Renewable
Energy
Teacher's
Notes
Age Range: 11-16
Summary:
Worksheet A asks pupils to research any energy resource of their choice
and produce a poster, or website, explaining all about it, including advantages
and disadvantages. Worksheet B gets pupils to produce a leaflet on saving
energy. Worksheet C is a research exercise relating to the work of named
scientists, and the information found is presented as a diary entry for
the chosen scientist.
Other
Software:
Pupils may
be able to use word-processing, DTP or drawing programs or may produce
their own web pages, to present their information.
Differentiation:
All three worksheets are accessible to the full range of abilities and
differentiation will be by outcome. Worksheet A offers the most guidance
on exactly what should be included and this might be the best activity
for less able pupils.
More advanced pupils could also be directed to the following website: www.energy.ca.gov/links
The
Websites:
The Californian government website is an excellent resource with lots
of information and bright appealing icons on a wide variety of energy
topics, including renewable and non-renewable energy sources, saving energy
and energy scientists. This site should be visited if only to experience
the bubbling mouse pointer.
The fun trivia site is just that. It makes good reading and could well be used by pupils to make their work more interesting.
The solstice website is a clear and detailed explanation of five renewable energy sources, with excellent diagrams and information.
The Yahoo directories are lists of useful links.
Notes:
It
is hoped that the wide variety of activities on offer here will allow
all pupils to find something which appeals to them. This is the sort of
work which can make for excellent display material. If pupils were guided
so that all energy resources were covered, Worksheet A could allow a big
energy display to be produced; and Worksheet C could well lead to a gallery
of scientists if each diary entry were displayed beside a picture of the
scientist.
Teachers can find detailed explanations of a huge range of energy related experiments at http://webpages.marshall.edu/~bady/RICK/ENERGY.HTML Many of them are the sort of experiments pupils can do at home, and teachers may even wish to direct pupils to the website.
Curriculum
Links:
National Curriculum for England and Wales
| Key
Stage 3 |
|
| Sc1.1a | about the interplay between empirical questions, evidence and scientific explanations using historic and contemporary examples |
| Sc1.1c | about the ways in which scientists work today and how they worked in the past, including the roles of experimentation, evidence and creative thought in the development of scientific ideas |
| Sc1.2i | use a wide range of methods, including diagrams, tables, charts, graphs and ICT, to represent and communicate qualitative and quantitative data |
| Sc3.2i | about possible effects of burning fossil fuels on the environment and how these effects can be minimised |
| Sc4.5a | about the variety of energy resources, including oil, gas, coal, biomass, food, wind, waves and batteries and the distinction between renewable and non-renewable resources |
| Sc4.5b | about the Sun as the ultimate source of most of the Earth's energy resources and to relate this to how coal, oil and gas are formed |
| Sc4.5c | that electricity is generated by means of a variety of energy resources |
Key Stage 4
| Sc1.1d | lenses; simple applications of mirrors and lenses |
| Sc2.4b | how the impact of humans on the environment depends on social and economic factors, including population size, industrial processes and levels of consumption and waste |
| Sc2.4c | about the importance of sustainable development |
| Sc4.4b | about the efficient use of energy, the need for economical use of energy resources, and the environmental implications of generating electricity |