. After discussing various ways it can be done, show Video 4: Lesson Plan 4 [Time – 4:11]. Then, ask them questions regarding role of technology and movements of Swift satellite.
Part 2: Explain the concept of attitude. Then, by using a swivel chair, illustrate the problem that the scientists face with getting a satellite to change its pointing direction.
Part 3: See Teacher Notes for further elaboration. First, ask students what might solve the problem. Explain using thrusters as one possible solution and the disadvantages of using thrusters. Next, explain the second possible solution that momentum wheels can be used to change the direction. Facilitate two students demonstrate angular momentum: one student is rotating the bicycle wheel, while the other student is holding the wheel on a swivel chair. Further, explain the twisting motion, torque.
Looking Back in Time
Lesson Plan 5
Overview:
Suggested time: 45 min
The following lesson plan will provide a concrete way for the students to understand the concept of “distance in space equals distance in time.” This will be done using a time line activity from information gathered in the Student Handout from Lesson Plan 1 (Earth, the Universe, and Culture).
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will:
• Experiment with how distances are measured in space
• Create time lines to demonstrate the concept “distance in space equals distance in time”
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Asking students to compare and contrast two timelines which they developed. Discussing the use of measurements on Earth and space. See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Materials
• Masking tape
• Ruler or a yardstick
• Student Handout: Measure Distance and Time
• Color dots, post-it notes, markers
• Video 5: Lesson Plan 5 [Time – 3:53]
Note: This activity might work best in a long hallway or gymnasium, but a classroom space that is cleared of desks could also work.
Procedures
See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Part 1: Engage the students by asking questions about measuring stars and galaxies very far away. Then explain what a light year is. Show the students Video 5: Lesson Plan 5 [Time – 3:53] and emphasize that Swift will be measuring gamma-ray bursts that are billions of light years away.
Part 2: To make the concept of distance in space equaling distance in time more concrete,
have the students devise a time line, through the activity, Measure Distance and Time (see Student Handout). After completion of Part 2 of the activity, compare the distance of the scientists to distances of stars as they fall on the time line and explain to the students that the farther you are from the start of your time line (your distance in space), the farther in time you go.
Part 3: Finally, explain to the students how Swift can be considered as a “time machine”.
Creativity in Science
Lesson Plan 6
Overview:
Suggested time: 45 min
Humans are very curious and have been seeking knowledge since ancient times. Scientists are especially curious. They want to know many things. Scientists and engineers, who know a lot about technology, worked together to create satellites so many different things could be studied. Today, satellites are used for navigation, television broadcasts, communication, and for studying space.
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will:
• Research various satellites and their uses
• Explore the different job roles in the development of satellites and web pages used to communicate scientific discoveries from those satellites
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Discussion of Swift satellite data and involvement of many different roles in the project. See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Materials
• GPS unit if available (for demonstration only)
• Computers and internet connections
• Video 6: Lesson Plan 6 [Time – 4:37]
Procedures
See Teacher Notes for elaboration.
Part 1: Discuss with the students how satellites are part of their everyday life. The weather channel is a good example.
Part 2: Next, show the students Video 6: Lesson Plan 6 [Time – 4:37] and discuss the various job roles contributed to the development and discoveries of Swift satellite.
Part 3: Allow students complete the Explore Swift Data and Contributors (Student Handout) in groups and ask them share their ideas for Part 2.
What’s in Your Stream?
(A Survey of Water Quality in Pennsylvania Streams)
Overview:
In this lesson students will learn about the impact of the environment on the rivers and streams in Pennsylvania through online resources and scientific investigation of water quality through hands-on fieldwork. The suggested time frame for this lesson is three 50-minute class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. a watershed is a land area through which water drains.
2. a watershed’s shape is determined by the surrounding terrain.
3. people’s actions affect the quality of a watershed.
4. the physical characteristics of a stream determine the types of organisms found there.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. describe a watershed and discuss how it affects water quality.
2. identify causes of changes and pollution in the water of a stream.
3. accurately follow directions and complete water testing.
4. collect aquatic insects and identify them using the chart and pictures and come up with an index value.
5. analyze differences in the water quality of a stream.
Assessment Strategies
1. Evaluation of water testing and participation in class discussions.
2. Observation of student’s participation in the data collection process.
3. Presentation on causes of pollution in streams.
Materials
• Large sheets of paper for class discussion (Part 1)
• Water testing kits for testing nitrates, pH, chloride
• Thermometer suited for use in a stream
• Waders or clothing suitable for wading in streams
• Gathering nets for catching aquatic insects
• Sieves, white dishpans, magnifying glasses
• Worksheets for recording information and clipboards
• Plastic jug for used water-testing chemicals
• Biotic Index Card and key to orders of aquatic insects
Multimedia
• Cobbs Creek Video
• Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences “Watersheds” Pamphlet
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uh149.pdf
• Locate Your Watershed
http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm
• Biotic Index Card
http://sftrc.cas.psu.edu/LessonPlans/Water/PDFs/BioticIndexCard.pdf
• US Geological Survey (USGS) USGS Fact Sheet, Monitoring Our Rivers & Streams
USGS at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/qw
• USGS Water Science for Schools, Common Water Measurements
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/characteristics.html
• The Stream Study
http://wsrv.clas.virginia.edu/~sos-iwla/Stream-Study/StreamStudyHomePage/StreamStudy.HTML
• Effects of Urbanization on Water Quality
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/urbansed.html
Procedures
Part 1: Introduction (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Begin the lesson by asking students if they have a river, creek or stream near their homes and where they think the water comes from that enters the stream. You may have the students review the “Watersheds” pamphlet the day before class (http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uh149.pdf).
2. Watershed Discussion:
• Divide the students into groups of 4 or 5.
• Provide each group with the student handout, “Watershed Discussion” and the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) “Monitoring Our Rivers and Streams” document from http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-077-02
• Have the students locate their watershed (http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm)
Give the students 25 minutes for discussion on the questions below. Each group should identify a recorder to take notes and have the group prepared to share what they talked about.
Questions:
What is the watershed like that surrounds your school/community?
How do people affect their watershed?
What factors affect your water quality?
What can be done to reduce our impact on watersheds?
For example: What happens when a new shopping center is built in your town? (Resource: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/urbansed.html)
What happens when there is a large farming community? What happens when a waste site is built nearby?
3. Conclude the discussion by having students share their conclusions with the class by writing major ideas on a poster size paper for each group to hang in the classroom and wrap up by asking what can be done about the problem.
Part 2: Water Testing (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Share the Cobbs Creek video either as a group or have students view it on individual computers.
2. Discuss water quality testing with the class. Read over the teacher notes and lesson and review the processes of water testing and biotic indexing. Share the USGS, “Common Water Measurements” handout (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/characteristics.html). You may also review “The Stream Study” site (see Multimedia for URL) for collection techniques and illustrations of macroinvertebrates. The site also has a sample record and assessment card for macroinvertebrates that could be used to collect data.
3. Determine which students will be doing what tests. Divide them out so that everyone has at least one job. Have the students who will be doing the chemical testing practice on tap water. This will give them some practice following the directions included in each testing kit and you can address any problems ahead of time.
4. Review with students how to use the insect collecting equipment and review the aquatic insect key and biotic index card (http://sftrc.cas.psu.edu/LessonPlans/Water/PDFs/BioticIndexCard.pdf). Note: You may want to print the cards in color to see the insects characteristics.
5. Choose a local stream that you would be able to visit and perform testing on both near its headwaters and after it has passed through agricultural land and pastures, for example. Make sure you can prepare all of the materials ahead of time. Optional: If you do not have a nearby stream, you may want to use real-time data from the USGS at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/qw.
Part 3: Collection (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Take the students to the stream near its headwaters (or visit the USGS web site in Part 2) and get them started on their testing. (Everyone should know what to do from the previous class.) Stress safety making sure that nobody gets hurt getting in and out of the stream. Also make sure that all used chemicals are deposited in the plastic jug (which should be labeled "toxic").
2. Have students carefully record all of their information. Monitor the students to be sure that they are performing the tests correctly. As they are collecting their data, have the students talk about what they are finding and how it is important.
3. While at the site have the students informally share the data they have collected and discuss whether the stream/river/creek is polluted and why.
Part 4: Group Presentations (1 or 2, 50 Minute Class Periods)
1. Using groups of four or five have students create a presentation using PowerPoint or other medium to show the results of their data collection including major issues and future directions.
Acid Rock WebQuest
(Acid Mine Drainage and Its Impact on Water Quality)
Overview:
In this lesson students will learn about the impact of development on the quality of rivers and streams in Pennsylvania. Students will participate in an online inquiry of a real world problem affecting a local community in Pennsylvania. The suggested time frame for this lesson is three to four 50-minute class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. water quality is affected by economic development.
2. there are costs and benefits in cleaning up contaminants.
3. there are local and state environmental regulations that impact environmental health.
4. multiple perspectives impact decision making on environmental issues.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. identify the effects of humans and human events on watersheds.
2. describe the effects on human health of air, water, and soil pollution and the possible economic costs to society.
3. explain the costs and benefits of cleaning up contaminants.
4. explain how human practices affect the quality of the water and soil.
5. analyze and evaluate changes in the environment that are the result of human activities.
6. make judgments about alternative solutions to environmental problems.
Assessment Strategies
1. Individual student position papers.
2. Student participation in class discussions.
3. Peer assessment on the Acid Rock I-99 inquiry project.
4. Evaluation of I-99 debate presentations.
Materials
• Computers for individuals or groups of students to view videos and complete the WebQuest activity
• Student Handout (Acid Rock Mine Drainage Discussion)
• Student Handout (Problem and Solution Worksheet)
• I-99 WebQuest
Multimedia
• Watershed Associations video on the impact of acid mine drainage on Pennsylvania waterways
• Pennsylvania Highways I-99 History
http://www.pahighways.com/interstates/I99.html
• I-99 Project Documents
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/penndot/districts/district2.nsf/i99ardinfo?ReadForm
• Newspaper Articles – Centre Daily Times (Mike Joseph, Reporter)
• Audio Interviews (PSPB Take Note Radio) with Mike Joseph, reporter and Senator Jake Corman.
• Geological Report on Skytop Road Cuts, Penn State Department of Geosciences
(includes images and maps)
http://www.geosc.psu.edu/news/features/gold/skytop.html
• Science of Acid Mine Draining and Passive Treatment
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/bamr/amd/science_of_amd.htm
Procedures
Part 1: Introduction to Acid Mine Drainage (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Begin the lesson with an image of acid mine drainage in a stream (see image:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/bamr/amd/Image23.gif). Ask students if they know what the orange color represents. Continue with a discussion on mining and it’s historical significance for the Pennsylvania region and the impact of acid mine drainage. (See http://geology.er.usgs.gov/eastern/environment/drainage.html)
2. Show the Kettle Creek video to the class or have them watch it in small groups on individual computers. Provide each student with the student handout (Acid Rock Mine Drainage Discussion). Have students think about the following and make notes on the handout as they watch the video:
a. What is acid mine drainage?
b. What is its impact on the quality of the Susquehanna River?
c. What is being done to solve the problem?
d. How long will it take to clean up the river?
e. What costs are associated with acid mine drainage?
f. What is your responsibility in keeping waterways from becoming polluted?
3. After the video have students in small groups discuss the questions for 10-15 minutes and then have a class discussion to share their findings.
Part 2: Acid Rock: I-99 Highway WebQuest (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Give an overview of WebQuests and have students go to the Acid Rock: I-99 Highway WebQuest. For information on WebQuests visit: http://webquest.org/
2. Divide students into groups of 4-5 to collaborate on the WebQuest inquiry. Provide each student with the Student Handout (Problem and Solution Worksheet).
3. Homework: At the completion of the WebQuest have each student group take on a perspective of one of the stakeholders (government officials, Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, newspaper reporter, local community members) and prepare a position paper reflecting their position. Have the students use the criteria in the WebQuest in completing the position paper.
