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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 7 - 8

Energy Perspectives

Two photos: (left) A food service worker in a white chef's uniform pulls a pizza out of an oven. (right) A young woman and a young man look at blueprints in front of an under-construction building.Everyday energy consumption usually involves kitchen appliances. This man in a hospital kitchen cooks with a high-speed oven that is 10x faster than a conventional oven while using less energy. Engineers design new buildings to be more efficient in their use of energy, which includes heating, cooling and lighting.

Students utilize data tables culled from the US DOE Energy Information Agency to create graphs that illustrate what types of energy we use and how we use it. An MS Excel workbook with several spreadsheets of data is provided. Students pick (or the teacher assigns) one of the data tables from which students create plots and interpret the information provided. Student groups share with the class their interpretations and new perspectives on energy resources and use.

Engineering analysis is an important part of the overall engineering design process. Analysis is often done to interpret data that helps us to understand the nature of particular problems. This understanding is critically important before effective solutions can be suggested. In most cases, the analysis is very quantitative (mathematical) in nature. In this activity, students use a spreadsheet for the analysis; engineers often use this tool for their analyses and communicating findings in graphical format.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Define the primary forms of energy we use and produce.
  • Describe specific trends and changes in energy generation and consumption.

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