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The Energy Crisis   
A WebQuest for 8th Grade Integrated Science Honors Designed by Mindy Pearson mindy.pearson@sdhc.k12.fl.us |
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Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits| Teacher Page
Introduction
The year is 2056. You awaken from your peaceful slumber in a sweat. The temperature in your Florida home is stifling. You reach for the switch to the lamp on your bedside table. Click...nothing. You get out of bed and stumble to the hallway thermostat. In the semidarkness, it reads 88 degrees. You attempt to turn it down. Nothing. Realizing that you must be in some sort of power outage, you stumble back to bed, miserable. You toss and turn for what seems like hours. You grumble, "I'm never going to get back to sleep." You reach for your remote. "Aaggh! No power!" You think, "I'll take a shower. That will refresh me." You turn on the tap. Your water, while somewhat refreshing, is icy cold! Why isn't your water warming up? Ahhh...there is no electricity to heat the water. What if the power outage were permanent? Even worse, what if there were no gasoline to fuel your car?
Our high energy society has taken its toll on our reserves of fossil fuels. At the current rate of consumption, our reserves of fossil fuels will be exhausted during your lifetime. The nightmarish scenario above will become a reality if alternative energy solutions are not sought. Now is the time to act. You and your classmates have been selected as members of an expert panel from the U.S. Department of Energy who will make recommendations to the U.S. Congress about how Americans should garner energy. At this time, Congress is only willing to fund three programs.
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Task
Your task is to research the following energy alternatives and prioritize your top three. You then must convince Congress to fund these programs.
1. Hydroelectric Power
2. Wind Power
3. Nuclear Power
4. Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
5. Bioenergy
6. Solar Power
Your research should, at minimum, cover the following topics. You will be required to submit SIX (6) Research Verification Forms:
(a) What is this energy resource?
(b) Where does the energy resource come from?
(c) How does this energy resource work?
(d) What are the advantages and disadvantages of this energy resource?
(e) Is this energy resource cost effective?
(f) Is this energy resource environmentally friendly?
(g) Are there limitations to the feasibility of this energy resource?
The following websites may be useful to you during your research. This is NOT an all-inclusive list. Feel free to utilize other websites and/or resources as well. Please keep track of "where" you got your information.
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/
http://www.renewableenergy.com/
Process
If we are to have sufficient energy in the future, viable alternatives must be sought now. Your organization, The United States Department of Energy, strives to "protect our national and economic security by promoting a diverse supply and delivery of reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy." While the Department of Energy would like for Congress to fund all six energy programs, Congress is only willing to fund THREE (3). After thoroughly researching the aforementioned energy alternatives, your group will need to select the three energy alternatives that seem the most promising and convince the Congress to fund them. Recall that the Congress has its own constituents to answer to, so your rationale for funding each energy program must be sound.
Your group (2-3 individuals) will need to create a PowerPoint presentation that depicts the following:
(a) An overview of each energy resource- what is is, where it comes from, and how it works.
(b) The advantages and disadvantages of each energy resource (Be honest! Almost all alternatives have some disadvantages.)
(c) Ten reasons (at minimum) why your choices are more viable than those not selected.
Additionally, your PowerPoint presentation should meet the following criteria:
(a) Be free from spelling and grammatical errors.
(b) Use a font that is easy to read, considering both type and size.
(c) Utilize a contrasting font and background color.
(d) Include graphics.
Evaluation (200 points possible)
Research Verification Forms (10 points per form; 60 points possible)
Form 1. (a) _____ (b) _____ (c) _____ (d) _____ (e) _____ (f) _____ (g) _____
Form 2. (a) _____ (b) _____ (c) _____ (d) _____ (e) _____ (f) _____ (g) _____
Form 3. (a) _____ (b) _____ (c) _____ (d) _____ (e) _____ (f) _____ (g) _____
Form 4. (a) _____ (b) _____ (c) _____ (d) _____ (e) _____ (f) _____ (g) _____
Form 5. (a) _____ (b) _____ (c) _____ (d) _____ (e) _____ (f) _____ (g) _____
Form 6. (a) _____ (b) _____ (c) _____ (d) _____ (e) _____ (f) _____ (g) _____
PowerPoint Presentation (5 points per blank; 75 points possible)
Choice 1 Choice 2 Choice 3
What it is _____ _____ _____
Where it comes from _____ _____ _____
How it works _____ _____ _____
Advantages _____ _____ _____
Disadvantages _____ _____ _____
Ten reasons why your choices are more viable than those not selected (3 points each; 30 points possible) _____
Technical (5 points each; 20 points possible)
Free from spelling and grammatical errors (5 points) _____
Font- size and type appropriate (5 points) _____
Contrasting font and background colors (5 points) _____
Graphics (5 points) _____
Oral Presentation (5 points each; 15 points possible)
Evidence of preparation (5 points) _____
Adequate volume/Visual contact (5 points) _____
Participation (5 points) _____
Conclusion
At this point, you should understand that our days of relying on fossil fuels are nearly over. Furthermore, you should realize that we must develop our understanding and refine our use of alternative energy sources to meet our future energy needs. By completing this activity, you have taken an important step in doing so. Congratulations!
Credits & References
This lesson was generated as part of my participation in the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program at The University of South Florida.
I would like to thank Dr. Carlos Smith for organizing the RET program. I would also like to thank Dr. John Wolan and his graduate students Benji, Tim, Ala'a, and Meralys for welcoming me in their laboratory.
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Photographs are courtesy of http://www.nrel.gov with credit given to individual photographers.
Individual Photograph Credits:
Corn Harvest & Stover: Bob Allen
Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Nuclear Reactor, and Wind Farm: Warren Getz
Solar Panels: PowerLight Corporation
Hydroelectric Powerplant: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
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