Part 3: Presentation (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Use one class period for students to meet as a group and discuss their position on the acid rock issue and synthesize their position papers. Using the position papers, have the students develop a 5-7 minute presentation using PowerPoint or other medium outlining the problem and a viable solution.
Part 4: Debate (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Arrange for a town meeting debate of the acid rock issue. Each group will make a 5-7 minute presentation using PowerPoint or other medium outlining the problem and a possible solution.
2. Have students evaluate the presentations and vote on the most feasible solution to the problem.
3. Have students do peer evaluations on individual’s effort in the preparation and debate.
Raising the pH
(Passive Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage)
Overview:
In this lesson students will explore the concept of watersheds and how the reclamation of abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania improves water quality. The suggested time frame for this lesson plan is three to four 50-minute class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. mining operations leave toxic metals (sulfides) which affect the water supply.
2. active and passive treatments are being used to clean toxic metals from acid mine drainage.
3. bacteria can be used to neutralize the effects of acid mine drainage and raise the pH in water from the abandoned mine sites through a chemical process.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. describe the effects of abandoned mine drainage.
2. create a chemical formula to explain the sulfate reduction process.
3. diagram the components of a passive treatment system.
4. assess the value of passive treatment systems
Assessment Strategies
1. Evaluation of participation in class discussions.
2. Observation of student’s participation in group work.
3. Poster presentation on abandoned mine reclamation.
Materials
• Two glasses of water (one from a stream, one from tap water)
• EPA Site for Contaminants in Drinking Water http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/health.html
Multimedia
• Cooks Run Video
• Student handout, “Watershed Discussion” and the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) “Monitoring Our Rivers and Streams” document from http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-077-02
• Locate Your Watershed
http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm
• Acid Mine Drainage Education http://www.amrclearinghouse.org/AMDED/lesson2.html
• History of Drinking Water Treatment
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/consumer/pdf/hist.pdf
• Pennsylvania’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/reclaimpa/reclaimpahome.htm
• Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences “Watersheds” Pamphlet
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uh149.pdf
Procedures
Part 1: Introduction to Watersheds (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Begin the lesson by showing two glasses of water (one from a polluted stream or swamp and one from the tap water at the school). Ask the students which glass of water is contaminated, why they think it is contaminated, and what may have caused the contamination. Have a discussion about where their water comes from (city water, a well, etc.) and what is done to make it drinkable.
2. Next talk about watersheds and how they affect water supply.
• Divide the students into groups of 4 or 5.
• Provide each group with the student handout, “Watershed Discussion” and the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) “Monitoring Our Rivers and Streams” document from http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-077-02
• Have the students locate their watershed (http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm)
Give the students 25 minutes for discussion on the questions below. Each group should identify a recorder to take notes and have the group prepared to share what they talked about.
Questions:
What is the watershed like that surrounds your school/community?
What factors affect your water quality? (economic development, mining, pollution, etc.)
What can be done to reduce our impact on watersheds?
3. Conclude the discussion by having students share their conclusions with the class by writing major ideas on a poster size paper for each group to hang in the classroom and wrap up by asking what can be done about pollution of water in their watershed.
Part 2: Water Treatment Methods (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Begin the lesson by reviewing the previous discussion on water pollution in the watershed and how water is treated to make it safe to drink.
2. Introduce the Cook’s Run video on acid mine drainage at Fran’s coal mine by talking about the mining industry in Pennsylvania. Talk about the number of abandoned mines in the state and one that might be near your community.
(Pennsylvania has more than 250,000 acres of abandoned mine lands, refuse banks, old mine shafts and other relics of past mining in 45 of our 67 counties – more than any other state in the nation.)
Share the Cook’s Run video either as a group or have students view it on individual computers. As the students are watching the video ask them to record some thoughts or questions they have to begin a dialogue relating to how economic development has impacted our current water supply. (After viewing the video you may also schedule a field trip to an abandoned mine site if one is nearby.)
Resource: Acid Mine Drainage Education http://www.amrclearinghouse.org/AMDED/lesson2.html
3. Have students visit the EPA web site to look for information on contaminants in drinking water: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/health.html or print the PDF file on the History of Drinking Water Treatment (http://www.epa.gov/safewater/consumer/pdf/hist.pdf)
Part 3: Projects (1, 50 Minute Class Period)
1. Have students develop a poster presentation on abandoned mine reclamation of one of the mine sites in Pennsylvania using the information from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection site:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/BAMR/BAMR.HTM
2. While at the site have the students informally share the data they have collected and discuss whether the stream/river/creek is polluted and why.
Part 4: Group Poster Presentations (1 or 2, 50 Minute Class Periods)
1. Student groups present the results of their data collection on how abandoned mines are being reclaimed.
References
Swistock, Bryan and Sanford S. Smith (2001). From the Woods: Watersheds. University Park, Pa.: The Pennsylvania State University.
Structure-Property Relationships
Overview:
High school students will explore the structure and property changes of water through videos and classroom discussion. They will be introduced to atomic arrangement of solids by looking closely at carbon in different forms, such as graphite and diamond. They will view and manipulate online files of graphite and diamond structures to discover similarities and differences. An extension activity is research of buckyballs.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will know that molecular arrangement determines physical characteristics.
2. Students will know that phases are physical properties.
3. Students will know why changing the structure of the molecule changes the properties of a substance.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will be able to describe the molecular arrangement of various substances
2. Students will be able to explain the structural changes occurred by a water molecule during phase changes
3. Students will be able to label a diagram showing the phase changes of water.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of video review questions
2. Completion of the vocabulary worksheet
3. Construction of phase diagram and explanation
4. Informal evaluation of participation in group discussion
Materials
• Computers with internet access (either one for each pair of students or a projection system for the class) and/or access to dictionaries
• Video
Structure and Property Changes of Water (1 minute 5 seconds)
Atom Arrangements in Solids (1 minute 30 seconds)
• Worksheets
Part I Vocabulary
Part II Diagram of Phase Changes of Water
Procedures
Part 1: Properties of Materials
1. Students should view Structure and Property Changes of Water video (1 minute 5 seconds
2. Teacher and students should discuss how phase changes of water affect its physical and chemical properties (3 minutes).
3. Students should research and list the meanings of the following terms: condensation, deposition, evaporation, freeze, gas, liquid, melt, solid, and sublimation.
4. Students should complete Part I Vocabulary worksheet (2-5 minutes).
5. Teacher and students should review worksheet answers and talk about underlying concepts (5 minutes).
Part 2: Property Changes
1. Teacher and students should review how adding or removing energy affects water using the terms defined above (see Teacher Notes on Phase Changes of Water.) 10 minutes
2. Students should complete Part II Diagram of Phase Changes of Water worksheet (20 minutes).
Part 3: Graphite vs. Diamond
1. Students should view Atom Arrangements in Solids video (1 minute 30 seconds).
2. To view and manipulate the atomic structures of graphite and diamond, students should visit an alphabetical list of common molecules hosted by Reciprocal Net by copying and pasting the following url into their browser (3 minutes).
http://www.reciprocalnet.org/edumodules/commonmolecules/list.html
Students should then scroll down the list to find, open, and manipulate the graphite and diamond files, noticing how their structures are the same or different.
Reciprocal Net is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation as part of the National Science Digital Library project and is open for use to the general public including students, teachers, and researchers.
3. Teacher should lead a discussion asking the students questions about similarities and differences between diamond and graphite (3 minutes).
Part 4: Other Examples
1. Teacher should lead a discussion about other objects whose physical properties change as simple molecular-structure changes occur (ex: iron horseshoes vs. iron swords, tearing 1 sheet of paper vs. tearing a ream of paper, etc).
Extension
Extension
1. Students can research a "buckyball." What is it? How is it similar/different from diamond and graphite?
How Structure Can Affect Properties Through Phase Changes
Structure-Property Relationships
Overview:
Middle school students will discuss how changing the structure of atoms and molecules can change the properties of a substance after watching videos and filling out worksheets. Students can brainstorm and review their own examples of phase change with the help of a phase change diagram. The idea of technology that can change the structure of materials will be introduced. An extension activity on buckyballs is available.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will know that molecular arrangement determines physical characteristics.
2. Students will know that phases are physical properties.
3. Students will know why changing the structure of the molecule changes the properties of a substance.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will be able to describe the molecular arrangement of various substances.
2. Students will be able to explain the structural changes occurred by a water molecule during phase changes.
3. Students will be able to label a diagram showing the phase changes of water.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of video review questions
2. Completion of the vocabulary worksheet
3. Construction of phase diagram and explanation
Materials
• Computers with internet access (either one for each pair of students or a projection system for the class)
• Video
Structure and Property Changes of Water (1 minute 5 seconds)
Atom Arrangements in Solids (1 minute 30 seconds)
• Worksheets
Structure-Property Relationships
Phase Change Diagram (Teachers may want to make an overhead of the answer key to the Phase Change Diagram).
Studysheet How Structure Affects Properties
•Answer Keys
Structure-Property Relationships Answer Key
Phase Change Diagram Answer Key
Procedures
Part 1: Introduction to how structure can affect properties (30 minutes)
1. Explain to the students that changing the structure of atoms and molecules can change the properties of the substance.
2. Pass out the Structure-Property Relationships Worksheet. Ask students to fill in the answers to Part 1 of the worksheet after they watch the videos and review Studysheet How Structure Affects Properties.
3. Show the video Structure and Property Changes of Water (1 minute 5 seconds).
4. Review the answers to Part 1 of the worksheet with the students.
Part 2: Completing the “Phase Change Diagram” (10 minutes)
1. Hand out the phase change diagram. Have students work on completing the diagram.
2. Review the diagram with the class by projecting it as an overhead.
3. Hold a discussion about some of the examples that students brainstormed. Focus on how the properties of the substance changed during the phase change.
4. Show the video Atom Arrangements in Solids (1 minute 30 seconds).
Part 3: Changes in structure other than phase changes (5 minutes)
1. Explain that structure changes are caused by phase changes. We can also change the structure using new technology.
Extension
Have students explore Buckyballs. This is another structural change of carbon. Students can explore how the atoms were rearranged and what different properties are exhibited. Students can also explore the difference between crystalline structures, where atoms are arranged in a set pattern, and amorphous structures, where atoms are not arranged in set patterns. Have students compare and contrast the properties of crystals like quart, salt, and diamonds, with the properties of amorphous solids like glass and silly putty. How does the structure affect the properties of each?
Walk a Mile for a Burger?
(Converting physical energy to chemical energy)
Overview:
In this lesson, students will be introduced to the pedometer, and will use this tool to associate physical activity (physical energy) with calories burned (chemical energy). In future lab exercises, the students may build on this knowledge by examining and comparing other forms of energy, such as energy used in the production of electricity or in refining fuels. Pairing these lessons would enable students to move stepwise from using and manipulating familiar food energy units to more conventional and less conceptually accessible physical science energy and power units like the joule and the watt. Approximately two 50-minute long class periods are recommended to complete this lesson.
This lesson can be implemented in a stand-alone fashion to address the basic premise of converting physical energy to chemical energy or in conjunction with other E21 lessons "Eat Your Energy's Worth" and "Electricity Unplugged" which are located at http://www.pspb.org/e21.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Energy takes many forms.
2. It is possible to convert one type of energy to another.
3. Energy is required for physical activity.
4. The food we eat provides us with the energy needed for physical activity in the form of calories.
5. Certain foods have a higher energy content than others, just as fuel sources have different energy contents.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Calibrate a “step” based on the length of their stride.
