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TE Activity: Energy Systems Activity

Contributed by: Office of Educational Partnerships, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY

Winner - 2009 Premier Curriculum Award for K-12 Engineering

Posters are provided for several different energy conversion systems. The students are provided with cards that give the name and a description of each of the components in the energy system. They have to match these with the figures on the diagram. Since the groups look at different systems, they must also describe their results with the class to share their knowledge.

Energy "systems" developed by engineers are comprised of numerous components that work together to get the energy content of the energy resource converted into a form that is useful to the user and delivered to the customer. All of the components in the system must be carefully designed to work together effectively.

Learning Objectives
Materials
Introduction/Motivation
Procedure
Attachments
Assessment
References

Grade Level: 8 (6-8)	Group Size: 3
Time Required: 40 minutes	Activity Dependency :Energy Resources and Systems
Expendable Cost Per Group : Not defined
Keywords: biomass energy, fossil fuel, geothermal, nuclear, photovoltaic, renewable, solar energy, wind turbine

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National Science Education Standards Science
- Energy is a property of many substances and is associated with heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, sound, nuclei, and the nature of a chemical. Energy is transferred in many ways. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- In most chemical and nuclear reactions, energy is transferred into or out of a system. Heat, light, mechanical motion, or electricity might all be involved in such transfers. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- Science influences society through its knowledge and world view. Scientific knowledge and the procedures used by scientists influence the way many individuals in society think about themselves, others, and the environment. The effect of science on society is neither entirely beneficial nor entirely detrimental. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- Electrical circuits provide a means of transferring electrical energy when heat, light, sound, and chemical changes are produced. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- Technology influences society through its products and processes. Technology influences the quality of life and the ways people act and interact. Technological changes are often accompanied by social, political, and economic changes that can be beneficial or detrimental to individuals and to society. Social needs, attitudes, and values influence the direction of technological development. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- Important personal and social decisions are made based on perceptions of benefits and risks. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- Technological solutions have intended benefits and unintended consequences. Some consequences can be predicted, others cannot. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- Perfectly designed solutions do not exist. All technological solutions have trade-offs, such as safety, cost, efficiency, and appearance. Engineers often build in back-up systems to provide safety. Risk is part of living in a highly technological world. Reducing risk often results in new technology. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- Natural hazards can present personal and societal challenges because misidentifying the change or incorrectly estimating the rate and scale of change may result in either too little attention and significant human costs or too much cost for unneeded preventive measures. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- The sun is a major source of energy for changes on the earth's surface. The sun loses energy by emitting light. A tiny fraction of that light reaches the earth, transferring energy from the sun to the earth. The sun's energy arrives as light with a range of wavelengths, consisting of visible light, infrared, and ultraviolet radiation. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]
- Human activities also can induce hazards through resource acquisition, urban growth, land-use decisions, and waste disposal. Such activities can accelerate many natural changes. (Grades 5 - 8) [1995]

Does this curriculum meet my state's standards?

We just learned about energy sources. The systems you looked at were generally one component of an overall energy system that is comprised of many components.

Go over the system diagram for one of the systems the class will not be doing. (reviewing coal combustion relating to sterno/pinwheel combustion demo would be appropriate, lesson 4). Indicate that the real energy system also has coal mining and transportation and the electricity distribution grid to get our energy from its real source (coal in the ground) into electricity to power your TV.

Before class:

Print and cut apart system cards.
Print system diagram posters (large poster size format is best) and post around the room. (we laminate them for repeated use in different classes and years)

With the students:

1. Energy System Diagram Activity

Explain that the students will have to match the system component and its description with its location on the diagram they are given
They will also have to draw a block diagram for their system, identifying the starting and ending form and state for each system component,
Divide the class into groups of 3 students
In most classes we only used the Wind, Solar, and Hydro Diagrams but other diagrams can also be used.
Go around and assist each group as needed.
Once all the students have figured out their diagrams have each group present it to the class. They can do the block diagram on the board.
Pass out the completed handouts for each system. (optional)

2. Close with overall assessment of what an energy system is and its general attributes (input, output, conversion process, efficiency).

3. Discuss again how this overall lesson on sources can be used for the unit project.

Susan Powers, Jan DeWaters and a number of Clarkson and St. Lawrence University students in the K-12 Project Based Learning Partnership Program. © 2008 by Clarkson University, Potsdam NY 13699
This unit was developed under National Science Foundation grants No. DUE-0428127 and DGE-0338216. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government. Office of Educational Partnerships, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY

Last Modified: August 12, 2009

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