SciFusion - Alternative Energy

Energy Videos

Resources

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
US Department of Energy: Energy Education and Workforce Development
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Energy Hog - For Parents and Kids
Alliance to Save Energy
Air and Waste Management Association

Classroom Activities

Biofuel Production (8 Activities)

Grades: 5-8, 9-12
Summary:
These eight activities show ways of developing alternatives to petroleum fuels. These projects could also lead to lessons that focus on the impact these fuels will have on the environment in the future. The activities are:

What can be controlled to increase the efficiency of ethanol production?
What kinds of biomass have the most heat energy in a given quantity?
What type of biomass will produce the greatest quantity of “biogases” by heating?
What conditions provide the maximum yield of charcoal from biomass?
What conditions will produce the most efficient breakdown of paper into sugars?
What conditions and/or biomass are best for producing methane?
What conditions would produce the most efficient conversion of algae to a useful fuel?

Curriculum Integration: Chemistry, Biology
Time: Varies by activity
Materials: Laboratory equipment varies by activity

Passive Solar Building Design (8 Activities)

Grades: 5-8, 9-12
Summary:
The eight activities in this document, which is from Australia, investigate the main design principles that affect the thermal comfort of buildings. Although the activities are not aligned to U.S. standards, they are included here because of their background information and interesting class projects. The activities can be adapted to U.S. measurements to provide interesting student activities with the added benefit of elaborating international differences. The activities are:

Windows
Ventilation
Insulation Materials
Properties of Building Materials
Colors of Building Materials
Orientation
Landscaping
Putting it All Together

Curriculum Integration: General Science, Earth Science
Time: Varies by activity
Materials: Varies by activity
National Standards: Activities are from Australia, so they are not aligned to U.S. standards.
Provided by: Queensland Sustainable Energy Industry Development Group, Australia

Geothermal Energy (5 Activities)
Below is information about student activities on geothermal energy for grades 5-8.

Grades: 5-8
Summary:
Geothermal energy is one of the components of the National Energy Policy: “Reliable, Affordable, and Environmentally Sound Energy for America’s Future.” This lesson includes five activities that will give your students information on the principles of heat transfer and the technology of using geothermal energy to generate electricity. The activities are:

What factors affect the heat transfer from rock to water?
How does energy transferred between fluids in a binary geothermal power plant work?
How does salinity affect the boiling point of water?
How do the emissions from a geothermal power plant compare to those from a fossil fuel power plant?
How does the size and number of turbine blades and steam jets affect the performance of a model dry steam power plant?

Curriculum Integration: Social Studies, Science, Technology
Time: Varies by activity
Materials: Varies by activity