2. Use a pedometer to calculate steps taken during various time periods.
3. Calculate the number of calories burned based on weight, walking speed, and steps taken.
4. Explain how calories are a type of energy.
5. Describe how calories are converted to physical energy in the body.
6. Compare calories burned during a period of walking with the number of calories in certain types of food.
7. Develop a connection between high calorie foods and the physical energy required to utilize them.
8. Identify other sources of energy that are comparable to calories and physical activity.
Assessment Strategies
1. Non-formal assessment
• Progressive visual assessment of group participation
• Periodic question and answer sessions with the students
2. Formal assessment
• Completed Lab Data
• Completed Critical Thinking Sheet
Materials
Per group:
• Pedometer
• Yard stick
• Data recording sheet
• Scale
• Dictionary/Science reference book(s)
Procedures
Part 1 (1, 50-min Class Period)
1. This activity will introduce students to various concepts associated with energy. To begin, divide the class into groups based on the number of pedometers at your disposal. All groups should have one of the following:
o Pedometer
o Yardstick
o Data Sheet
2. Groups will elect a “test subject” who will be assigned the pedometer for the next 24 hours. Explain to the groups that each “test subject” will have different results based on their level of activity for the day. To ensure that the results are accurate, it is necessary to determine the length of an individual’s stride, which constitutes a step.
3. Each group must first determine the length of the test subject’s stride. This is accomplished by placing the yardstick on the classroom floor and having the test subject take one step. The students should record this length, in inches, on Table 1 of the data sheet. Repeat this step 4 more times. After all of the lengths are recorded on the data sheet, add all lengths together and divide by 5. This should give you the average length of the test subject’s step. Record this number on the line labeled “Stride Length” on the data sheet and if necessary, enter the number into the pedometer.
4. The students must then determine the weight of the test subject. Using the scale, groups will take turns weighing the test subject and will record the weight in pounds on the line labeled “Test Subject’s Weight” on the data sheet.
5. Using the weight recorded in step 4, along with a rate of 5 mph, the students will then determine the number of calories burned per mile using Chart 1 on the data sheet. Students should record this number on the line labeled “Calories Burned per Mile” on the data sheet.
6. The next step is to determine how many steps are taken by the test subject in 1 mile. (5280 feet = 1 mile). The students will take the length of a mile and divide by the “Stride Length” to determine the number of steps required for the test subject to walk 1 mile. This number should be recorded on the line labeled “Steps per Mile.”
7. Place the pedometer on the test subject as indicated by the particular pedometer. Record the starting time on the data sheet under “Starting Time.” Instruct the student to wear the pedometer at all times for the next 24 hours (with the exception of showering).
Part 2 (1, 50-min Class Period)
1. Begin by removing the pedometers from the test subjects. Groups should record the number of steps taken on the data sheet on the line labeled “Total Steps Taken in 24 Hours.”
2. Based on the total number of steps taken during a 24 hour time period, calculate the total number of miles walked. This is done by dividing the “Total Steps Taken in 24 Hours” by the “Steps per Mile” value. Record this value on the line labeled “Miles Walked.”
3. Using the “Miles Walked” value, students will calculate the total number of calories burned by walking during a 24 hour period. To calculate this value, multiply “Miles Walked” by “Calories Burned per Mile.” Record this value on the line labeled “Total Calories Burned.”
4. From this point in the lab, students will take the “Total Calories Burned” value and use it to explore the types of food that provide that much energy using Chart 2 on the data sheet.
5. Finally, students will determine the total number of burgers that would be required to fuel their daily walking. Students will take the “Total Calories Burned” and divide by the calories in a burger (670). Record this number on the line labeled “Burgers Consumed.”
6. Upon completion of activity, students should return all materials.
7. Have student groups answer the critical thinking questions on the data sheet. When complete, collect each group’s data sheet.
Eating your Energy’s Worth
(Exploring energy consumption through food)
Overview:
In this lesson, students will use the “Energy Calculator” to explore the consumption of energy. This lesson takes a novel approach to introducing the concept of energy consumption by starting an activity where students make predictions about the energy content of “student-friendly” food energy units and exercise. In the second part of the lesson, students make and test predictions with regards to home appliances. Students devise ways to use the Energy Calculator to test their predictions and use everyday quantities like food units to begin to grasp the relative magnitudes of energy use by appliances and the equivalent amount of work in terms of human exercise and physical activity. One 50-minute long class period is recommended to complete this lesson.
This lesson can be implemented in a stand-alone fashion to address the basic premise of connecting food energy units to more conventional and less conceptually accessible physical science energy and power units like the joule and the watt or in conjunction with other E21 lessons "Walk a Mile for a Burger?" and "Electricity Unplugged" which are located at http://www.pspb.org/e21.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. There are different forms and sources of energy.
2. People get chemical energy from the food they eat.
3. Foods contain different amounts of energy.
4. People use electrical energy to power appliances.
5. Different physical activities burn food energy at different rates and different appliances use electrical energy at different rates.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Compare activities by how fast they burn calories.
2. Compare appliance use by the rate they use energy.
3. Calculate the amount of electrical energy used in a week in food units
4. Develop ways to reduce energy use.
Assessment Strategies
1.Evaluation of completed student handbook.
2.Participation in classroom discussion on energy conservation.
Materials
Per group:
• Computer with access to Microsoft Excel
• Excel file, “Energy Calculator,” that accompanies this lesson
Per student:
• Student handout
Procedures
Parts 1 & 2: (1, 50 min Class Period)
1. This activity incorporates small group discussions. At the start of the lesson, frame the activity by introducing the first section that involves predicting the amount of energy in certain types of food.
2. As groups progress through the lesson, be sure to monitor student progress and facilitate discussions.
3. During part I, students will be using the blue section of the Energy Calculator. During part II, students will be using the yellow section of the Energy Calculator.
4. At the end of the activity, you can have the class discuss their explanations and predictions in a large group setting.
Electricity Unplugged
(Investigating the parts, process, and products of making electricity)
Overview:
In this lesson, students will get acquainted (or re-acquainted) with how electricity is produced. They will have an opportunity to compare and contrast different types of electricity production systems (EP systems) and their associated parts, processes and products. As a culminating activity, students will draft a letter to the local government making recommendations about EP systems to be used in their communities. Approximately four to five 50-minute long class periods are recommended to complete this investigation.
This lesson can be implemented in a stand-alone fashion to address the basic premise of electricity production in Pennsylvania or as an introduction to a larger unit on alternative energy technology in conjunction with other lessons from the E21 website (http://www.pspb.org/e21). The E21 lessons, “Eat your Energy’s Worth” and “Walk a Mile for a Burger,” are complementary for study of energy basics and lessons found in the “Clean Energy” strand would be appropriate to extend an exploration of alternative energies.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Electricity can be produced from renewable and nonrenewable resources.
2. Energy resources are geographically bound.
3. Waste is produced in the production of electricity.
4. Renewable and nonrenewable resources are created on different time scales.
5. There are pros and cons to each form of electricity production.
6. EP systems have a few common components.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Identify the major components of EP systems.
2. Describe the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources.
3. Compare and contrast different electricity production methods.
4. Describe the environmental, economic, and social implications attributed to each resource used for electricity production.
5. Evaluate EP systems used in their community/region and make a recommendation about alternative energy sources.
Assessment Strategies
1. Prior knowledge assessment
2. Small and whole group discussion
3. Completion of student handout
4. Performance in letter writing activity
Materials
Per group:
• Computer with an internet connection
• Websites:
• Part 2
1. Coal Plant: http://www.its-about-time.com/investinesart/coalplantvirtualtour.swf
2. Nuclear:
a. http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/nuctek/fissionreactor.html
b. http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power3.htm
3. Hydroelectric: http://fwee.org/walktour
4. Wind: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_how.html
Per student
• Student Handout
• Sample electricity bills (optional)
Procedures
Part 1: Student EP Systems Survey (Assessing prior knowledge) (20 minutes)
1. Explain that to explore the topic of electricity, you are going to gather information about your students’ prior knowledge by having them complete the first page of the student handout.
2. Attend to any questions that students may have about the survey and reassure them that they will learn more about any items they were uncertain about in the upcoming parts of the investigation, but resist giving students direct answers.
*The survey could also be used as a homework assignment or planning tool to identify students’ alternate conceptions or interests prior to beginning a study of electricity production.
Part 2: Electricity Production Systems (1, 50-minute Class Period)
1. State that there are many different types of resources to produce electricity. For this lesson, only four of them will be focused on: Coal, Nuclear, Hydroelectric, and Wind.
2. Split the students into groups of 4 or 5 to complete the web search.
3. Using the websites listed above and Question #1 of Part 2 in the Student Handout, have the students check off each component that they find being used in the production of electricity. The students should be able to see a trend in regards to common components in the production of electricity.
4. Make sure that the students also complete Question #2 of Part 2 in the Student Handout to take notes on the pros and cons of each type of electricity production.
Part 3: The Environmental, Economic, Social Products of Electricity Production (30 minutes and Homework)
1. Allow students to work in teams to ponder the questions in Part 3 of the Student Handout.
2. Discuss their responses as a large group to try to identify the major products or impacts of producing electricity and what that means for their communities.
3. Ask students if they know how much their family pays for electricity per month and ask them if they think that is reasonable.
4. Assign students a short homework assignment to find out more about where their family’s power comes from using the following website: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/powpro/screen1.html.
Part 4: Electric Choice in Pennsylvania (20 minutes)
1. Review students homework assignment to find out who distributes their electricity, what type of resource is used as fuel and the emission amounts from its production.
2. Give students a short lecture on the deregulation of electricity in Pennsylvania.
3. Discuss the role of choice in influencing the future of electricity production and introduce the task for Part 5.
Part 5: Take Action-Write Your Recommendation to the Town Council (1-2, 50 minute Class Periods)
1. Drawing on their previous experiences in the lesson and daily lives, students will draft a letter to a town council person making recommendations for the electricity production system fuel of choice.
2. Students will utilize the lessons learned from Parts 2 and 3 to support their recommendation.
3. Students may proceed with this action step, as appropriate. Some performance tasks include presenting their work publicly, mailing their letters to the local government agency, hosting a forum for peers, etc.
Turtle Lesson
Overview:
In this lesson students will learn about 5 common turtles that are native to the eastern United States. Students will explore each turtle’s characteristics, environment, means of protection, eating habits, and learn how they can help these turtles survive. The suggested time frame for this lesson is four to five 50 minutes class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. The identifying features for the following turtles: Box, Painted, Snapping, Stinkpot, and Wood
2. How each turtle protects themselves
3. The turtles environment
4. The turtles eating habits
5. The turtles hibernation pattern
6. What is being done to prevent the extinction of the turtles
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Identify 5 different types of turtles that are common to Pennsylvania: Box, Painted, Snapping, Stinkpot, and Wood.
2. Describe the environment the turtle lives in
3. Describe what the turtles eat
4. Describe the turtles hibernation pattern
5. Discuss the turtles method of protection
6. Describe ways to protect the turtles
Assessment Strategies
Class Reflection and student participation in class discussion
Turtle design project
Written paragraphs about turtle extinction
Completed Worksheets
Materials
Worksheet 1.0
Materials for building a turtle:
- Multi colored construction paper
- Scissors
- Markers
- Colored pencils
- Glue
Computers with internet access for individuals or groups
Multimedia:
Turtle Facts Animation
Turtle Quiz Game
Gardner video
Internet Resource: http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/research/Contribute/box%20turtle/boxinfo.htm#con
Procedures
Part 1 – 50 Minutes
1. Begin this lesson by having students watch the 3 Minute Gardner Video – This will introduce students to each turtle
2. Introduce students to the Turtle Facts Animation and hand out Worksheet 1.0. Tell students that they will be looking at each turtle in the Turtle Facts Animation and writing down the information that pertains to their worksheet. Inform students that once they have filled out their worksheets, they will be able to complete the Turtle Quiz Game. It may be helpful to fill out one section of the worksheet with your students so that they understand the process.
3. This activity can be completed individually or in small groups.
4. After students have filled in the worksheet, have them take the Turtle Quiz Game using their worksheet to see if they can answer the questions to reveal the hidden picture.
Part 2 – 100 minutes
1. If students have not already done so, have them watch the 3 Minute Gardner Video – This will introduce students to each turtle
2. If students have completed Part 1, they will use their completed worksheet 1.0 and can move to step 3. Otherwise, it is recommended that you discuss unique characteristics and survival techniques that each turtle uses. Let students go through the information that is provided on the Turtle Facts Animation.
