Grantee Research Project Results

2014 Progress Report: New Methods of Teaching Renewable Energy to Students

EPA Grant Number: SU835068
Title: New Methods of Teaching Renewable Energy to Students
Investigators: Jacobson, Mark Z. , Willman, Lindsay , McNary, Amanda , Thomas, Emily , McDonough, Peter , DeBrito, Mariana , Yeskoo, Tim , Hamann-Nazaroff, Daniela , Vogel, Laura , Arnold, Emily , Woogen, Sarah , Menon, Carishma , Shekhar, Veenu
Institution: Stanford University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: II
Project Period: August 15, 2011 through August 14, 2013 (Extended to October 1, 2015)
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 15, 2013 through August 14,2014
Project Amount: $36,500
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2011) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

The main purpose of our project was to teach the next generation of students about the fundamentals of energy. Previous research has found that standard outreach approaches require time, money, and flexibility that most teachers in K-‐12 classrooms do not have. In response, we designed new, inexpensive, yet effective ways to introduce renewable energy to K-‐12 students. Rather than writing how-‐to guides or curriculum tools, we created accessible prefabricated learning kits and lesson plans that address or expand on California Science Standards. Specific goals of the project are listed as follows:

Develop inexpensive yet high-‐quality learning kits to teach K-‐12 students about renewable energy and climate change
Track and evaluate the success of the lessons and learning kits to improve science education methods
Interact with students firsthand and participate in preliminary workshops
Ensure longevity of the project by preparing teaching tools that can be easily implemented and used independently by teachers
Promote awareness of renewable energy education via the Tape and Scissors website
Focus on outreach to underprivileged schools

Progress Summary:

Here, the goals of the project are summarized. In addition, a website was created (http://tapeandscissors.com/) that contains two of the lesson plans that we developed. Remaining lesson plans can be obtained directly from the PI at jacobson@stanford.edu.

1. Develop inexpensive yet high-‐quality learning kits to teach K-‐12 students about renewable energy and climate change - We developed five learning kits and lesson plans to teach students about renewable energy and electricity. The learning kits are inexpensive and made from local and simple materials in order to reach a large audience. However, the kits are still high quality, providing students with meaningful lessons. The five learning kits/lesson plans included background information for teachers, a complete lesson summary and recommendations, a summary of the curriculum standards that are addressed in the lesson, and worksheets and assessment tools.

The five learning kits developed are as follows:

Wind Energy Part I: Wind Does Work. - The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the concept of capturing wind and measuring and calculating work and power.
Wind Energy Part II: Measuring Wind. - The purpose of this lesson is to learn to use comparative measurements and introduce measurement of atmospheric effects.
Wind Energy Part III: Making Electricity from Wind. - The purpose of this lesson is to observe the conversion of wind energy to electricity, building on knowledge of wind and electromagnetism.
Making Electricity from Water: Hydroelectric Energy. - The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the concept of capturing water motion and measuring and calculating work and power.
Electromagnetism: Making an Electric Motor and Teaching Ohm’s Law. - The purpose of this lesson is to observe the basic relationship between magnetism, electricity, and motion. It teaches about the basics of electricity; voltage, current, and resistance and how to measure them; Ohm’s law; the concept of electric components and circuits; and how to design a circuit so that a light bulb doesn’t blow up or become too dim. Four take-‐home exercises were developed for this, including one to measure resistance using a multi-‐meter, one to check battery voltage, one to measure current flowing through a resistor, and one to check battery connection.

2. Track and evaluate the success of the lessons and learning kits to improve science education methods - Using pre-‐ and post-‐lesson tests to determine material retention by students, we evaluated the effectiveness of our lesson plans in test cases at two schools, an elementary school and a middle school, in order to improve them. With these tests and subsequent modifications to the kits, we estimated that our lesson plans and learning kits helped to lead to the conceptual understanding we aimed for.

3. Interact with students firsthand and participate in preliminary workshops - We were personally involved in first trials of our kits in classrooms. Prior to using the learning kits with students, we held a workshop with teachers to obtain feedback and improve the lessons. We also worked with the students and observed firsthand what was effective and how we could best teach them about renewable energy concepts. With feedback from both teachers and students, we improved the lesson plans and learning kits in order to obtain the best-‐possible results.

4. Ensure longevity of the project by preparing teaching tools that can be easily implemented and used independently by teachers - The learning kits are inexpensive and easy to make with local and simple materials. We produced on online lesson guide for two lessons to go with our lessons, which provided information teachers about how to make the kits, how to use the kits with the lesson plans, and what the final product should look like. Additionally, the lessons are flexible, allowing teachers to use a lesson for a single class or expand on the lessons with additional projects and/or related lessons and learning kits.

5. Promote awareness of renewable energy education via the Tape and Scissors website - The Tape & Scissors website was intended to showcase schools that have made progress in renewable energy education efforts. It was intended to put successful class projects in the spotlight and share past success stories with potential partner schools. Additionally, a forum for teacher discussion is available, where instructors can share experiences and give feedback on the lesson plans. However, due to the significant turnover of students during the project period, the website, which was developed, did not get developed so intensively as hoped.

6. Focus on outreach to underprivileged schools - We raised awareness about renewable energy technologies at two schools, ACE Charter School in San Jose, California and Soledad Middle School in Soledad, California. Soledad Middle School is a school with underprivileged students. The goal of the project was to bring opportunities to students who otherwise would not have had them. This was accomplished.

Future Activities:

We found that it was possible and effective to create renewable energy education kits for students that are local and inexpensive and provide technical information. We worked with students in grades 5 through 8 to test the lesson plans. These beta tests involved observing students and testing their understanding of the concepts with pre-‐ and post-‐tests. Results indicate that our approach to renewable energy education was successful. Students especially enjoyed learning through hands-‐on education that reinforces important concepts.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Teaching, students, education, renewable energy, classrooms, activities, science labs

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.