Green Energy Curriculum Overview
Our green energy curriculum contains five hands-on stations where students can explore different types of renewable energy!
The topics were matched to the current 4th grade standards and also incorporate Next Generation Science Standards.
In addition to learning about green energy, the students will practice the basics of the scientific method in each station in order to begin to build a strong foundation of scientific inquiry.
Pedal Power
Have you ever wondered how much energy your body really has? In the bike station, students use their bodies to generate power and charge a battery that they can use for everyday functions. Students physically feel exactly how much energy it takes to light a normal, 60 Watt light bulb! Additionally, students gain a deeper understanding of circuits, using the bike as an example. We discuss engineering and how the bike was invented–understanding the importance of past failures. We offer an option of creating a long-term goal that your group can work towards as a team, as we can leave the bike in your classroom for up to three weeks after our visit.
Hydroelectric Power
Our hydroelectric power station is designed to reinforce energy-related terminology and to help students conceptualize Volts, Amps, and Watts. Students discuss real-life applications of hydroelectric power, deciding where would be the most effective, efficient place to put a water wheel. Finally, students measure how much energy (in Volts, Amps, and Watts) different everyday appliances use through our Kill-A-Watt meters. Students will observe how tools and math make scientists’ jobs easier. Your classroom can keep a Kill-A-Watt meter for three weeks, measuring appliances around the classroom or in students’ homes, comparing how much energy humans use with how much we can produce through pedaling on the bike.
Conductors and Insulators
Solar Energy
In the solar energy station, students experiment with solar panels and understand how to take qualitative v. quantitative data. Students explore how graphs and tables can help scientists communicate their results, and discuss why taking multiple sets of data may be important (understanding the concept of human error). Lastly, students imagine where and and how we should engineer solar panels to improve society (the purpose of engineering).
Wind Energy
Students become engineers and design their OWN wind turbine. We discuss the purpose of engineering, and students will understand the processes engineers use to design solutions and evaluate their designs. Students will learn how to identify different variables in a situation and recognize when a variable changes. The variables we will consider are amount of blades, placement of the blades around the wind turbine, pitch of blades, and size of the gears on the turbine. We emphasize only changing one variable at a time, as well as understanding controlled and uncontrolled variables.
OPTIONAL:
Previsit/Postvisit Ideas!
Including a Field Trip to St. Olaf!
The Makey Makey is a great gadget to help students understand circuits. By attaching different alligator clips to the circuit board, we are able to hijack different keys on a computer keyboard. For example, attaching these alligator clips to a banana and using your body to complete the circuit by touching the banana and another clip, you can give your computer a potassium rich space bar! We use the Makey Makey to explore what different materials might be conductors or insulators. What exactly is the difference? Why can insulators resist the flow of energy? We explore the different kinds of things that could be a part of our circuit. We also explore what the difference is between an open and a closed circuit.