3. Let students invent their own turtle. Hand out colored construction paper, glue, colored pencils, and markers. Students can create their turtles in any way they choose.
4. Have the group present their turtle to the class and describe its characteristics, survival techniques, and the environment their turtle lives in
Part 3 –75 Minutes
1. Have a discussion about the important issues surrounding turtle extinction. Information about this topic can be viewed at:
Internet Resources:
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/research/Contribute/box%20turtle/boxinfo.htm#con
2. After the class discussion, have each student write 2-3 paragraphs about what they can do to help the turtles survive distinction
3. When students have completed their paragraphs they should present their ideas to the class
Tree Lesson
Overview:
In this lesson students will learn about the identifying characteristics and environments of Conifer and Hardwood trees that are native to Pennsylvania. Students will also learn the ways that humans use trees and how this impacts the environment. The suggested timeframe for this lesson is three 50-minute class periods.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. The differences between hardwoods and conifers
2. The identifying features of the Conifer
3. The identifying features of the Hardwood
4. How humans use trees
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Identify common trees around their school
2. Describe the distinguishing features of the Conifer
3. Describe the distinguishing feature of the Hardwood
4. Describe ways that humans use trees
5. Describe how their actions impact tree use
Assessment Strategies
Characteristics document
Matching Exercise
Description of tree and environment
Discussion Question Answers
Class Discussion
Materials
4-6 twigs or picture of twigs with fruit and leaves
Computer with projector for video
A computer for each group of students
Materials for tree creation: Paint, Paper, Pencils, and Colored Pencils
Multimedia:
Video
Website with common Pennsylvania Trees:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/FORESTRY/commontr/
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us
Procedures
Part 1 – 50 Minutes
1. Before completing this lesson, collect 4-6 branches or twigs from trees that are locally found around your school or print pictures of 4-6 branches/twigs from trees that are locally found around your school. Include examples of both Conifer and Hardwood trees.
2. Begin this lesson by having students watch the 3 Minute Video – This will introduce students to tree identification
3. Divide your class up into 4-6 groups (depending on how many samples of twigs/branches that you have) and hand out the characteristics worksheet.
4. Ask students to fill in the characteristics worksheet by using the following website to identify their tree:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/FORESTRY/commontr/
You should provide a small list of possibilities that the tree may be in order to keep kids on task.
5. Once students have identified their tree, have them bring their description and sample to the front of the classroom.
6. Mix up the descriptions and samples so that they are not in a logical order. Assign a number to each sample twig and a letter to each description. Ask students to take out a piece of paper and individually choose which letter and number match one another.
7. Once students are finished, you can ask the class which picture corresponds to the description.
Extension for Part 1: Take students outside of the school and see if they can identify local trees based on the descriptions that they created in their class.
Part 2– 50 Minutes
1. Make copies of the tree descriptions from part 1 and pass them out to each student. If you did not complete part 1, you can get descriptions from this website:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/FORESTRY/commontr/
2. Have students review the characteristics to create a tree of their choice in its natural environment. Students can choose to paint or draw their trees.
3. Students should then either display their trees in the classroom or can present their trees to the class
Part 3– 50 Minutes
1. Form groups of 3-5 students.
2. Ask the class: What are natural resources? Make sure that you include trees in the list.
Information on Pennsylvania’s Natural Resources is available at the:
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/
3. Ask student groups to answer the following discussion questions from to see who can come up with the most answers:
Discussion Question 1: Can you list all of the ways that you use trees?
Discussion Question 2: What ways can you help protect trees from being cut down?
4. Discuss the answers with the group
Mechanical Properties of Chocolate: How Hard is your Chocolate?
Overview:
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will be able to calculate, measure and identify the hardness of various chocolate bars.
2. Students will apply previous knowledge of velocity and energy to find the hardness of candy bars.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will be able to determine the hardness of various substances using quantitative data.
2. Students will make observations of the hardness of chocolate while dropping the indenter on various chocolate bars.
3. Students will be able to determine the amount of hardness of a candy bar by first determining the potential and kinetic energy and the velocity of the indenter upon impact of the candy bar.
4. Students will compare and contrast the hardness of chocolate bars.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the lab questions.
2. Informal evaluation of participation in group discussion.
Materials
• Mechanical Properties of Chocolate Lab: How Hard is Your Chocolate, Questions and Data Sheet
Procedures
Part 1: Hardness of Materials
1. Introduce this lesson by asking the students to share their ideas about hardness of substances.
a. Show the video clip “Bend Twist & Break, the Bridge” to introduce materials.
b. Discuss the difference between graphite (in pencils that they use in class) and diamond (the hardest mineral on Earth) to introduce materials.
c. Ask the students to discuss differences between materials around them.
d. What are some ways that they have determined the hardness of substances?
2. Ask the students to share ideas about why some materials are harder than others. How could they test each material?
3. Talk to the students about some ways they are familiar with the concept that some
materials are harder than others. For example, everyday when you chew your food your teeth don’t break because your teeth are harder than the foods you chew. What are some of the foods that you eat? What would happen if you tried to eat food harder than your teeth?
4. Review hardness and the Mohs Hardness Scale.
5. In 1812, Friedrich Mohs came up with a way of ranking materials on a comparative scale – he simply took 2 different materials and observed which one got scratched when they were rubbed together. Since then, a more quantitative measure of hardness has been developed. Modern hardness testers take a well defined shape and press it into a material with a certain force, observing the indent it leaves in the material when it is removed.
6. Introduce lab.
7. Show the video clip “Bend Twist & Break, Breaking Glass” before students make hypothesis.
8. Complete lab.
9. Complete conclusion questions.
10. Discuss lab and conclusion questions as a class.
Part 3: Video
• Use the video clips “Bend Twist & Break, the Bridge” and “Bend Twist & Break, Breaking Glass” during this lesson.
• The video clip “Bend Twist & Break, the Bridge” will go with the introduction discussion. “Bend Twist & Break, Breaking Glass” will be viewed before students make their hypothesis.
Part 4: Other Examples
1. Teacher-led discussion about how some materials are harder than another.
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of hard materials? What are the advantages and disadvantages of soft materials?
Extension
1. Try changing the height of the drop, the weight of the indenter, or the shape of the indenter (different size marbles, or use pencils) to see effects discussed in question 6.
2. Try the experiments with different materials. Any material which can deform under the weight of your thumb is appropriate for this lab. Some easily available materials to test would be wax (i.e. candles), silly putty, clay etc.
Mechanical Properties of Chocolate: How Strong is your Chocolate?
Overview:
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will be able to identify the strength of various chocolate bars.
2. Students will know what happens to materials when load is applied to the center.
3. Students will describe the concept of strain by determining the load mass, width, length and thickness of candy bars.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will be able to determine the relative strength of various substances using quantitative data.
2. Students will make observations of the strength of chocolate while adding load mass.
3. Students will be able to determine the amount of force needed to break a chocolate bar and the amount of load that it is capable of holding.
4. Students will compare and contrast the strength of various chocolate bars.
5. Students will determine how each variable in the experiment (i.e.: thickness, grooves, load, etc) affects the amount of stress that a candy bar can withstand.
6. Students will identify the terms “strength” and “strain.”
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the lab questions.
2. Informal evaluation of participation in group discussion.
Materials
• Mechanical Properties of Chocolate Lab and Questions and Data Sheet
Procedures
Part 1: Relative Strength of Materials
1. Introduce this lesson showing students different materials and ask the students to determine which of these materials is the strongest: wood, Styrofoam, plastic (such as a milk jug), paper, metal and cloth. Allow them to touch each of the materials and make a list of materials from “strongest” to “weakest.”
2. Ask the students to share ideas about why some materials are stronger than others. How could they test each material?
3. Introduce the lab “How Strong is Your Chocolate.” Watch video clip "Bend Twist & Break, Fracture Surfaces" and allow the students a few minutes to make their hypothesis.
4. Complete lab.
5. Discuss the lab with the students. View video clip "Bend Twist & Break, Beyond the Laboratory" before students begin discussion questions.
6. Complete discussion questions.
Part 2: Strength and Strain
1. Review the concepts of strength and strain with the students.
2. Strength is the force per unit area (stress) that a material can support without breaking. Strength of a material can be found by determining how much “load” or “weight” a material can withstand. For example, if you were going to build a bookshelf to hold encyclopedias you probably would not choose paper as your building material, you would choose a heavy wood or strong, durable plastic. Because books are heavy, they need a strong material to hold them in place.
3. Strength of materials is an area of study in material science where scientists determine the strength of a material by determining how much “stress” a material can withstand. The stress in which a material breaks is a measure of its strength.
4. Ask the students to identify strength of a material is a physical or chemical property. When a material breaks, it is still the same material as before, just in smaller pieces, thus strength of a material is a physical property.
Part 3: Material strength and strain
Use video clips "Bend Twist & Break, Fracture Surfaces" and "Bend Twist & Break, Beyond the Laboratory".
Part 4: Other Examples
1. Teacher-led discussion about how the materials differ and some can withhold more stress than others.
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of strong materials? What are the advantages and disadvantages of weak materials?
Extension
1. Students can try this experiment again with different materials (such as plastics) to determine which would be an optimal building material. From their data, students can write a proposal to build a structure from the strongest material.
2. Students can research how chemical bonds affect the strength of materials. For example, inorganic materials, such as metals, ceramics and polymers, as well as organic materials, such as silk and bone, exhibit fundamentally different strengths. These differences originate in the variations in the type of bonds between the atoms and molecules that comprise the structure of these substances. For example, although metallic bonds are quite strong and resistant to deformation, they are relatively easy to individually break. This ability leads directly to the ductile characteristics of most metals. In contrast, the very strong and stiff ionic or covalent bonds that make up most ceramics, semiconductors and glasses are very resistant to any type of bond stretching or rupture, which in turns leads to their very brittle nature. Hardness is one measure of the strength of the structure of the mineral relative to the strength of its chemical bonds. Minerals with small atoms, packed tightly together with strong covalent bonds throughout tend to be the hardest minerals. The softest minerals have metallic bonds or even weaker van der Waals bonds as important components of their structure. Hardness can be tested through scratching. A scratch on a mineral is actually a groove produced by microfractures on the surface of the mineral. It requires either the breaking of bonds or the displacement of atoms (as in the metallic bonded minerals). A mineral can only be scratched by a harder substance. A hard mineral can scratch a softer mineral, but a soft mineral can not scratch a harder mineral (no matter how hard you try). The Mohs Hardness Scale starting with talc at 1 and ending with diamond at 10, is universally used around the world as a way of distinguishing minerals.
Breaking Things on Purpose
Overview:
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will determine the amount of stress required to break various candy bars.
2. Students will examine how a various substances break and infer a cause for the type of break.
3. Students will relate the candy bar experiment to the importance of nanotech laboratory work and how it is commercially and economically beneficial.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will predict the required stress to break a candy bar.
2. Students will compare the amount stress required to break various candy bars.
3. Students will determine the amount of stress required to break various candy bars.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the “Breaking Stuff: Lab”
Materials
• Video clips
1. "Bend Twist & Break, the Bridge"
2. "Bend Twist & Break, Breaking Glass"
3. "Bend Twist & Break, Fracture Surfaces"
• 4 different Hershey’s chocolate bars, for example:
1. Regular milk chocolate (1.55 oz.)
2. Dark chocolate (1.45 oz.)
3. Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar (1.75 oz.)
4. Nestle Crunch bar (1.55 oz.)
• Plastic or Styrofoam cups (12 oz size)
• Pennies (approximately 350 per group)
• String/twine
• Scissors
• Ruler or tape measure.
• Two desks that can be placed approximately 3 – 4 inches apart (approximately the length of the chocolate bars)
• Mass balance
Procedures
PART 1:
1. Students should view video clip "Bend Twist & Break, the Bridge".
2. Teacher should ask some of the students about a device that broke and they were not expecting it. The teacher can also discuss molecular frequency of objects and how matching the frequency can cause the object to break (such as a singer shattering a wine glass, or the wind effects on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge).
