Energy Sciences

Appendix A

Student Resources:  Guided Analysis Questions

These analysis questions are presented as guides that facilitate analysis and discussion.  Teachers should view the videos prior to instruction and edit these questions to suit your classroom population

Energy in Everyday Life Essay Prompts: Day 1

1. Define energy in your own words. Why is it important in your life?
2. What are the forms of energy that you use daily? Which form is most important?
3. Describe at least five important uses of energy in your life?
4. What is the source of energy on our planet?

Greenhouse Effect Guided Questions: Day 2

1. What are greenhouse gases? Name and describe them
2. Why do we refer to them as greenhouse gases? What is their function?
3. Explain what happens to solar radiation when it reaches the earth.
4. What happens to the absorbed energy?
5. What would happen if we did not have greenhouse gases?
6. What is the earth’s “natural greenhouse effect”?
7. What happens when we increase the concentration of greenhouse gases?
8. What should we do to minimize this effect?

Ecological Footprint Guided Questions: Day 3

1. What is the meaning of the ecological footprint?
2. Which of your footprints was the largest?
3. What was your carbon footprint?
4. Describe how your use of energy affects your footprints.
5. Are you living a sustainable life style?
6. For each one of your footprints, describe at least two practices that you could change in order to lessen your ecological footprint.

Koshland Science Museum Student Webquest Day 4-5

Webquest available at: https://www.koshland-science museum.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-files/Global%20Warming%20Webquest.pdf.

Webquest used as Courtesy of the Marian Koshland Science Museum

of the National Academy of Sciences

Copyright © 2016 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Carbon Cycle Video Viewing Guide: Day 6

1. What form of energy is continually input into the earth system?
2. What happens to this energy once it enters the ecosystem?
3. What is the role of autotrophs in the carbon cycle?
4. Describe the reactants and products in the photosynthesis reaction.
5. How is glucose stored and used? What is biomass?
6. What compound does the combustion of plants release back into the atmosphere?
7. What compound does the combustion of fossil fuels release into the atmosphere?
8. What is the meaning of the word sequestered? What is the meaning of the phrase “sequestered in decomposing plant / animal tissues” for millions of years?
9. What is oxidative metabolic respiration? What compound is released into the atmosphere?
10. What is the role of decomposers? What compound do these organisms release?
11. How is carbon cycled through the hydrosphere?
12. How is CO₂ sequestered in the biosphere?
13. What natural processes release it back into the biosphere?
14. How is the carbon balance maintained?
15. How do human actions disrupt this cycle?

DSSC lab Analysis Questions:

1. Why did we use conductive glass for the electrodes? Which subatomic particles were able to move through them?
2. When the dye lost electrons was it oxidized or reduced? What happened at the counter electrode?
3. Why did we dye the white TiO₂ paste? What would have occurred if it had remained white?  (Why do you remain cooler when you wear white clothes on a hot day?)
4. Compare the processes in the DSSC with those in the photosystems of photosynthesis. How are the two processes similar how are they different?  Describe the transformations of energy in the two systems.
5. Describe the process in the DSSC. What provides the energy to excite the electrons? Where do the electrons come from? Where do they go?  Are they “lost”?  How do they return to the dye matrix?