How Can We Provide Energy to Meet Diverse Needs?
How Can We Provide Energy to Meet Diverse Needs? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of fourth grade engineering, physical science, and earth and space science standards. In this module, students:
- Make observations of battery-bulb-wire configurations to determine configuration characteristics that allow energy to flow and a bulb to light up
- Design, build, and test portable light systems, evaluating them against defined criteria and constraints
- Research how electricity is generated by making observations of systems and by obtaining information from texts
- Use multiple texts to research environmental impacts of natural resources used to generate electricity
- Access and evaluate state-specific electricity generation data and combine this information with other research to propose and compare new energy plans to solve a power outage problem
- Design, build, and test adaptive doorbell systems using three different energy sources, evaluating them against defined criteria and constraints
Below are digital resources that support teaching of this module.
Family Letter
Before starting How Can We Provide Energy to Meet Diverse Needs?, share the Family Letter with students’ caregivers. Indicate how they should submit responses to the letter.
Download the Family Letter PDF
Camping Light Problem
This file contains a message from Grammy detailing a problem she is facing.
Download the Camping Light Problem PDF
Circuit Tips
This file provides guidance for working with the circuit components in this module.
Download the Circuit Tips PDF
Switch Peer Review
This file contains the text from the peer review activity sheet for use during class discussion.
Download the Switch Peer Review PDF
Design Steps
This file provides an outline of the work students should complete during Lesson 6.
Download the Design Steps PDF
Circuit Diagrams
This file contains information used in the extension Circuit Diagrams.
Download the Circuit Diagrams PDF
Planned Outage Problem
This file contains a picture and message about a problem in a local community.
Download the Planned Outage Problem PDF
Generating
This file shows images of the stations that students will work at during the lesson.
Download the Generating PDF
Meeting Our Energy Needs StoryMap
This file provides links to resources for student research.
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/1103cced05ad4480a5e2c4be8cf565ca
Apartment Visitor (0:24)
This video serves as a partial introduction to the doorbell problem.
Download the Apartment Visitor Video
Download the Accessible Version of the Apartment Visitor Video
Download the Apartment Visitor Video transcript
At Home (0:07)
This video serves as a partial introduction to the doorbell problem.
Download the At Home Video
Download the Accessible Version of the At Home Video
Download the At Home Video Transcript
Doorbell Testing
This file shows images of the stations that students will work at during the lesson.
Download the Doorbell Testing PDF
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