Class Details
3 Hours
4th Grade to Adult
easy
What is the value of renewable energy and how can we incorporate it into our lives?
This class focuses on producing energy on an individual and community level along with the energy and CO2 footprints associated with different fuel choices. Students explore functioning renewable energy systems at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. STEM methods provide a means of experimenting with one of three renewable energy technologies: wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, and bio-fuel heating.
Concepts
- Renewable energy is energy that comes from the sun in more recent times. Non-renewable energy is the sun’s energy stored deep in the earth.
- We consider environmental health, money, and resource availability when deciding on an energy source.
- Humans have the ingenuity to create solutions to our problems through engineering.
- Awareness, knowledge, and appreciation lead to an understanding of our impact on earth.
Outcomes
- Define renewable and non-renewable energy sources, and give examples of each.
- Describe four renewable energy systems used at Wolf Ridge, including the source of energy and whether it produces heat or electricity for our daily lives.
- Understand how technology can reduce the impact of CO2 pollution.
- Use engineering practices to design the most efficient wind turbine.
- Recommend personal actions they will take to reduce their energy and CO2 footprint.