6th - 8th Grade Module 14 Concept PT
Cycle 1
Students begin to synthesize their knowledge of how weather, climate, and energy production can be connected.
Students will describe how different weather conditions could affect different types of renewable technologies.
Students will use location data and alternative energy requirements and restrictions to propose the most effective alternative energy for their region.
Students will analyze recent weather data from their location and use it to predict what the weather will be in the coming days.
Students will analyze recent weather data from their location and use it to predict what the weather will be in the coming days.
Students will consider the effects of climate change to persuade the audience that their project should go forward.
Students will consider the effects of climate change to persuade the audience that their project should go forward.
Students will share and be evaluated by peers and teachers according to the rubrics.
Students will share and be evaluated by peers and teachers according to the rubrics.
Students will develop a model of their alternative energy resource, take a screenshot of their model, and incorporate the model onto a map in there location.
Prior to this cycle students have explored how global atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns, driven by the differential heating from the Earth’s surface and the Earth’s rotation, affect weather patterns and climate on Earth.
In this cycle students will communicate scientific information, using a presentation, that answers the Module Driving Question: How can we as engineers choose a viable source of alternative energy for any location? To begin, students will consider some types of alternative energy, including: Solar energy, wind energy, and hydroelectric energy. They will obtain information about the specific requirements and restrictions that affect the viability of a type of alternative energy source. Students will analyze and interpret data for one of the global locations that has been tracked throughout the module, comparing that data to the requirements and restrictions, to determine the best choice of energy for their given location. Next, students will analyze and interpret the weather data collected throughout the module to predict future weather in the area, and explain the short-term effectiveness of their chosen energy. They will consider what climate change is, and determine how their energy source would mitigate the effects of climate change in their region. Finally, students will present their proposals to a community of their peers, who will evaluate the validity of the proposal.
This cycle synthesizes the big ideas from concepts 1-3. Students use their understanding of the large-scale processes that drive the formation of weather and climate to determine what type of alternative energy is best suited for a location.