1. Essential Question 2: How do we use the wind for electricity?
Wind Turbines
Duration: 3 days at 45 minutes each
Standards: GLE 0207.Inq.3, GLE 0207.T/E.2, GLE
Overview: Students will explore wind energy as a renewable resource and how we can turn it into electricity through wind turbines.
2nd Grade
Essential Question 1: Why do we want to use renewable resources for energy?
Essential Question 2: How do we use the wind for electricity?
Materials:
Book: “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”
Youtube video: Energy 101:Wind Turbines
Multimeter
2 wind turbine stands
20 hubs
60 dowels
Paper plates
Fabric
Tissue paper
Aluminum foil
Tape/glue

2. PROCEDURE:
Students begin by learning about renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. We discuss the difference and why engineers are looking for renewable resources.
Students will be shown the wind turbine and how it works. They will then plan their own turbine blades and begin creating their own.
Once the blades are created, the students will attach the hub to the base of the turbine and test their blades. The students will measure the voltage output with a multimeter and get the voltage to 0.4 volts.

3. Essential Question 2: How do we cook with the sun?
Solar Ovens
Duration: 3 days at 45 minutes each
Standards: GLE 0307.T/E.2, GLE 0307.T/E.5, GLE
Overview: Students will have a scenario to build a solar oven to cook a S’more. The teacher and students will discuss renewable versus non-renewable resources and the importance of solar energy. We use solar panels on houses now to help with the electricity to certain houses. The teacher will give the students the challenge of building a solar oven to be able to cook a S’more. The student teams will create a solar oven with the materials given and a budget to “build” the oven. As the students finish, they will cook their S’mores and watch how the temperature rises with the temperature probe. They will also see how their chocolate and marshmallow have melted.
3rd Grade
Essential Question 1: Why do we want to use renewable resources for energy?
Essential Question 2: How do we cook with the sun?
Materials:
Boxes (pizza boxes or shoe boxes)
Temperature probe
Black construction paper
Newspaper
Fabric
Clear plastic wrap
Aluminum foil
Scissors
Tape
Rulers
Heat lamps if not able to use the sun for project and have to work only in the classroom

4. PROCEDURE:
Students begin by learning about renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. We discuss the difference and why engineers are looking for renewable resources.
Students then learn about how solar ovens work (insulators/conductors). The teacher will show solar ovens. The student teams will begin planning, gathering and create their solar oven.
When the students solar ovens are complete, they will cook S’mores, watching the chocolate melt and using a temperature probe to measure the heat inside the oven.

5. Essential Question 1: How does the power grid work?
Power Grid with Squishy Circuits
4th Grade
Duration: 3 days at 45 minutes each
Standards: GLE 0407.T/E.2, GLE
Overview: Students will learn about the power grid and how it is used to produce electricity to their house. They will learn the different components of the grid and then manipulate the grid with TCIPG. Once the students learn how the grid works, they will build a power grid with their partner with squishy circuits, batteries and LED lights.
Essential Question 2: How do we get the electricity to our house/school?
Essential Question 1: How does the power grid work?
Materials:
Computer
TCIPG Web page
Brainpop video: Electric Circuits
Youtube: Energy 101: Electricity Generation
Circuit grid stand
Conductor dough
Insulator dough
AA batteries
AA battery holders
LED jumbo lights
9-Volt batteries

6. PROCEDURE:
Students learn about the different kinds of circuits ( simple, series and parallel).
2. Students begin by learning about the power grid and working with the TCIPG web page and manipulate the grid so see how energy runs.
Students plan and create a power grid with battery packs, LED lights and squishy conductive dough. They will test, revise and test again that the LED lights all turn on.