(5-8) H5

Science Curriculum Preview Committee Clarification of Learning Results

Revised 06/29/04

5-8

H5: Categorize energy sources as renewable or nonrenewable and compare how these sources are used by humans.

Curriculum Organizing Questions

What are some renewable energy sources available in our area?

What are some nonrenewable energy sources available in our area?

What types of energy sources (both renewable and nonrenewable) are available in other parts of the world?

What is the ultimate source of energy for this source? Can it be traced back to the sun?

Elaboration
Science-related personal and societal challenges are important endeavors for science education at the middle level.

Students need not understand all of the details of how each of these systems work, but should be able to identify them and recognize where the energy is coming from.

Central ideas related to populations, resources, and environments provide the foundations for student's eventual understandings and actions as citizens.

See pgs. 114-118 of Science for All Americans for excellent discussion of energy sources and energy uses.

Specific Ideas

Energy from the sun (and the wind and water energy derived from it) is available indefinitely, but because the flow of energy is weak and variable, very large collection systems are needed.Benchmarks 8C5.

In many instances, manufacturing and other technological activities are performed at a site close to the energy source. Some forms of energy are tranported easily, others are not. Benchmarks 8C4.

Renewable heat energy from deep within the earth is released as geothermal energy.

Other energy sources, such as fossil fuels, don't renew or renew only slowly.Benchmarks 8C5.

Different parts of the world have different amounts and kinds of energy resources to use and use them for different purposes.Benchmarks 8C6.

Developmental &Instructional Implications
Children often hold a considerable number of misceptions about light that may affect instruction. Driver et al offer a detailed discussion of children's difficulties with the ideas associated with light on pages 128-132.

Heat energy is a difficult idea for students, who thoroughly confound it with the idea of temperature. Children may not recognize temperature as a physical parameter that can describe the condition of a material. There may be misconceptions about the idea of temperature and how to measure it. For an extensive discussion of misconceptions about temperature and heat. See Driver et al pages 138-142.

See pages 143-147 in Driver et al for a detailed description of children's ideas about energy.

Page 117-126 in Driver at al provides a detailed description of children's ideas about electricity.

Examples

Back to Big Ideas Grid H Back to Standard H Back to Index

Curriculum Organizing Questions	What are some renewable energy sources available in our area? What are some nonrenewable energy sources available in our area? What types of energy sources (both renewable and nonrenewable) are available in other parts of the world? What is the ultimate source of energy for this source? Can it be traced back to the sun?
Elaboration	Science-related personal and societal challenges are important endeavors for science education at the middle level. Students need not understand all of the details of how each of these systems work, but should be able to identify them and recognize where the energy is coming from. Central ideas related to populations, resources, and environments provide the foundations for student's eventual understandings and actions as citizens. See pgs. 114-118 of Science for All Americans for excellent discussion of energy sources and energy uses.
Specific Ideas	Energy from the sun (and the wind and water energy derived from it) is available indefinitely, but because the flow of energy is weak and variable, very large collection systems are needed.Benchmarks 8C5. In many instances, manufacturing and other technological activities are performed at a site close to the energy source. Some forms of energy are tranported easily, others are not. Benchmarks 8C4. Renewable heat energy from deep within the earth is released as geothermal energy. Other energy sources, such as fossil fuels, don't renew or renew only slowly.Benchmarks 8C5. Different parts of the world have different amounts and kinds of energy resources to use and use them for different purposes.Benchmarks 8C6.
Developmental &Instructional Implications	Children often hold a considerable number of misceptions about light that may affect instruction. Driver et al offer a detailed discussion of children's difficulties with the ideas associated with light on pages 128-132. Heat energy is a difficult idea for students, who thoroughly confound it with the idea of temperature. Children may not recognize temperature as a physical parameter that can describe the condition of a material. There may be misconceptions about the idea of temperature and how to measure it. For an extensive discussion of misconceptions about temperature and heat. See Driver et al pages 138-142. See pages 143-147 in Driver et al for a detailed description of children's ideas about energy. Page 117-126 in Driver at al provides a detailed description of children's ideas about electricity.
Examples