How Can We Conserve Energy? (Renewable Energy #2)

In this lesson, students reflect on their personal energy use, make a bar graph to analyze data from the class, and create a conservation poster for display. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students use their personal energy audits to create a bar graph.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students create an inspirational conservation poster.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students display their conservation posters around the classroom or school.

Positives

• This lesson includes using a spreadsheet to create a bar graph. This may be the first time students learn this skill.
• Creating a conservation poster is a great way for students to feel empowered to take immediate climate action.

Additional Prerequisites

• This is lesson 2 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Renewable Energy unit.
• When you are collecting data for the spreadsheets and graphs, some students may respond that they spent 1,440 minutes using energy (which is the total amount of minutes in a day) due to use of electricity for refrigerators or the heating and cooling of their homes. Although true, having multiple data points of 1,440 minutes is not useful. Have them come up with a lower estimate.

Differentiation

• Some students may have difficulty with data entry when adding numbers to their spreadsheet. It may be best to create groups of students so they can check each other's progress to make sure it is correct.
• It may be best to allow students to create conservation posters individually or with a partner.
• Some students may want to create conservation posters using digital tools like Canva or Adobe Spark.

This lesson is suitable to build the capacity of students to understand energy sources and what they can power, to compute and audit their daily energy consumption, to share their energy footprint in group activities, and to raise awareness on energy consumption to a wide audience by creating a conservation poster. This lesson has passed our science review process and is recommended for classroom use.

Primary Standards

• Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
  • ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
    • 4-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and that their uses affect the environment.
• Common Core Math Standards (CCSS.MATH)
  • Measurement & Data (K-5)
    • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets.

Supporting Standards

• Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
  • Writing (K-12)
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.