Objectives
My objective for this unit is to expand my students' knowledge and understanding about renewable energy sources. Students will focus on the contribution of solar energy, primarily in the form of biomass, to our current and future energy demand.
Students will learn about the energy that comes from the sun, which enters the atmosphere and is used by plants in photosynthesis. They will study the carbon cycle, tracing the carbon dioxide that is taken from the atmosphere, assimilated into plants which are used as fuels, and then released back into the atmosphere. Students will research possible ways that photosynthesis can be used in new ways to remove, or sequester, carbon out of the atmosphere in the future.
Students will focus on the contribution of biofuels, ethanol and biodiesel, studying the costs and benefits and unintended social and economic problems associated with each. With a solid background in carbon emissions and renewable energy sources, students will analyze their own carbon dioxide contribution and propose ways to reduce their impact on the environment. They will share the information found with their families and devise a plan to reduce emissions and save money immediately through conservation and energy saving strategies. Throughout the unit, students will see that we will need a combination of the renewable energies to replace our dependence on fossil fuels, though solar energy has the greatest potential for fulfilling our needs.
Comments: