Energy Choices Game
Use this board game to introduce the concepts of energy use in our lives and the very real impact that personal choices can have on our energy consumption, energy bills and fuel supply. The game begins as students select cards that define their modes of transportation and home design. The players roll dice and move around the board, landing on "choice" or "situation" blocks and selecting cards that describe consumer choices and real-life events that impact their energy consumption and annual energy bills. As the players pass gasoline stations or energy bill gates, they must pay annual expenses as defined by their original cards, with amounts altered by the choices they've made along the way. Gasoline cards are collected to represent total consumption. Too many gas-guzzling vehicles can result in total depletion of their gasoline supply – at which point everyone must walk or ride the bus. At the end of the game, the players count their remaining dollars to determine the winner. Discussion questions probe the students to interpret what choices they made and which situations they encountered had the most impact on their energy consumption and energy bills. All game board, card and money files are available online free of charge.
Play the Energy Choices Game and consider the impact of personal choices on energy consumption.Copyright (left) 2008 Clarkson University, Potsdam NY. All rights reserved. (right) US Department of Energy http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/rebates/state_VA.cfm
Many items we use in every day life consume energy. Some items are purposely designed to be highly energy efficient; these are sometimes labeled as Energy Star items. Engineers use energy efficiency as one of the criteria they use to design these products. Engineers also design systems to harness renewable energy sources, even for specific households. Because of engineering advances, homeowners can install small wind turbines, geothermal systems, solar heating or photovoltaic systems, or micro-hydro systems. Depending on which of these systems is installed, they can provide heat or electrical power.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe how the depletion of fossil fuels is a serious global issue.
- List three decisions they can make to reduce their own energy consumption.