Teacher Notes
Objectives:
1. Students will collect data to show changes over a period of time.
2. Students will be able to identify how usage of energy has changed.
Materials:
Each student will need at least one copy of the survey.
Activity:
Send survey home with children to determine uses of the categories when older people were the students' age. Each child will interview 3 adults in different age groups.
Teaching Suggestions:
1. Through class discussion compile information. Discuss findings.
2. Define different types of energy used.
3. Discover which types have increased in usage.
4. Use "KWL" strategy (What you know, what you want to know, what you will learn.)
Activity Results:
Results will vary depending on the information gathered.
Extended Activities:
1. Charting information
2. Time line of information
3. Invite people from different age groups to visit.
Interview three people from different age groups. Ask each one of them the following questions.
Age (circle the age range of the person)
90+ : 80-89 : 70-79 : 60-69 : 50-59 : 40-49 : 30-39
When you were my age, what did you use for:
Teacher's Notes
Objective:
Assess understanding of the process for generating electricity by coal.
Materials:
1. Student sheet entitled "Burning Coal to Make Electricity"
2. Student sheet with background information.
3. Clay, dowel sticks, shoeboxes, construction paper, magic markers, copper wire, pieces of coal, pencils.
Teaching Suggestions:
1. Read and discuss student sheets.
2. For practice: In cooperative groups, make a 3-D model or diorama of a power plant showing the steps in burning coal to make electricity.
3. For Assessment: Give students a blank sheet of paper. Assign them to write in paragraph form the steps on how coal turns into electricity.
Activity Results:
Students should understand the steps for using coal to make electricity as demonstrated through their writing.
Extended Activity:
Investigate alternative energy sources.
Background Information:
1. The beginning of all energy is the sun.
2. Coal is mined and delivered to the power plant.
3. Coal is burned in the boiler which causes water to boil and turn to steam.
4. In the generator, the turbine rotates to turn the wire coil in a magnetic field which is actually making electricity.
5. The electricity is sent to a transformer where the voltage is increased to travel long distances.
6. The electric current travels to a power station where electricity is dispersed throughout the town.
7. A transformer outside your home decreases the voltage to a level acceptable to go into your home.
8. The use of this electricity enables us to use our electrical appliances.
(Teacher Directed Activity)
Objectives:
The student will write and mail a business letter (using proper form) to gain relevant information regarding energy sources in Iowa.
Materials:
The complete list of the three different types of power plants included in the module.
Stamps, envelopes, paper and pencil.
Business letter form (example) on overhead, chalkboard, or from Language Arts resource.
Teaching Suggestions:
Teacher leads a motivational discussion to generate a list of questions to include in the letters to various utilities. List the ideas on an overhead or chalkboard for reference by the students. Some ideas to include are: sources of electricity; where the source originates; costs involved in operating; the per kilowatt hour cost to consumers; and alternative sources of energy.
Review business letter form, if needed.
Activity Results:
Within 2-3 weeks of sending the letters, the student will receive responses from the various utilities. The information received can then be displayed and/or utilized in class presentations, learning centers, bulletin boards, display cases, etc.
Extended Activities:
1. Social Studies: Student could map the locations of responses.
2. Math: Students could develop graphs or charts utilizing information received from the letters of inquiry.
3. Students could generate problem-solving activities based on the information they received.
(Assessment Writing Activity)
Teacher Notes
Objectives:
Summarize in writing the steps in the formation of coal.
Materials:
Chunks of coal with student name tags
Tape
Writing paper
Drawing paper
Colored pencils
Teaching Suggestions:
1. Present this activity following the student reading/discussion of how coal is formed.
2. Put a chunk of coal with attached student name tag on each desk prior to class. (Some teachers provided students with doll eyes and hair and had the students give their lump of coal a "personality.")
3. You may wish to have students illustrate stories, which can be shared with the class.
4. You might show the class an overhead transparency of the coal-forming illustrations in the narrative.
Activity:
Imagine you are a lump of coal in an Iowa coal mine. Write a story about your life. Include:
* How you were born millions of years ago
* The stages in your development
* How you are being mined
Activity Results:
Students will demonstrate an understanding of coal formation and mining methods.
Extended Activities:
1. Students can form a shoebox diorama illustrating the steps in coal formation.
2. Cooperative groups can prepare a large mural depicting the steps in coal formation.
(Teacher Directed Activity)
Objectives:
1. Listening for detail.
2. Identifying different types or sources of energy.
Student Materials List:
Crayons, or colored pencils or markers.
One sheet of unlined paper for each group or student.
Teacher Materials:
1. Energy story - may use the one provided or write your own with similar objectives.
2. Teaching Suggestions.
Teaching Suggestions:
1. This can be non-graded.
2. This does not need to be turned in.
3. The students only share by choice.
4. The numbers in the story are to help you identify details.
5. Drawings may be done independently, with partners, or in cooperative groups.
6. Directions:
"The story will be read only once. You must listen to the details given in the story, but you may not draw or write down any of these details until after I have completed reading the story. Once the story has been read, you will have _____ minutes to draw the pictures with all of the details that you remember. There are a total of ____ details for you to recall. One point will be given for each detail you include in your drawing."
7. After students have completed their drawings, reread the story telling the students the points as they come up in the story. Students should be tallying up the points on their own papers.
8. Lead the class in discussion of all the sources of energy discussed, drawn, etc.
Story:
It was a sunny (1) morning. Two rabbits (1 point per rabbit; 3 points total so far) were munching on the garden vegetables (4). Pat (5) walked outdoors, put on his sunglasses (6) and red (7) baseball cap (8) and continued toward the shed (9) to get the green (10) garden tractor (11). He noticed the gas gauge (12) read empty (13). So he decided to try the orange (14) electric weed eater (15). He plugged the cord (16) into the nearest outlet (17) and he noticed a spark (18) flying off near the outlet. That ended that idea. He finally resorted to using the hoe (19) for weeding the garden (20).
Options:
Students can write their own stories to use for this activity. They can do this activity with partners, small groups, or the class.
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