PSI AP Biology Energy Processing

Transcription

1 Lesson Plan Energy Challenge Lab Teacher: Mrs. Janell Webb Time Frame: One 45 minute period + discussion time the following day Grade: School: Fairfield Jr. Sr. High School Subject: Environmental Science Instructional Objective: (IDOE standards) Assessment Data and questions will be recorded in the students science notebook and will be evaluated with the attached rubric. Sequence of activities, learning experiences, etc, that will lead to desired results Day 1: AYO! (Bell ringer activity) Have students log in to computers and pull up the class website to get activity link. Introduction: (5 minutes) Pass out worksheet and briefly review background information and instructions Students will work in pairs to complete the handout and record the required information in their notebooks. Notebooks will be collected at the end of the period to be graded with the rubric. (35 minutes) Day 2: AYO! (Bell ringer activity) Have students pick up graded notebooks. Class discussion: (15 minutes) Allow volunteer students to share thoughts from conclusion paragraph in their notebook. Use this to lead into lesson on renewable energy or nuclear power. PSI AP Biology Energy Processing

2 Photocopy handouts one for each pair of students Reserve computers with internet connection Photocopy rubrics one for each student notebook Materials required PSI AP Biology Energy Processing

3 Duke Energy faces a challenging future. They must: Continue to meet our customers growing demand for energy Reduce the carbon emissions our power plants release. The Energy Challenge is an educational tool to demonstrate the tradeoffs and cost implications of choosing an energy generation mix to meet that challenge. The mission is to develop a plan that strikes a balance between the: CO2 emissions plants release Amount of electricity customers need Expense to build or upgrade plants Cost to produce electricity I. Background Information Energy Demand: The Energy Demand meter displays the amount of energy currently needed to power Duke Energy s customers, as well as how much energy we predict customers will need in The gold bar displays the amount of energy in your proposed plan that s created by traditional power sources, like coal, natural gas and nuclear plants. The green bar shows the output from the renewable portion of your energy portfolio. Solar farms, wind farms and biomass plants make up the renewables field. Finally, the blue segment of the Energy Demand meter shows the amount of energy use you've curtailed through energy efficiency programs. Users must generate enough power to meet the Energy Demand of CO 2 Emissions: CO2 is short for carbon dioxide, a colorless, odorless gas that is formed in many ways, including burning natural gas and coal to create electricity. CO2 emissions do not benefit our environment, and climate change policy will likely result in CO2 emission limits. The CO2 Emission gauge starts at the level of Duke Energy s emissions in 2010 (red). Users must reduce the emissions to meet the target level in 2050, which is based on the US pledge to the United Nations (gray).

4 Questions to Ponder: Over the long-term, is it better to build: Large, emissions free, base loaded nuclear power that lasts 60+ years? Solar and wind farms with life expectancies of years? A mix of both? Which has the biggest environmental footprint in terms of its entire life cycle? Wind farms: What natural resources or chemicals are used to manufacture? (how clean or dirty) How much land area is needed? Wind turbines create increased temps on local level and decreased temps away from the farms. (MIT Study) Wind power impact on bird populations less than cats for now..but what happens as more and more farms are built? Solar farms Land Impact: Birds think they are water and die attempting to land on them (due to impact or heat)

5 II. Activity Different political, economic, and ecological factions have varying ideas about which energy sources would be most efficient, cost effective, and least harmful to the environment. In order to meet energy demand and CO2-reduction goals of 2050, you can: Build new power plants, solar and wind farms Retire, Upgrade and/or retrofit current power plants Close current power plants Implement new energy efficiency programs Using this simulator and working with a partner, you will try to find the best mix of energy sources in order to accomplish the various goals listed below. Goal 1: Keep the total atmospheric CO 2 at the lowest possible level Goal 2: Keep cost in Billions at the lowest possible level Goal 3: Strike a balance between CO 2, amount of electricity customers need, expense to build or upgrade plants, cost to produce electricity Your choices will affect everyone, every day, for years to come. Part I: Before running the simulator, predict which sources will have to increase, decrease, or stay the same in order to: Goal 1: Keep the total atmospheric CO 2 at the lowest possible level Create a data table like the one below on a left side page in your Science Notebook. Record your predictions on the data table using an up arrow for an increase, a down arrow for a decrease, and a dash for no change. Energy Source Solar Wind Biomass Nuclear Coal Natural Gas Hydro Power Prediction Run the simulator (using trial & error) to meet Goal 1. In your notebook, below your prediction table, record overall cost in Billions, CO 2 emissions in tons per year, energy demand values and mix, and the number and type of each energy source on your grid (small black squares with numbers on map tell you the number of each power source). Then, answer the following questions on the right side page of your notebook: a) How close was your prediction to any of the simulation steps? How did they differ? b) Which energy source increased the most and what kinds of effects would increasing this source's use have on both the standard of living and different biomes?