PART 2:
1. Students should view video clip "Bend Twist & Break, Breaking Glass".
2. Students should complete the laboratory activity
Extension
1. Students can watch video clip "Bend Twist & Break, Fracture Surfaces" and discuss various mechanical experimental designs that would test different physical properties of the chocolate bars
2. Using the Virtual Microscope (http://virtual.itg.uiuc.edu/), students can view the candy bar samples under an electron microscope.
3. Students can compare results and average the data.
4. Some of the candy bars can be frozen and the same experiment conducted. One major source of error here would be heating of the bar while the experiment in being conducted.
How Hard is Chocolate?
Overview:
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will conduct an experiment mimicking a hardness test.
2. Students will infer reasons for various levels of hardness among chocolate bars.
3. Students will determine the hardness of chocolate bars.
4. Students will examine indentations to determine the hardness of chocolate bar and infer reasons for the differences in hardness.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will calculate the hardness of various chocolate bars.
2. Students will calculate the potential and kinetic energy of an indenter.
3. Students will compare the hardness of various chocolate bars.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the “How Hard is Chocolate?” lab
Materials
• Video clips
1. "Bend Twist & Break, Fracture Surfaces"
2. "Bend Twist & Break, Beyond the Laboratory"
• 4 different Hershey’s chocolate bars, for example:
1. Regular milk chocolate (1.55 oz.)
2. Dark chocolate (1.45 oz.)
3. Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar (1.75 oz.)
4. Nestle Crunch bar (1.55 oz.)
• Roll of pennies
• Tape
• Metric ruler or tape measure.
• Analytical balance
• Sheet of blank paper
Procedures
PART 1:
1. Students should view video clip "Bend Twist & Break, Fracture Surfaces".
2. Teacher should lead a discussion on various mechanical experimental designs that would test different physical properties of the chocolate bars.
3. Students should create a hypothesis which ranks the various chocolate bars in order form hardest to softest.
PART 2:
1. Students should complete the laboratory activity.
PART 3:
1. Students should watch video clip "Bend Twist & Break, Beyond the Laboratory".
2. Teacher should lead a discussion around various objects and careers in which the experiment would be useful.
Extension
1.Using the Virtual Microscope (http://virtual.itg.uiuc.edu/), students can view the candy bar samples under an electron microscope.
2.Students can compare results and average the data.
3.Some of the candy bars can be frozen and the same experiment conducted. One major source of error here would be heating of the bar while the experiment in being conducted.
Do Materials Get Tired? How Long will a Paperclip Last?
Overview:
Materials such as metals (aluminum, iron, copper, etc.), ceramics (silicon carbide, porcelain) or polymers (milk jugs made of polyethylene) are tested by scientists and engineers to reveal certain mechanical properties to determine what uses the materials may have. One property that is tested is the amount of stress a material can handle before it breaks. You have probably tested the amount of stress a material can handle before by twisting or pushing on an object such as a toy until it breaks. The amount of stress a material can handle before it breaks measures how strong the material is. Also, as a material gets older, it can handle less stress which can cause it to fail at much lower stresses. For example, if a material is loaded over and over again and then fails it has undergone what is known as fatigue.
Fatigue is a very common mode of failure for materials and has been studied for centuries. Fatigue occurs every day in objects that you’re familiar with. For example, airplane wings fatigue thousands of cycles on every flight and bridges fatigue every time a car drives over them. However, just because a material is undergoing fatigue does not mean that it will always break. In fact, engineers run careful experiments so that they can be sure that things will not break due to fatigue while you are using them.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will predict how paperclips will fatigue based on prior experiences.
2. Students will be able to measure, compare and contrast the fatigue of the paperclip based on its angle and the material (whether metal or plastic).
3. Students will compare and contrast how differing angles change the outcome of how a material will fatigue.
4. Students will predict and measure how different sizes or materials will affect the failure of materials.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will be able to determine the fatigue of paperclips using quantitative data.
2. Students will make observations of paperclips fatigue while bending the paperclips in different angles.
3. Students will be able to determine how the angle affects the fatigue of paperclips.
4. Students will compare and contrast how different variables affect the fatigue such as materials, size and angle.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the hypothesis.
2. Completion of the lab questions.
3. Informal evaluation of participation in group discussion.
Materials
• Do Materials Get Tired – How Long Will a Paperclip Last Lab, questions and data tables.
• Paperclips: 4 for each group or set of lab partners, for example:
o 4 small metal paperclips
o 4 large metal paper clips
o 4 small plastic paper clips
o 4 large plastic paper clips
• Video clips (online)
1. "Do Materials Get Tired? Introduction" 2 minutes 21 seconds
2. "Do Materials Get Tired? Fatigue" 2 minutes 11 seconds
3. "Fracture Surfaces of Paper Clips" 10 seconds
Procedures
Part 1: Strain of Materials
1. Introduce lesson by asking students to view video clips "Do Materials Get Tired? Introduction" (2 minutes 21 seconds) and "Do Materials Get Tired? Fatigue" (2 minutes 11 seconds).
2. After viewing videos, ask the students to share their ideas about the fatigue of materials. What happens to an object when bent or twisted? Does it retain its shape? Does the object break? Use examples of different materials such as rubber, plastic, metal, etc.
3. Ask the students how they could devise a plan to test how each of these objects break? Would they all break in the same way or would they break in different ways?
4. Now, introduce other factors that may affect how an object breaks. Does the age of a material affect how easily the object breaks? Give some examples.
5. Talk to the students about how useful it is for people to test how a material breaks. Engineers are scientists that construct objects, buildings, airplanes, etc. out of materials that have specific properties. How would it be useful to know how an object fatigues before you build with it?
6. Complete the lab and when the lab is over, use data from the lab to reiterate parts 1-4 above. Draw on real-life experiences and objects used in everyday life.
Part 2: Other Examples
1. Teacher-led discussion about how an object fatigues is useful.
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a material that does not fatigue easily? Are there any advantages of a material that would fatigue easily? Explain.
Extension
1. Try the experiment again and compare the results to the first time. Were they similar or different?
2. Try adding different materials to this experiment, such as different quality plastic and metal paperclips.
3. Students may view video "Fracture Surfaces of Paper Clips" (10 seconds) as an introduction. After downloading a virtual microscope, (http://virtual.itg.uiuc.edu/downloads/#interface), students can view various paperclips and their fatigue surfaces (find links to data at http://www.wpsu.org/nano/). Discussions as well as activity questions can be designed based around the images and the experiment.
Do Materials Get Tired? Do Rubber Bands Get Longer During Use?
Overview:
Materials such as metals (aluminum, iron, copper, etc.), ceramics (silicon carbide, porcelain) or polymers (milk jugs made of polyethylene) are tested by scientists and engineers to reveal certain mechanical properties such as the maximum stress a material can withstand before it fails. Some materials will slowly deform when a constant force or displacement is applied to them. This time-dependent and permanent deformation is called creep.
If you have ever noticed that chewing gum gradually sags when it is stuck to something or watched a plastic grocery bag gradually tear apart when it is carrying too much weight, you have observed creep!
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will predict how what happens to materials as they creep.
2. Students will be able to measure, compare and contrast how weight and size of a rubber band will affect how creep changes with time.
3. Students will describe the relationship between creep and time.
4. Students will determine other factors that are involved to produce creep.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will be able to determine the creep of rubber bands using quantitative data.
2. Students will be able to determine how the creep of a rubber band changes with time.
3. Students will compare and contrast how different variables affect the creep such as size of the rubber band, weight of the object and time the object is under strain.
Assessment Strategies
1. Students will complete the hypotheses and study the materials before completing the lab.
2. Students will complete the lab and lab questions.
3. Informal evaluation of participation in group discussion.
Materials
• Do Materials Get Tired ? Do Rubber Bands Get Longer During Use ? Lab, questions and data tables.
• Rubber bands: (2 of the same size length/width, 2 of differing sizes and 1 rubber band of any size or shape
1. 1 rubber band will be used in the lab for Table A
2. the other 4 rubber bands will be used in the lab for Table B (2 of same size, 2 of different size)
• Weights: (2 of the same weight, one light weight and 2 differing weights, for example:
1. one light weight (5 grams or less)
2. two of the same weights: for example, 15 grams
3. two weights that are different: for example: 10 grams and 20 grams
• Video clips (online): "Do Materials Get Tired? Creep" 1 minutes 28 seconds
Procedures
Part 1: Creep of Materials
1. Introduce this lesson by asking the students to share their ideas about the creep of materials. Ask them about materials that are new versus materials that are old. What types of materials seem to lose their durability with time?
2. Now, introduce the factors that lead to creep: use of the object, forces on the object, heat, etc. Talk about each of these factors and their importance making a list on the classroom board. Also, ask the students for other ideas.
3. Talk to the students about how useful it is for people to test the creep of a material. Engineers are scientists that construct objects, buildings, airplanes, etc. out of materials that have specific properties. How would it be useful to understand how a material will tire before you build with it?
4. Complete the lab and when the lab is over, use data from the lab to reiterate parts 1-3 above. Draw on real-life experiences and objects used in everyday life.
Part 2: Video
Watch the video of the creep of materials:
http://win.wpsu.org/Streams/Produc03062008133359.wmv
Part 3: Other Examples
1. Teacher-led discussion about how an object tires.
2. What are the disadvantages of objects that tire easily?
3. Are there any advantages of a material that would fatigue easily? For example, have you ever heard about the environmental impact of 6-pack rings? 6-pack rings are commonly used to hold together soda cans and if 6-pack rings get into the ocean or other wild areas, animals can get stuck or choke on them. However, scientists have engineered 6-pack rings to break apart when they are exposed to sunlight (UV rays). Now, 6-pack rings are strong when you are carrying your soda home from the store but after being exposed to sunlight, they become brittle.
Extension
1. Try the experiment again and compare the results to the first time. Were they similar or different?
2. Try lengthening the experiment to a couple of weeks. Do you notice any difference in the creep of the rubber bands?
3. Add heat to the rubber bands by using a blow dryer. Compare the effects of the rubber band exposed to hot air from a blow dryer to the rubber bands that are not.
Do Materials Get Tired? How Long will a Paperclip Last?
Overview:
Materials such as metals (aluminum, iron, copper, etc.), ceramics (silicon carbide, porcelain) or polymers (milk jugs made of polyethylene) are tested by scientists and engineers to reveal certain mechanical properties, such as the maximum stress a material can withstand before it fails. The stress at which a material breaks is a measure of its strength. During use a material may degrade, which may cause it to fail at much lower stresses. For example, if a material is loaded over and over again and then fails it has undergone what is known as fatigue.
Fatigue is a very common mode of failure for materials and has been studied for centuries. Fatigue occurs every day in objects that you’re familiar with. For example, airplane wings fatigue thousands of cycles on every flight and bridges fatigue every time a car drives over them. However, just because a material is undergoing fatigue does not mean that it will always break. In fact, engineers run careful experiments so that they can be sure that things will not break due to fatigue while you are using them.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will conduct an experiment mimicking a torsion test.
2. Students will determine the shear stress on a paperclip.
3. Students will infer reasons for the quantitative shear stress for various paperclips.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will calculate the shear stress on various paperclips.
2. Students will compare the shear stress on various paper clips.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the “Do Materials Get Tired? How Long will a Paperclip Last?” Lab
Materials
• Computer with Internet access
• Video clips (online)
1. "Do Materials Get Tired? Introduction" (2 minutes 21 seconds)
2. "Do Materials Get Tired? Fatigue" (2 min 11 seconds)
3. "Fracture Surfaces of Paper Clips" (10 seconds)
• 4 different paper clips, for example:
o 1 Small metal paperclip
o 1 Large metal paper clip
o 1 Small plastic paperclip
o 1 Large plastic paperclip
• Metric ruler
Procedures
PART 1:
1. Students should view video clip "Do Materials Get Tired? Introduction" (2 minutes 21 seconds) and video clip "Do Materials Get Tired? Fatigue" (2 minutes 11 seconds).
