Energize Me! Class

This class is not being taught this semester, but please use these resources!

Loan forms:

(use these to request materials to use for your classrooms)

Energy Efficiency
Wind Energy
Solar Cars

Course Description:

This series of classes, offered through UNI and IPTV, follows the inquiry learning format recommeneded for science education in Iowa's Core Curriculum. Discover new resources and activities for teaching about energy efficiency, wind energy, and solar energy. Preview cutting-eduge teaching materials such as model solar cars, model wind turbines, and Kill-a-Watt meters, and have the opportunity to borrow such kits for use in your classroom.

Contact Pat Higby for more information on the class and how to register. 319-273-6012 or higby@uni.edu

Click here download the list of materials you will receive. Sign and fax this form before you can receive the materials. Fax: 319-273-7140

Evaluation Materials:

Interview with an energy expert. Please use the questions we discussed in class.
Portfolio describing how you included an inquiry-based science learning unit based on these materials into your classroom. A good resource for this is located on the Connecticut State Department of Education BEST (Beginning Educator Support and Training Program) website, especially the areas dealing with science.
You may find these questions, along with the related links, helpful in designing your units and assembling your portfolios:

1. What major concept(s) do you expect students to learn in this unit?

2. What "Essential Question/s" could you pose to focus students' learning on these concepts?

3. How can you help students to retrieve what they already know about the topic and connect new learning to existing cognitive structures?

4. What lab inquiry(ies) will provide students opportunities to explore unit-related concept(s)?

5. What STS inquiry(ies) will provide students opportunities to apply science knowledge and explore social, historical and/or technological aspects related to the main concepts?

6. What other learning activities and resources can you use to help your students better understand and apply the concept(s)?

7. What assessment tasks will let your students demonstrate their understanding of the concepts, and help you gather information about students' learning progress?

Perhaps the most important component of your portfolio will be your reflections on the best and worst parts of your experience. This will allow you to keep the best, and improve on the rest when you teach this unit in the future. Please refer to Lesson 5.1 on the BEST site. The other materials in learning unit 5 may be helpful for you, but are not required for this class.
In summary, your portfolio should summarize and/or document the design and implementation of your inquiry-based science learning unit on energy. It should also include information about your assessment strategy and your personal evaluation of how well the unit worked for you.

Energy Efficiency:

Materials from the March 3 Energy Efficiency One class are available for you to download:

Websites for Iowa 2008 precipitation, Midwest temperature and precipitation from 1895 to 2006, and Iowa 100 degree days
Water Cycle at USGS website
Jeff's worksheet (PDF) (Excel)
Jeff's PowerPoint (PDF)
Pat's notes for class (MS Word) (PDF)
Pat's Home Energy worksheet (PDF) (Excel)
Home Energy Inventory of bulbs, refrigerators, etc. (PDF) (Excel)

As part of your Energy Efficiency kits, you received a Kill a Watt meter. We tried to put the operation manual in the box with this tool, but may have missed a couple, or, you may have received it but lost it. So...The operation manual is HERE (pdf).
Questions for Energy Efficiency 1:
1. What are the biggest energy users in your home?
2. What are the smallest, nearly constant enegy users in your home?
3. What can you do to reduce the energy used in your home?
4. How can you motivate the people in your home to positively change their energy use?

Not required, but interesting and relevant:

Check out this article from the 3-11-09 New York Times: 5 Beginner Steps to a Greener Home

Wind Energy:

Pat's notes for the March 10 class (PDF) (MS Word)

These are links to some great booklets that we will be referencing during class. These booklets are all produced by Kidwind. Each of these links opens that booklet in a PDF format.

Mini Wind Farm

Wind Power Curves

Wind Turbine Blade Design

Other useful things for the wind portion of this class:

www.kidwind.org
- This is a great site to find other educational things about wind.

www.NEED.org
- Homepage of the National Energy Education Development Project.

"How to Use A Multimeter"
- Video (the second half of this video is most relevant to this class)

Kestrel Manual

Wind Experiment Data Chart

Wind Energy 1 questions to answer for March 31:
- Which was the best propeller? Describe with number of blades and size, not color
- Why do you think some propellers are better than others?
- Who is the windiest person in your class? In your school?
- What are some of the windiest places around your school?
- What happened to the power when the wind speed doubled? (see Wind Power Curves)