6 Part II: Before running the simulator, predict which sources will have to increase, decrease, or stay the same in order to: Goal 2: Keep cost in Billions at the lowest possible level Create a data table like the one below on a left side page in your Science Notebook. Record your predictions on the data table using an up arrow for an increase, a down arrow for a decrease, and a dash for no change. Energy Source Solar Wind Biomass Nuclear Coal Natural Gas Hydro Power Prediction Run the simulator (using trial & error) to meet Goal 2. In your notebook, below your prediction table, record overall cost in Billions, CO 2 emissions in tons per year, energy demand values and mix, and the number and type of each energy source on your grid (small black squares with numbers on map tell you the number of each power source). Then, answer the following questions on the right side page of your notebook: a) How close was your prediction to any of the simulation steps? How did they differ? b) Which energy source increased the most and what kinds of effects would increasing this source's use have on both the standard of living and different biomes? Part III: Before running the simulator, predict which sources will have to increase, decrease, or stay the same in order to: Goal 3: Strike a balance between CO 2, amount of electricity customers need, expense to build or upgrade plants, cost to produce electricity Create a data table like the one below on a left side page in your Science Notebook. Record your predictions on the data table using an up arrow for an increase, a down arrow for a decrease, and a dash for no change. Energy Source Solar Wind Biomass Nuclear Coal Natural Gas Hydro Power Prediction Run the simulator (using trial & error) to meet Goal 3. In your notebook, below your prediction table, record overall cost in Billions, CO 2 emissions in tons per year, energy demand values and mix, and the number and type of each energy source on your grid (small black squares with numbers on map tell you the number of each power source).

7 Then, answer the following questions on the right side page of your notebook: a) Was your prediction closer to the cheap energy supply model or the eco friendly model? Which model met both needs best? Is there a feasible way of bringing this model to fruition in the "real" world? b) Which source was most increased overall and what kinds of effects would increasing this source's use have on both the standard of living and different biomes? III. Conclusion: Now What? Essay In one cohesive, well written paragraph, answer the following questions with a minimum of 5 sentences. Write your paragraph on the right side page of your notebook. How does this information affect you personally? What do you know now that you do not know before? Now that you have this information, how does it change the way you think or feel about energy resources and usage? Will this information change the way you use energy in the future? * This lesson plan is a modification and blending of the following resources: Habitable Planet Energy Lab Duke Energy Challenge Instructions

8 Interactive Simulation: 40 points Grading Rubric Part I: /10 points predictions on the data table (1 point) record overall cost in Billions (1 point) CO 2 emissions in tons per year (1 point) energy demand values and mix (1 point) number and type of each energy source on your grid (1 point) data on left side, questions on the right side (1 point) a) How close was your prediction to any of the simulation steps? How did they differ? (2 points) b) Which energy source increased the most and what kinds of effects would increasing this source's use have on both the standard of living and different biomes? (2 points) Part II: /10 points predictions on the data table (1 point) record overall cost in Billions (1 point) CO 2 emissions in tons per year (1 point) energy demand values and mix (1 point) number and type of each energy source on your grid (1 point) data on left side, questions on the right side (1 point) a) How close was your prediction to any of the simulation steps? How did they differ? (2 points) b) Which energy source increased the most and what kinds of effects would increasing this source's use have on both the standard of living and different biomes? (2 points) Part III: /12 points predictions on the data table (1 point) record overall cost in Billions (1 point) CO 2 emissions in tons per year (1 point) energy demand values and mix (1 point) number and type of each energy source on your grid (1 point) data on left side, questions on the right side (1 point) a) Was your prediction closer to the cheap energy supply model or the eco friendly model? Which model met both needs best? Is there a feasible way of bringing this model to fruition in the "real" world? (4 points) b) Which source was most increased overall and what kinds of effects would increasing this source's use have on both the standard of living and different biomes? (2 points)

9 Interactive Simulation: 40 points Grading Rubric Conclusion: Now What? Essay /8 points one cohesive, well written paragraph (2 point) minimum of 5 sentences (5 point) on the right side of notebook (1 point) a) How does this information affect you personally? b) What do you know now that you do not know before? c) Now that you have this information, how does it change the way you think or feel about energy resources and usage? d) Will this information change the way you use energy in the future?