Energy Sciences

Strategies

Students learn in different ways. Some are visual learners while others understand ideas and concepts better by doing activities. The challenge with teaching a large group of students in a classroom is that it is very difficult to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each individual student's learning styles. This unit will incorporate multiple teaching strategies so that throughout the unit students will learn by participating in a variety of activities.

Chemistry is a challenging class because the concepts can be hard to grasp. Students cannot see atoms let alone count out a mole of atoms. It is difficult for them to understand how bonds are formed and the idea of energy transfer. However, it is also a class that allows students to see evidence of these concepts through reactions. One strategy that that is incorporated in this unit is demonstrations. Since fuel sources are dangerous, demonstrations are great ways to show students chemistry concepts in a safe manner.

Along with demonstrations, laboratory activities are also helpful for students to actually perform chemical reactions that they learn about in the course. Students often struggle with laboratory skills especially in a chemistry lab and safety is a major concern because students may sometimes work with toxic chemicals and open flames. However, it is a valuable tool because laboratory activities give kinesthetic learners an opportunity to learn by doing and helps them practice safety skills. A common core standard for 9-10 ^th grade science is that students will be able to "follow precisely a complex multiple step procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text." ⁴⁰ This standard fits well in this unit and students will not only go through the steps of a laboratory but also try to understand the purpose of each step and how it fits into the content they are learning.

Science classes also play an important role in developing students as critical thinkers. As we explore questions about energy that do not have clear answers, students will also do research and analyze articles to form their own opinions on the topic of energy. Another common core standard for science literacy is that students will be able to analyze text and identify central ideas. ⁴¹ The goal is for students to also think creatively outside of the box to even develop their own ideas for creating efficient, renewable, clean energy.

Finally, students will express their opinion and defend their opinion using the articles they read and their own research. Public speaking is an essential skill that students should develop but they are not given many opportunities to do so in the classroom. In this unit, they will give a presentation that will explain their point of view to the class and also offer solutions to our energy crisis.