2. Teacher should lead a discussion on how to test the fatigue of various objects. What are some products students would want to make sure were tested for fatigue? Have any students ever had a product just suddenly break due to fatigue?
3. Teacher should inform the students that they will test the fatigue for a variety of paperclips.
4. Students should create the three hypotheses listed in the lab.
5. Students should collect data for the laboratory experiment. This can be done with groups of students testing just one variable (two groups can test the same paper clips, but each group would change the rotation angle) and then share the data between the groups, or each group can test all of the variables including type of paperclip and rotation angle.
PART 2:
1. Students should graph the number of cycles vs the angle of rotation. Multiple graphs may need to be completed, one for each type of paper clip.
2. Students should complete the analysis questions.
3. Students should watch video clip "Fracture Surfaces of Paper Clips" (10 seconds).
4. Teacher should readdress the discussion around various objects that may have failed under stress forces. Teacher should also discuss the various careers in which the experiment pertains and the importance of such careers to society and today’s lifestyles.
Extension
1. Using the Virtual Microscope (http://virtual.itg.uiuc.edu/downloads/#interface), students can view various paperclips and their fatigue surfaces (find links to data at http://www.wpsu.org/nano/). Discussions as well as activity questions can be designed based around the images and the experiment.
2. Groups of students can test only one type of paper clip. After the tests have been conducted, the various data can be recorded and averaged.
3. Some of the paper clips can be frozen or heated and same experiment conducted. This can show how changes in temperature can affect the strength of metals.
Do Materials Get Tired? Do Rubber Bands Get Longer During Use?
Overview:
Materials such as metals (aluminum, iron, copper, etc.), ceramics (silicon carbide, porcelain) or polymers (milk jugs made of polyethylene) are tested by scientists and engineers to reveal certain mechanical properties such as the maximum stress a material can withstand before it fails. Some materials will slowly deform when a constant force or displacement is applied to them. This time-dependent and permanent deformation is called creep.
If you have ever noticed that chewing gum gradually sags when it is stuck to something or watched a plastic grocery bag gradually tear apart when it is carrying too much weight, you have observed creep!
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will conduct an experiment mimicking a creep test.
2. Students will determine the strain on a rubber band.
3. Students will infer reasons for the quantitative strain values for various rubber band and forces applied.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1. Students will calculate the strain on various rubber bands with various forces applied.
2. Students will compare the strain on various rubber bands with various forces applied.
Assessment Strategies
1. Completion of the “Do Materials Get Tired-Do Rubber Bands Get Longer During Use?” Lab
Materials
• Computer with Internet access
• Video clips (online)
1. "Do Materials Get Tired? Introduction" (2 minutes 21 seconds)
2. "Do Materials Get Tired? Creep" (1 minute 21 sec)
• Two sizes of rubber bands (2 of each)
• A hook or nail attached to a wall (i.e. a coat hook or wall tack)
• A set of mass objects of known mass
• A metric ruler
Procedures
DAY 1 (20 – 25 minutes):
1. Students should view the video clip "Do Materials Get Tired? Introduction" (2 minutes 21 seconds) (if they have not viewed it already) and the video clip "Do Materials Get Tired? Creep" (1 minute 21 sec).
2. Teacher should lead a discussion on how to test the creep of various objects. What are some products students would want to make sure were tested for fatigue via creep? Have any students ever had a product just suddenly break due to the creep of the object?
3. Teacher should inform the students that they will test the creep of rubber bands.
4. Students should create the three hypotheses listed in the lab.
5. Students should collect the initial data. This can be done with groups of students testing just one variable (two groups can test the same rubber band, but each group would change the force applied) and then share the data between the groups, or each group can test all of the variables including type of rubber band and force applied.
6. Students should also add the larger weight and measure the new length of the rubber band.
7. The band should then be left hanging with the larger weight for at least 24 hours. If the length of the rubber band can be recorded throughout the 24 hours time period, data would yield more accurate results.
DAY 2 (45 – 60 minutes):
1. Students should calculate the strain (ε) for each set of data recorded.
2. Students should graph the number of amount of creep (strain ε ) vs the number of hours left hanging. Multiple graphs may need to be completed, one for each type of rubber band or force applied.
3. Students should complete the analysis questions.
4. Teacher should readdress the discussion around various objects that may have failed under strain forces. Teacher should also discuss the various careers in which the experiment pertains and the importance of such careers to society and today’s lifestyles.
Extension
1. Groups of students can test only one type of rubber band. After the tests have been conducted, the various data can be recorded and averaged.
2. Some of the rubber bands can be frozen and same experiment conducted. This can show how changes in temperature can affect the strength of materials.
Reading Comprehension -- Determining Important Ideas
Overview:
In this lesson, students explore how to become better readers through the identification of main ideas, supporting details, and author’s message. First, a teacher read-aloud inspires a class discussion that focuses on prioritizing information so that it makes better sense to the reader. Students then participate in a shared reading that allows them to again use the process of identifying important information. Finally, they extend their understanding through an online interactive activity.
Content Objectives
Students will know that1. Students will identify main ideas, supporting details, and author’s messages in text
2. Students will sort details of text to show levels of importance
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Materials
• A book of your choice (e.g. Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson)
• Important Ideas Handout: Word Document
• Online Interactive Activity “The Hamburger Game”
Procedures
Part I: Introducing the Strategy
1. Discuss with students their prior knowledge of nonfiction text. Typical responses should include (or be guided to): gives true information, etc. Ask students to remember some nonfiction text they have read. Write the responses on the board. Guide discussion so that you talk about how knowing each of the items written was most likely the one important thing they learned from that text. Talk about how the most important part of what we read is the main idea. Also discuss how the other facts in the text serve to back up, or support, that main idea and are called supporting details. Explain that knowing how to pick out the main idea and supporting details gives us a purpose for reading and leads us to having a better understanding of what we are reading.
2. Introduce the nonfiction book, e.g. Cactus Hotel. Look at the cover and pictures, make some predictions about topic, setting, and events. Read the story aloud to the students. (It may be helpful if the book had been scanned to a computer and projected so that the students can see the text and pictures.)
3. After reading the story, talk about how this nonfiction book is designed to give us information. Have the students identify what they learned from the story and write the information on the board. Once all major pieces of information have been identified, ask students what they have in common. (All have to do with the cactus being a giver and receiver in relation to its environment.) Discuss that this one piece of information is what the author wants us to learn from reading this book. Look back to the story information written on the board. Ask the students to decide if each piece serves to support the main idea we have identified. (It does.)
Part II: Review and Practice
1. Hand out the Important Ideas Information worksheet. Read passages aloud, work together to identify the main idea, supporting details, and author’s message. On this handout, it should be mentioned that many times the main idea is the first or last thing we read. Depending on the students’ level, the teacher can tie in topic and concluding sentences.
2. Review the meaning of the terms “main ideas” and “supporting details.” Recall Cactus Hotel and other nonfiction texts that have been read.
Part III: Incorporating the Online Activity/Checking for Understanding
1. Have students work in centers that include practicing with the online Hamburger activity, reading a short story on their level and determining main idea and supporting details, and working with the teacher on the same so that the teacher can assess student progress using this strategy.
Reading Comprehension -- Monitoring and Repairing
Overview:
In this lesson students will strive to become better readers by paying attention to clues given in the text. By using the “monitoring/repairing” strategy, students will observe and practice using other parts of a story to help them figure out unfamiliar words or ideas, and discover how they can put information together to help them get a better understanding of what they read. They will practice the strategy with an online interactive activity that reinforces the thinking process of the monitoring/repairing strategy.
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will identify words that are not known to them and decode or replace them in a variety of contexts.
Students will observe the teacher modeling the monitoring and repairing strategy.
Students will read short stories and/or articles and discuss in pairs and as a group information and vocabulary that is new to them.
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Materials
• A challenging non-fiction text or realistic fiction text based on facts.
Procedures
Pass out books or articles to students and explain that there will be words they don’t understand, as well as more than one important idea or purpose in their reading. Read aloud and demonstrate the monitoring/repairing strategy, which involves stopping when new words are encountered attempting to determine their meaning. Once the teacher has modeled the strategy using the shared text, students may work alone or in pairs with another text. When the group comes back together, students will take turns sharing what they don’t understand, or what they learned. This should be repeated with new or continuing text over several class days.
Students will use the “Fridge Magnet” interactive activity to highlight unknown vocabulary, and determine what they believe will make sense.
Students will also work in pairs or small groups reading short stories or articles and marking with sticky notes what they don’t understand or what has been discovered that is new information.
Reading Comprehension -- Synthesis
Overview:
In this lesson, students explore how to become better readers by putting information together. First, a teacher read-aloud inspires a class discussion that focuses on sorting information so that it makes better sense to the reader. Students then participate in a shared reading that allows them to again use the process of putting information together. Finally, they extend their understanding through an online interactive activity.
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will use context clues to make predictions about texts.
Students will put stories in sequential order.
Students will identify story elements and details.
Students will assemble sentences to make meaning.
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Materials
• Choose a book that provides ample opportunity for synthesizing (e.g. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch or Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole).
• Synthesizing Handout: Word Document
• “The Train Game” Online Interactive
Procedures
Part I: Introducing the Strategy
1. Discuss with students their prior knowledge of fairy tale stories involving a princess, a prince, and a dragon. Typical responses should include (or be guided to): the princess being held captive or tortured by the dragon, the prince saving the princess, etc. Ask students to remember some stories they may know in which this situation occurs. Write the usual events of these stories on the board. Go back and have the students put them in the correct order of occurrence. Guide discussion so that you talk about how knowing each of the events that happen in a story helps you to understand it better. Talk about how familiar stories are so easy to understand because the sequence and type of events are expected. Also discuss how being able to put even unfamiliar story events in order can help to make sense of what is happening and lead to better understanding of what we are reading.
2. Introduce the book, The Paper Bag Princess. Look at the cover and pictures, make some predictions about characters, setting, and events. Read the story aloud to the students. (It may be helpful if the book had been scanned to a computer and projected so that the students could see the text and pictures.)
3. After reading the story, talk about how this plotline parallels the traditional princess and dragon tale, but has an unexpected twist. Have the students identify what happened in this story and write the information on the board. Once all major events have been identified, put them in the correct sequential order. Discuss why the author may have chosen to write the story this way, and what he might be trying to teach us.
Part II: Review and Practice
1. Hand out the Synthesizing Information worksheet. Read the passages aloud, work together to put the events in the proper order, discuss the author’s message and main idea. Also discuss how the students’ background knowledge and experience helped to sort and understand the information.
2. Review what synthesizing is and ways we have practiced it. Recall The Paper Bag Princess and other passages we have read as well as familiar stories.
Part III: Incorporating the Online Game/Checking for Understanding
1. Have students work in centers that include practicing with the online Synthesize activity, reading a short story on their level and synthesizing it, and working with the teacher on synthesizing so that the teacher can assess student progress using this strategy.
Archaic Period: Compare and Contrast
Overview:
Students will describe what life was like during the Archaic Period in Pennsylvania
(Time: 30-50 minutes)
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will compare and contrast facts about life in the Paleoindian and the Archaic Periods.
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
1) Collaborative group-work
2) Accuracy of comparisons
Materials
- Computer with an Internet connection
- Video: “Family” (2 min 14 sec)
- Video: “Tools and Other Evidence” (1 min 3 sec)
Procedures
1) Teacher will inform the students that they will be learning about the Archaic Period. Divide the class into smaller groups of three or four students.
2) Ask the groups to discuss and write down a summary of what they know about the Paleoindian Period with regard to the food, environment, family and tools. Allot an appropriate amount of time.
3) Play the two videos – “Families” and “Tools and Other Evidence” in class. Before playing the videos, ask the groups to pay attention and summarize what they see/hear in the videos in terms of the cultural characteristics mentioned in (2).
4) Students should compare and contrast what they know about the Paleoindian Period and the Archaic Period in terms of the following:
5) Each group will present its comparisons to the class and create a chart to be displayed. Charts may be created at home later. Teacher will supervise the collaborative process and check the accuracy of comparisons.
Archaic Period: Hypothesizing
Overview:
Students will understand the way of life of the Archaic People by gleaning salient points from the text.
(Time: 50 minutes)
Content Objectives
Students will know that1) Students will reflect on life in the Archaic Period by hypothesizing about it in terms of different aspects of contemporary culture.
2) Students will analyze the text thoroughly for building these hypotheses.
3) Students will reflect on the accuracy of hypotheses they have created so far.
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
1) Reading comprehension
2) Analyzing facts for hypotheses
3) Collaboration
4) Valid refutation
Materials
- Printed copies of PDF document: Archaic
Procedures
1) Teacher introduces the students to the text about Archaic Period in Pennsylvania and tells them that they’ll be reading it.
2) Divide the class into groups as before or have students do this activity individually.
3) Ask the students to read silently and take notes of any facts they consider important. Allot an appropriate amount of time.
4) Next pose the following list of challenges to the students, one at a time. Students may have the text in front of them and refer to it while they are responding to these challenges in the form of hypotheses. When the hypotheses in response to each challenge are ready, ask the groups or individual volunteer-students to state them for the class. The class will then add to or refute the hypotheses.
a) “Imagine the kinds of jobs the Archaic people had” (Possible reponses: hunter, gatherer, fisherman, trapper, bowl-maker, stone and jewelry maker, food processor, cook, skin-preparer, clothes-maker, bone tool or jewelry manufacturer, trader, parent, teacher, builder, doctor, etc. Consider the possibility that most individuals had more than one job).
b) “Imagine the ways in which Archaic people prepared their food”. (Possible responses: roasted rabbits, steamed clams, baked fish and water fowl, dried meat for jerky, fresh fruits, sweetened with maple sugar or berries, ground up and roasted nuts and boiled them for a hot beverage, baked seed cakes in hot wood ash, mashed and boiled tubers, etc.)
c) “Imagine the kinds of things that the Archaic children learned”. (Possible responses: sciences of botany and zoology, environmental science, astronomy, family and community history, language arts, good manners, skills such as hunting and fishing, crafts such as skin working and tool making, building, geography, etc.)
d) “Imagine the ways in which the Archaic people enjoyed their time off. Also what, according to them, was a good time?” (Possible answers: availability of food all year round, mild winters, successful hunting and gathering seasons, story telling, joking, playing and being with their friends and families, getting together with other families during certain times of the year, special holidays, being allowed to do grown up things, etc.)
e) “What are the modern day equivalents of Archaic hearths, storage pits, cooking ovens and refuse pits?” (Possible answers: fireplaces, electric heating systems, electric lights, cooking range, cook top, microwave oven, garbage bins, refrigerators, land fills, etc.)
5) Prior to or simultaneously with the questions, explain to the students that although the Archaic people didn’t have weekly paychecks or cookbooks, school systems or the luxury of a plasma screen T.V., they did have the concept of occupations, a culinary culture, learning and recreation.
6) Teacher will supervise the process and ensure proper justifications for the hypotheses. Student discussions should naturally gravitate toward a comparison between this prehistoric and our contemporary culture.
Archaic Period: Jackdaws
Overview:
Students will hypothesize about life in the Archaic Period from the study of culturally related groups of artifacts and other remains which archaeologists call assemblages.
(Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes for a two-part lesson)
Content Objectives
Students will know that1) Students will understand the role of artifacts and artifact assemblages in understanding a cultural period.
2) Students will use artifacts from the Archaic Period to hypothesize about life in that time period.
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
1) Understanding the information potential of individual artifacts and other remains and groups of these representing a particular cultural period.
2) Hypothesizing
3) Collaborative group-work
Materials
- Printed copies of PDF document: Jackdaws
Procedures
Part 1: 30 minutes
1) Teacher explains to the students that everything an archaeologist finds has a story to tell the archaeologist. Groups of remains called assemblages, representing a particular cultural period, that are found by archaeologists tell a more complete story about the culture that each object was used in. Archaeologists try to discover the stories found in individual artifacts and groups of artifacts so that they can learn more about the people who made and used the remains.
(For the teacher's information: Jackdaws are collections of artifacts or facsimiles of artifacts related to a topic. Creating a jackdaw for a particular historical period authenticates the experience for students and helps them visualize and synthesize knowledge. Jackdaws can help students understand abstract historical concepts.)
2) Teacher asks each student to think of an object used in the student's daily life that can be a representative of the culture the student lives in (e.g. iPods, shoes, chopsticks, backpacks, etc.) Ask each student to think about the story the object tells about that student and that student's culture. Next ask the students to think about at least two more objects used in daily life and have them think about how the story changes if we are looking at more than one object. Students may share their stories with the class. Allot an appropriate amount of time.
3) Next, ask them to imagine what archaeologists 10,000 years from now might make of the remains of that object or group of objects. They may write about it or speak about it in front of the class.
4) Teacher initiates a discussion about the importance of groups of objects found by archaeologists in understanding history and the idea that common functional tools and objects become important sources of knowledge. Teacher tells the students that in the next activity they will be think like archaeologists studying the Archaic Period.
-----
Part 2: 40 minutes
1) Prior to the activity, the teacher will print out the jackdaw from the ‘Think Like an Archaeologist’ website. The following is a full list of pictures found in the jackdaw: spruce, pine or hemlock needles; oak, hickory or chestnut leaves; walnuts; acorns; berries; tubers; fish; deer; rabbits; squirrels; hearth; house posts; debitage; cooking ovens; chert; flint; jasper; axes; bone; soapstone; atlatl; bear; bird; rodent and netsinker.
2) Teacher will remind students of the previous activity where they imagined their objects of daily use as remains found in the distant future, and introduce them to the assemblage in the form of a jackdaw from the Archaic Period.
3) As before, divide the class into smaller groups of three to four students. Give each group a standard set of pictures to analyze. Alternately, different sets of pictures/objects may be used as a jackdaw for different groups.
4) Ask the groups to brainstorm the likely uses and roles of groups of artifacts and other remains which are found together and represent a particular cultural period. Remind them that they can use what they had summarized about the Archaic Period in the earlier class and encourage them to make well-justified hypotheses for unfamiliar objects.
5) Teacher will supervise and facilitate the groups. Allot an appropriate amount of time.
6) At the end of the time limit, each group will share their hypothesis with the class. Teacher will encourage the class to debate the validity of the hypothesis presented. Students will add the accepted hypotheses to the chart previously made.
7) Teacher and students together re-cap what they have learned so far about the Archaic Period.
Paleoindian Period: Know-Want to Know-Learned
Overview:
Students will develop their questions about how the earliest humans entered North America. From these questions students develop their own purpose for reading and research.
(Time: 30-50 minutes)
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will know how the Paleoindians entered North America.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1) Students will identify what they know about how the first Native Americans migrated to America.
2) Students will record what they want to know about this process of migration.
3) Students will read the assigned text and then identify what they have learned.
Assessment Strategies
1) Collaborative brainstorming
2) Question generation
3) Reading comprehension
4) Summarizing
Materials
- Computer with an Internet connection
- Printed copies of worksheet: Know - Want to Know - Learned
- Printed copies of PDF text: Paleoindian Period
- Video: “Entrance into the New World” (1 min and 29 sec)
Procedures
1) Divide the class into small groups (preferably) of 3 students each and give each group a Know-Want to Know-Learned worksheet.
2) Ask the class to think about how Paleoindian people first entered North America in terms of the following: dates, travel routes, geographical situation, animals, archaeological sites and sources of foods. Display the list on the black/white board.
3) Play the video "Entrance into the New World."
4) Ask each group to enter what it already know about this process in the ‘K’ (Know) column. Allot an appropriate amount of time. Each student in the group will serve as a scribe for one of the columns in the worksheet. Each of the groups may tell the class something they know.
5) Next, ask each group to list the things it would like to know in the form of questions, in the ‘W’ (Want to Know) column. Students may also add to their 'K' (Know) column or use what they already know to develop additional questions. Alternately, they may not be curious about some factors on the 'K' list. Indicate that after the next activity they will be answering questions they ask in the current one. Allot an appropriate amount of time.
6) Students will read their copies of the PDF text and then reread parts I, II, and III in their own groups. Ask them to take notes/summarize as they read in order to answer the questions they have asked. Allot an appropriate amount of time.
7) Students will next fill in the ‘L’ (Learned) column of the worksheet.
8) If there are any unanswered questions, ask the students to research the questions online. Supervise the process. Alternately, students may complete this activity as homework. Encourage students to access sites developed by professional sources. An example is www.paarchaeology.state.pa.us.
9) Teacher and students together will recap what they learned about the migration of Native Americans to the New World.
Closure: Teacher and students together will recap what they learned about the migration of Native Americans to the new world.
Paleoindian Period: Fluted Point
Overview:
Students will learn about the changes brought about by the invention of the fluted point.
(Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes for a two-part lesson plan)
Content Objectives
Students will know that1) Students will compare and contrast Paleoindian people who lived before and after the invention of the fluted point.
Process Objectives
Students will be able to1) Students will identify the importance of a modern invention.
2) Students will hypothesize about the implications of discoveries related to the fluted point.
3) Students will distinguish between life before and after the fluted point.
Assessment Strategies
1) Collaborative group-work
2) Class debate
3) Graphic Organizer document
Materials
- Computer with an Internet connection
- Video: “Environmental Change” (1 min 32 sec)
- Copies of PDF Text: Paleoindian Period
- Graphic organizer
Procedures
Part 1: 40-50 minutes
1) Introduce the topic by generating a discussion about how some inventions have changed our world radically – e.g. the use of electricity. Ask the students to compare what life was like before electricity was widely used. If they are unable to come up with illustrations of the past, ask them to imagine what life would be like if all electrical networks disappeared from the world. Summarize their responses to identify the importance of electricity in our lives. Inform the students that they will be learning about the changes that the invention of the fluted point brought about in the lives of Paleoindians.
2) Play the video: “Environmental Change.”
3) Create groups of three to four students.
4) Tell students the meaning of a hypothesis and give an example. Next, display the following facts and ask the groups to create hypotheses about what they mean in terms of our knowledge of the Paleoindian Period:
a) Fluted points mixed with the bones of mammoth, mastodon, horse and camel were found.
b) The Paleoindian people were nomadic stone tool using people.
c) Making the flutes required high quality lithic (stone) material.
d) Fish bones were recovered from the Shawnee Minisink Site in Monroe County.
e) The Meadowcroft Rockshelter is the only site recorded in Pennsylvania from 16,000 to 12,000 years ago.
f) During the Ice Age, the oceans decreased in depth by 300 feet.
5) Each group will brainstorm for an appropriate amount of time. Ask the groups to share their hypotheses with the class. Encourage the students to debate the validity of each hypothesis.
6) Students and the teacher will together summarize their hypotheses about these statements and create one document per group listing each of these. At this point, there are no right or wrong hypotheses beyond the students’ consensuses. This document will be used in the next activity.
Part 2: 30 minutes
1) Continuing with the same students, each group will use the document created in Part 1(listing each group’s hypotheses), for activities in Part 2.
2) Students will read sections IV, V and VI of the text ‘Paleoindian Period’. Guide their reading by asking them to pay attention to the Paleoindian way of life, the animals, tools, habitat, vegetation and other unique facts. These categories make up the graphic organizer. After the reading, students will fill in the graphic organizer.
3) Students will compare and contrast the document of hypotheses created earlier with the graphic organizer and make changes if necessary. The scope of the current activity goes beyond the topics covered in the earlier activity and therefore, students might not uncover any changes after the reading.
4) Students and teachers together will recap what they have learned about the Paleoindian Period.
