2.7 How Much Energy Is Used and How Can I Use Less
This is Lesson 7 (“How much energy is used and how can I use less?”) from the Renewable Energy unit of the Grow Your PALS Program Guide, part of the National FFA Mentoring Program. In this large-group mentor-led lesson, students identify eight ways to reduce home energy use through a drawing/hieroglyphics activity and explore the magnitude and sources of U.S. energy consumption using a pie-chart activity and basic addition/subtraction, concluding with an evaluation in which students redesign the energy pie to emphasize renewable sources.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
-
- Identify eight ways to reduce energy usage in the home.
- Describe the magnitude of energy usage in the United States.
- Time required
- Instruction time for this lesson: 60 minutes.
- Materials
-
- PALS.7.AS.A – 1 per student
- PALS.7.AS.B – 1 per student
- PALS.7.AS.C – 1 per student
- PALS.7.TM.A — on overhead transparency
- markers or crayons
- writing surface
- overhead projector or LCD projector (to display PALS.7.TM.A)
- Unit
- Renewable Energy
- Lesson Type
- Large Group
- Precepts
- E. Awareness; E1. Address issues important to the community
- Key Terms
- renewable energy, nonrenewable energy
- Resources
- Energy Information Administration (http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/renewable_energy.cfm); Natural Resources Defense Council (www.nrdc.org/air/energy/genergy/easy.asp); Alliant Energy Kids (www.powerhousekids.com)
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
National Standards
- NM-DATA.3-5.3Develop and Evaluate Inferences and Predictions that are based on Data
- NM-NUM.3-5.3Compute Fluently and Make Reasonable Estimates
- NSS-EC.K-4Effective Decision-making