Energy Fun Facts A 1.5 Megawatt wind turbine located in Wisconsin can generate enough power for over 250 average- sized homes. Once an aluminum can is recycled it can be made into a car in six weeks. To produce each week s Sunday paper, 500,000 trees must be cut down. Energy Fun Pack! Lighting accounts for about seven percent of household energy use. Energy Saving Tips Turn off lights and television when no one is in the room. Make sure the door is not left open in the winter (when heating) or summer (when the air conditioning is on). Decide what you want from the refrigerator before you open it. Look inside for... The Solar Hot Dog Cooker Absorbing the Sun s Energy Energy Word Seek Energy Crossword Puzzle...and More. Reuse bags to carry purchases from the store. Take shorter showers (but clean thoroughly). KEEP s mission is to initiate and facilitate the development, dissemination, implementation and evaluation of energy education programs within Wisconsin schools. Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI 54481 Phone: 715.346.4770 Fax: 715.346.4698 Email: energy@uwsp.edu www.uwsp.edu/keep
Down Activity: The Solar Hot Dog Cooker (requires adult supervision) 1. Spinning windmill blades turn a to create electricity. 2. A big structure that holds back water. 4. Most household appliances are powered by this. 5. Energy from heat deep in the earth. What do you need? A cardboard box Tape Aluminum foil Glue Posterboard Wire hanger What to do? Select a long narrow box; the longer the box the more heat collection is possible. Choose a focal length between 5 and 10 and design a parabolic curve as seen in the picture. One template could be used for more than one cooker. Trace the curve on the open end of the box so that it is centered and straight. Cut out the curve with a utility knife. Stress the importance of being exact. Measure and cut a piece of posterboard that will fit flush against the opening to the box. Attach this with tape beginning at the center and working toward the edges. 9. The source of solar power. 10. Hydroelectric power comes from the energy of falling. Across 3. Tiny atomic particles fuel this type of power. 6. If someone leaves the refrigerator door open we should remind them to close it to energy. 7. Boiling water turns into. 8. Geothermal energy relies on molten rock in the. 10. Windmills turn faster on days. 11. Renewable energy does not pollute the that we breathe. 12. Electrical energy can be stored in this. ANSWERS: Down: 1. Turbine 2. Dam 4. Electricity 5.Geothermal 9. Sun 10. Water Across: 3. Nuclear 6. Conserve 7. Steam 8. Earth 10. Windy 11. Air 12. Battery Hidden Message: SAVE ENERGY 2 11
Energy Crossword Puzzle Instructions: Find the answers to the statements on the following page and enter them into the puzzle below. Then unscramble the letters in the boxes with the circles to discover the hidden energy message. 4 3 1 2 Cover the curve with white glue and apply aluminum foil shiny side out. Start in the middle and smooth toward the edges. Try not to wrinkle or fold the foil; you want it as smooth as possible. Use two scraps of cardboard taped to each side as supports. Using the sun or a projector light, test the focal point. There should be a bright spot where light is concentrated; mark this spot and punch a hole for the skewer. Use a section of wire from which any paint has been removed for a skewer. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12! Credits: www.energyquest.ca.gov 10 3
Activity: Absorbing the Sun s Energy Energy Word Seek Instructions: Find the hidden energy-related words in the puzzle below. What do you need? White, black, green, red and blue construction paper, all of the same size Timer Uniformly sized ice cubes What to do? Predict and record what color will melt an ice cube first. Place sheets of construction paper in a sunny window or outside in direct sunlight. Place one ice cube in the center of each sheet of construction paper. Start a timer. Observe the rate at which each ice cube melts. Record the time it takes for each ice cube to completely melt. Assessment: Which colors cause the ice to melt more quickly? Which colors cause the ice to melt more slowly? Would a house with a white roof be cooler than a house with a dark roof? On a hot day, would you rather wear white clothes or black clothes? Why? Biomass Coal Compost Conserve Energy Gasoline Geothermal Hydropower Natural Gas Nuclear Oil Recycle Solar Sun Watt Wind 4 9
Meet Elton The Electrifying Hero Discussion: Of all the colors of the rainbow, black is the most absorbent. This is because black materials absorb light of all colors. When a black material absorbs light, some of the energy in the light is transferred to the molecules composing the black material. This causes the molecules composing the black material to vibrate more quickly, which leads to a rise in temperature. Therefore, some of the light energy absorbed by black materials is converted to heat energy. On the other hand, shiny or white substances reflect almost all colors of light, and therefore do not experience such a large temperature change. This is the reason black is best worn in cold weather, since it takes in more light energy and changes it to heat, and white is best worn in hot weather, since it reflects light energy. Record your predictions and results: Color Predicted Time to Melt Recorded Time to Melt COLOR ME! 8 5
Electrical Safety Lance the Lightning Bug Human bodies can be conductors of electricity, but becoming a conductor can harm or kill you. You may have heard of someone receiving a shock or being electrocuted. Read the safety tips listed below and color in Lance the Lightning Bug. Never climb power poles or trees near power lines. Never fly kites near power lines. Stay away from fallen power lines. Keep ladders, TV antennas and everything else away from power lines. Don t touch anything electrical when you are wet. Never pull a plug out of the outlet by the cord. Don t plug too many electrical devices into one outlet. Never use radios, hair dryers or other electrical devices in the bathtub or shower. Keep fingers and other objects away from electrical outlets. COLOR ME 6 7