Woodland Period: Predictions
Overview:
Students will become familiar with different aspects of life in the Woodland Period.
(Time: 30 minutes)
Content Objectives
Students will know that1) Students will predict whether statements given to them about the three parts of the Woodland Period are true or false.
2) Students will watch video clips to check for the accuracy of their predictions.
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
1) Justified predictions
Materials
- Computer with an Internet connection
- Copies of Prediction Sheet PDF document
- Video: “Early Woodland Period” (3 min)
- Video: “Middle Woodland Period” (1 min and 14 sec)
- Video: “Late Woodland Period” (3 min and 35 sec)
Procedures
1) Teacher will divide the class into groups of three to four students.
2) Next, students will be given a prediction sheet that lists true as well as false statements about life in the three parts of the Woodland Period.
3) Students will discuss with their groups and share their predictions regarding the truth of those statements with the class. Teacher will ensure that students provide adequate justification.
4) After the predictions for each part are made, they will see the video for the corresponding part. Thus, after predictions are made for the Early Woodland Period students will watch the corresponding video, and so on.
5) Students will note how their predictions were similar to or different from the content of the videos and change their answers accordingly. The process will be repeated for all the parts.
6) Students will maintain their prediction sheets with the appropriate answers for future reference.
Woodland Period: Burial Ceremonies
Overview:
Students will create hypotheses about the burial practices of the Adena and Hopewell.
(Time: 50 minutes)
Content Objectives
Students will know that1) Students will reflect on inquiries given to them pertaining to the burial customs of people of the Adena (Early Woodland) and Hopewell (Middle Woodland) and build well-justified hypotheses.
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
1) Building well-justified hypotheses
2) Critiquing hypotheses
3) Collaborative group-work
4) In-class presentation
Materials
1) Copies of Burial Ceremonies PDF document
Procedures
1) Teacher will divide the class into five groups.
2) Teacher will ask students if they know about Egypt’s pyramids and their purpose. Based on their responses, the teacher will provide more information about them and/or ask what kind of knowledge is gained from their study. Following their responses, link the information they have with the ‘Burial Ceremonies’ PDF document that they will be reading.
3) Allot an appropriate amount of time for reading and discussion. Remind students to take notes as they read and then write down the hypothesis for each and the corresponding justification in adjacent columns. Also remind them to keep in mind the facts they know about the pyramids.
4) After the allotted time is up, each group will present their hypothesis for one of the questions and the class will critique it.
5) Teacher will supervise the within-group and in-class discussions and ensure that the justifications are well founded and that students synthesize all the information they have so far about the Woodland Period.
Woodland Period: Categorizing
Overview:
Students will understand the progression of the Woodland Period.
(Time: 50 minutes)
Content Objectives
Students will know that1) Students will use their answers from the previous prediction sheet to predict the categories (Early, Middle and Late) of new facts about the Woodland Period.
2) Students will appropriately re-categorize the facts after reading the text about the three parts of the Woodland Period.
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
1) Appropriate prediction of categories prior to reading
2) Reading comprehension
3) Matching facts with text
Materials
- Copies of Prediction Sheet PDF document
- Copies of Factual Statements about the Woodland Period PDF document
- Copies of Answer Key PDF document
- Copies of Graphic Organizer PDF document
- Copies of Woodland Period PDF document
Procedures
1) This activity will be done in groups created for the first lesson (Woodland Period: Predictions).
2) Teacher will give each group one copy of the Factual Statements about the Woodland Period (fact sheet) and ask them to use the previously worked Prediction Sheet as a reference. Students are to predict which of the facts belong to which period. Allot an appropriate amount of time.
3) Next, students will read the PDF text ‘Woodland Period in Pennsylvania’, find facts from the fact sheet in it and re-categorize them in the Graphic Organizer in case they have made a mistake in the first step. Allot an appropriate amount of time.
4) Teacher will either read from the Factual Statements about the Woodland Period − Answer Key or give copies of this answer key to each group to corroborate their responses.
5) Teacher and students together will recap what the food, tools and utensils, burial rituals and society were like in the three periods of the Woodland Period.
Reading Comprehension -- Drawing Inferences
Overview:
Throughout this lesson, students will be focusing on Drawing Inferences, which is one of the 7 Keys to Comprehension. First, students will be introduced to the strategy, and how it can be used to extend their understanding of different types of texts. The teacher will first model how the strategy can be used. During a shared reading the teacher will gradually turn over some of the responsibility to the students. Finally, the students are given the chance to practice independently using the interactive activity provided.
Content Objectives
Students will know thatRestate the “Drawing Inferences” strategy while using it in class
Implement the strategy before, during, and after reading
Use an interactive online activity to practice Drawing Inferences
Recall various definitions of the strategy and use them to better understand text
Discuss the thinking behind inferences
Validate inferences and/or predictions
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Materials
Teacher-Selected Book to read aloud to students
Shared reading text for use on Polyvision Board/Smart Board/Overhead (This could be an excerpt from the read aloud book.)
Student Journals
Polyvision Board/Smart Board/Overhead
Laptop Cart
Projector
Student laptops
Online interactive activity
Procedures
Before the Lesson:
1. Choose the book you are going to use.
2. Take an excerpt to use for your shared reading and put it in a Word document so all students can see the text projected. It could also be made into an overhead.
3. Create hyperlinks to the text showing your inferences.
The Lesson:
1. Introduction/Motivator - Introduce the new book you will be reading to the students. Discuss the cover, pictures, chapter titles, etc. Then ask the students what they think this book will be about? After they give an answer ask them to validate their response by telling you why they made that prediction. Then introduce Drawing Inferences to the students.
2. Talk to students about what it means to Draw an Inference or make a prediction. Remind students that inferences should be made before, during, and after reading. Also indicate that all of their predictions need to be validated.
3. Read Aloud- Ask the students to use this strategy while they are listening to the Read Aloud.
4. Read to students from the book chosen.
5. When finished, talk about some of the inferences you made while reading and give your students some time to share their ideas. Be sure to model the appropriate language. Students should use the format “I infer that ______. The reasoning behind my inference is ______.”
6. Shared Reading- Have students go back to their seats while you turn on the Polyvision Board. Open the Word document containing the excerpt from the chosen book (usually 3 or 4 paragraphs at the end of chapter or book), so that all students can see the text.
7. Begin reading through the text stopping here and there to refer to your hyperlinked inferences. You are modeling how to use the strategy for the students.
8. As you near the middle of the text, start letting the students share some of their inferences using the correct language.
9. Toward the end of the text have the students Think/Pair/Share with someone who is sitting beside them, so that they can share their ideas. Give students time to share their inferences. You could also have the students draw a picture of their prediction to share with the class.
10. Review skills and strategies taught, and ask the students how making inferences can improve their understanding of a book.
11. Practice- Demonstrate how to use the interactive activity.
12. Have students get out their laptops (or use computer centers) and use the interactive activity “7 Keys - Drawing Inferences” to practice drawing inferences.
13. Students are to have their journals with them, so that they can note strengths and weaknesses they encountered while using this strategy.
14. By looking at student work on the computer and in their journals, teachers can check for understanding.
Reading Comprehension -- Questioning
Overview:
In this lesson, students explore how to become better readers through questioning before, during and after reading stories. First, a teacher reads aloud the title of the book, and does a "picture walk" of the book with the students. Throughout the story the teacher asks the students to predict what will happen, to connect their personal experiences to the story, and to express their opinions. Students are asked whether the story makes them think of anything that has happened to them. Finally, they extend their understanding through an online interactive activity.
Content Objectives
Students will know thatStudents will practice questioning techniques to increase reading comprehension, including using picture clues, prediction, cause and effect, and sequencing strategies.
Students will restate the questioning strategy.
Students will explain how the questioning strategy influences their reading.
Process Objectives
Students will be able toAssessment Strategies
Materials
Teacher-selected children's books
Question Cube (any size cube with the words, "what, when, why, who, where, and how" written on the faces)
Multimedia Resources:
Online Question Cube interactive activity
Procedures
Part I: Introducing the Strategy
1. Introduction: Read the title of the book to the students, and do a "picture walk". A "picture walk" introduces prediction strategies and helps with incorporating prior knowledge and vocabulary.
2. Before reading: Ask students what they think the story will be about. What personal experience do they have to connect to the story?
3. During reading: Ask the students if they were right. What did they find out so far? What do they think will happen next?
4. After reading: Ask the students if they liked how the story ended? Would they have done the same thing the character did? What was their favorite part of the story? Did the story make them think of anything that happened to them?
Part II: Review and Practice
Repeat what you did in part one, but now add the question cube. After reading the story, sit in a circle on the floor with the children. Show the children the question cube. Talk about the words on the question cube and explain that questions can begin with those words. Model asking a question about the story such as the following:
Who (Who is the main character?)
Where (Where does the story take place?)
Why (Why does _____________ happen?) – Use cause and effect
What (What happens after______?) - sequencing
How (How would you summarize the story?) - main idea
When (When does _____happen?) - beginning, middle, end.
Roll the cube and ask the children to raise their hands if they know an answer. Chose a child to answer. If the child answers correctly, toss him/her the cube, and the child rolls the cube and asks a question beginning with the word that ends face up on the cube (If children have trouble coming up with questions, the teacher can assist). Continue, giving everyone a chance to participate.
Part III: Incorporating the interactive activity/Checking for Understanding
In centers or independently, practice these skills with the online Question Cube game.
Extension:
Older children can independently write questions and answers about their stories, and then discuss with the class or hand them in for the teacher to assess their application of the strategy.
Multimedia Resources Used in this Lesson:
PA Energy Biomass Movie
QUICKTIME Video
History of PA Energy through 20th Century
QUICKTIME Video
PA Energy’s Energy from the Sun
QUICKTIME Video
Photovoltaics (pv4)
QUICKTIME Video
Power Inverter
QUICKTIME Video
Solar Water Heater
QUICKTIME Video
Passive Solar
QUICKTIME Video
PSU Combustion Lab Tour Segment 1
QUICKTIME Video
PSU Combustion Lab Tour Segment 2
QUICKTIME Video
PSU Combustion Lab Tour Segment 3
QUICKTIME Video
PSU Combustion Lab Tour Segment 4
QUICKTIME Video
PSU Combustion Lab Tour Segment 5
QUICKTIME Video
PSU Combustion Lab Tour Segment 6
QUICKTIME Video
PSU Combustion Lab Tour Segment 7
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Foundation
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Building the Road
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Bringing in Parts
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Specs and Process
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Blade onto tower
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Environmental Concerns
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Topography
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Turbine Production
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Turbine Type and Specs
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Power Grid
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Private vs. Public Land
QUICKTIME Video
Bear Creek Wind Farm Owners
QUICKTIME Video
Welcome
QUICKTIME Video
Ecological Footprint
QUICKTIME Video
Inside the Yurt
QUICKTIME Video
Kitchen Tips
QUICKTIME Video
Bathroom Details
QUICKTIME Video
Greenhouse
QUICKTIME Video
Bike Power
QUICKTIME Video
Pa Energy: Wind
QUICKTIME Video
Power Systems
QUICKTIME Video
What is matter?
QUICKTIME Video
What is a molecule?
QUICKTIME Video
What Holds A Molecule Together?
QUICKTIME Video
Using Nanoscience to Understand the Properties of Matter
QUICKTIME Video
Taking Pictures of Things You Can’t See
QUICKTIME Video
Video 1: Universe Orgins
QUICKTIME Video
Video 2: Astronomy Theories
QUICKTIME Video
Video 3: Accidental Discoveries
QUICKTIME Video
Video 4: Gamma Ray Burst Theories
QUICKTIME Video
Video 5: Looking Back in Time
QUICKTIME Video
Video 6: Teamwork in Science
QUICKTIME Video
Eyes Through Time Full Length Video
QUICKTIME Video
Hindenburg Disaster Newsreel
QUICKTIME Video
Structure and Property Changes of Water
QUICKTIME Video
Atomic Arrangements in Solids
QUICKTIME Video