- Login
- Home
- About the Initiative
-
Curricular Resources
- Topical Index of Curriculum Units
- View Topical Index of Curriculum Units
- Search Curricular Resources
- View Volumes of Curriculum Units from National Seminars
- Find Curriculum Units Written in Seminars Led by Yale Faculty
- Find Curriculum Units Written by Teachers in National Seminars
- Browse Curriculum Units Developed in Teachers Institutes
- On Common Ground
- Publications
- League of Institutes
- Video Programs
- Contact
Have a suggestion to improve this page?
To leave a general comment about our Web site, please click here
Energy Usage and Conservation: My Impact on the World
byLeonardo De AndradeIn spite of alarms and warnings, the era of fossil fuels seems to still have a long life ahead. However, our environment keeps paying the price for our constant reliance upon them to power our world. The overall goal of this unit is to help students at the elementary level be aware and proactive about energy usage and conservation. We measure energy consumption at home and use a variety of resources -fiction and non-fiction texts, videos, hands-on experiences, and guest speakers- to enhance students' awareness, understanding and mastery of the concepts. The unit is organized sequentially to initially studying the definition of energy, its sources and ways of storage, and later energy consumption in the US, and rising concerns. More specific objectives include learning about the process of photosynthesis, petroleum, natural gas and coal as nonrenewabale sources of energy, and finishing with solar and wind power as renewable sources. We also explore the consequences of our overdependence on fossil fuels both in discussions and through hands-on activities. Towards the end we return to energy consumption at home and progress to concluding with a look at how to commit to energy conservation right now.
(Developed for Science Integrated with Mathematics and Language Arts, grade 5; recommended for Self-Contained Science/Mathematics/Language Arts, grade 5, and Science, grade 6)