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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 3 - 5

A Case of Innovation: Technical Writing about River Current Power

Four photographs and a blue and green V logo. Upper Left: Trey Taylor, President of Verdant Power, talks about green power with a New York City sixth-grade class. Lower Left: Verdant Power logo. Center: Verdant Power's turbine evaluation vessel in New York's East River. In the background is a conventional power plant. Upper Right: The propeller-like turbine can be raised and lowered from the platform of the turbine evaluation vessel. Lower Right: Near the East River, Mr. Taylor explains to the class how water currents can generate electric power.Students explore power generation

Students learn about power generation using river currents. A white paper is a focused analysis often used to describe how a technology solves a problem. In this literacy activity, students write a simplified version of a white paper on an alternative electrical power generation technology. In the process, they develop their critical thinking skills and become aware of the challenge and promise of technological innovation that engineers help to make possible. This activity is geared towards fifth grade and older students and computer capabilities are required. Some portions of the activity may be appropriate with younger students.

Every day we use a great amount of electricity to run our lives—to light our schools, power televisions and gadgets, keep our food cold and heat our homes. Engineers are concerned about the way this energy is produced and its impact on our natural environment. Many engineers are devoted to developing innovative alternative energy sources and ways to conserve energy. Solar, wind and nuclear power are some alternatives to the existing high-CO2 emitting (polluting) coal plants. However no energy source is perfect and engineers constantly weigh the pros and cons of each energy source.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Use a full range of strategies to comprehend technical writing.
  • Apply skills in analysis, synthesis, evaluation and explanation to their writing and speaking.
  • Incorporate source materials into their speaking and writing (for example, interviews, news articles, encyclopedia information).
  • Write and speak in the content areas using the technical vocabulary of the subject accurately.

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