Alternative and Renewable Energy

A number of technologies exist to harness energy from renewable sources (solar, wind, waves, etc.) and from other alternatives to fossil fuels (such as biofuels). This lesson plan explores the current state of the art of these technologies, their pro’s and con’s, and their readiness for adoption. These may accompany a science/technology lesson in which students build and evaluate the effectiveness of small devices that are powered by alternative fuels (small solar panels, wind, kinetic energy, etc.). This may also be paired with lessons on economics, social studies, and government by evaluating the changes in infrastructure required and legislation necessary to make their adoption possible, weighting those costs against the potential benefits yielded. Current events and guest speakers can also be discussed to help make the lessons more relevant.

Goals

  1. Teach students about the different source of alternative, renewable energy
  2. Teach students about the problems associated with energy from fossil fuels and the need to reduce our reliance on them to help slow down or stop global climate change

Objectives

  1. Students will read about fossil fuels, where they come from, how they are converted to energy, and why they are causing so many problems for the environment.
  2. Students will read about the various alternative energy sources and will be tested on their knowledge of them, including their pros, cons, and readiness for adoption.
  3. Students will use kits to build small devices that are powered by alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind, kinetic, etc. A contest can be organized to assess the best designs in terms of the amount of energy harnessed, creativity of approach, and cost effectiveness.
  4. Students will research the current implementations of the different alternative energy technologies as well as relevant legislation and economic impact.

Resources & Websites

  1. The NEED Project: Putting Energy into Education- Provides tons of useful resources for teachers and students including lesson plans, kits for purchase, etc.
  2. Dept. of Energy Energy Lesson Plans & Activities (Dept. of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy) - Tons of lesson plans, activities, and information for K-12 teachers.
  3. Energy Kid’s Page (Dept. of Energy, Energy Information Administration) - Energy facts, games, classroom activities, science experiments, and helpful links
  4. Kahuku Wind Power (Oahu) & Kaheawa Wind Power (Maui) - Wind farms by First Wind in Hawaii.
  5. Cape Wind: America’s First Offshore Wind Farm on Nantucket Sound - A proposed project to use the wind for powering 75% of the homes in the area. Years of protests against this project by wealthy local residents have delayed its construction, which provides an interesting topic of debate and discussion for students (“Not on my beach!”).