TEACHING PHYSICS USING PROJECT-BASED ENGINEERING CURRICULUM WITH A
THEME OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

By
Bryan Tasior

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
Physical Science – Interdepartmental – Master of Science
2015

ABSTRACT
TEACHING PHYSICS USING PROJECT-BASED ENGINEERING CURRICULUM WITH A
THEME OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
By
Bryan Tasior
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide a new set of science standards
that, if adopted, shift the focus from content knowledge-based to skill-based education. Students
will be expected to use science to investigate the natural world and solve problems using the
engineering design process. The world also is facing an impending crisis related to climate,
energy supply and use, and alternative energy development. Education has an opportunity to
help provide the much needed paradigm shift from our current methods of providing the energy
needs of society. The purpose of this research was to measure the effectiveness of a unit that
accomplishes the following objectives: uses project-based learning to teach the engineering
process and standards of the NGSS, addresses required content expectations of energy and
electricity from the HSCE’s, and provides students with scientific evidence behind issues (both
environmental and social/economic) relating to the energy crisis and current dependence of fossil
fuels as our primary energy source. The results of the research indicate that a physics unit can be
designed to accomplish these objectives. The unit that was designed, implemented and reported
here also shows that it was highly effective at improving students’ science content knowledge,
implementing the engineering design standards of the NGSS, while raising awareness,
knowledge and motivations relating to climate and the energy crisis.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ v
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... vii
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview ............................................................................................................................. 1
The Need for Engineering Education ................................................................................. 3
Implementing Engineering Education in the Classroom .................................................... 6
The Need for Alternative Energy and Climate Change Education ................................... 10
School Demographics ....................................................................................................... 12
Implementation ........................................................................................................................... 14
Reorganization of the Course ........................................................................................... 14
Activities Designed for this Study .................................................................................... 16
Assessments ...................................................................................................................... 28
Climate Change Survey .................................................................................................... 28
Energy Pre and Post Test .................................................................................................. 29
Engineering Design Pre Assessment/Post Assessment .................................................... 29
Electricity Assessment ...................................................................................................... 30
Results .......................................................................................................................................... 31
Discussion .................................................................................................................................... 37
Discussion of Climate Change Results ............................................................................. 37
Discussion of Engineering Assessment Results ............................................................... 39
Discussion of Energy and Electricity Results ................................................................... 41
Final Analysis ................................................................................................................... 42
Improvements ................................................................................................................... 42
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. 45
APPENDIX A: Parent Consent Form ............................................................................... 46
APPENDIX B: Energy Transformation Lab .................................................................... 51
APPENDIX C: Greenhouse in a Beaker Lab ................................................................... 56
APPENDIX D: Cosmos Episode Student Handouts......................................................... 61
APPENDIX E: Frontiers in Science Presentations ........................................................... 68
APPENDIX F: Climate Change Articles Homework ....................................................... 70
APPENDIX G: Engineering Design Template ................................................................. 73
APPENDIX H: Exploring Wind Design Project .............................................................. 80
APPENDIX I: Next Generation Science Standards Engineering Performance Standards89
APPENDIX J: Michigan High School Content Expectations Covered in Energy Unit ... 91
APPENDIX K: Wind Turbine Blade Investigations ........................................................ 96
APPENDIX L: Energy and Power Practice .................................................................... 103
APPENDIX M: Communicate Results Portion of Wind Power Project ........................ 106
APPENDIX N:Wind Farm Calculator Spreadsheet with Sample Data Entered ............ 114
iii

APPENDIX O: Ohm’s Law Homework ......................................................................... 117
APPENDIX P: Exploring Solar Power Activity............................................................. 122
APPENDIX Q: Wiring Solar Panels Worksheet ............................................................ 124
APPENDIX R: Climate Change Survey......................................................................... 126
APPENDIX S: Energy Pre/Post Test.............................................................................. 131
APPENDIX T: Engineering Design Pre and Post Assessments ..................................... 137
APPENDIX U: Electricity Assessment .......................................................................... 144

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………...…149

iv

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Sequence of activities designed and implemented during unit ............................15
Table 2: Class averages of student responses on Climate Change Survey ........................31
Table 3: Statements with significant shift toward strong agreement .................................32
Table 4: Statements with significant shift toward strong disagreement ............................32
Table 5: Averages of student responses to Question 19 of Climate Change Survey .........33
Table 6: Class average data for Engineering Pre/Post Assessments .................................34
Table 7: Class average data for Engineering Post-Assessment .........................................34
Table 8: Class average data of Energy Assessment ...........................................................35
Table 9: Class average data of Electricity Assessment ......................................................36
Table 10: The 6 main forms of energy...............................................................................52
Table 11: Simulated day-time data ....................................................................................59
Table 12: Simulated night-time data ..................................................................................59
Table 13: Engineering Design Template Rubric ...............................................................77
Table 14: Blade Pitch Data ................................................................................................97
Table 15: Number of Blades Data .....................................................................................98
Table 16: Surface Area Data ..............................................................................................99
Table 17: Blade Mass Data ..............................................................................................100
Table 18: Wind Farm Calculator Spreadsheet with Sample Data Included ....................115
Table 19: Scoring Rubric for Climate Change Survey ....................................................130
Table 20: Scoring Rubric for Energy Pre/Post Test ........................................................135
Table 21: Scoring Rubric for Engineering Design Pre Assessment ................................139
v

Table 22: Scoring Rubric for Engineering Design Post Assessment ...............................143
Table 23: Electricity Assessment Scoring Rubric ............................................................147

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Students performing Greenhouse in a Beaker Lab ............................................18
Figure 2: Sample student data from Greenhouse in a Beaker Lab ....................................18
Figure 3: Model turbine and blade testing station .............................................................23
Figure 4: NASA Engineering Design Template ................................................................74
Figure 5: Example decision matrix ....................................................................................76

vii

Introduction
Overview
Science teachers today have an arduous task of balancing the ever-changing requirements
and standards that are passed down from the state of Michigan. We all have a good idea of what
our students will need to know to be successful in our respective subjects at the post-secondary
level. As of 2015 the currently required Michigan High School Content Expectations (HSCE’s)
contain a lot of specific content knowledge our students are expected to learn. After realizing we
also need our students to be able to think critically and solve problems, the science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators have shifted their thinking about standards to a
new direction. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are currently being considered
and could replace the current standards if adopted by the state of Michigan. They have a much
narrower range of content knowledge and put more focus on engineering processes in science
education. The NGSS seeks to ensure our students are ready to meet the challenges of the 21st
century. It’s not just what students know, but what they will be able to do that will contribute
solutions to real global challenges.
With the graduate program for high school teachers offered through the College of
Natural Science at Michigan State, participants were exposed to a very broad base of science
knowledge with the goal of expanding areas of expertise of science teachers. The most useful
element of the program were the Frontiers in Science sessions. Scientists from the university
present cutting-edge research to teachers. Very few people outside of the world of academia are
exposed to any of this information. Many of the presentations were related to research behind
solutions to the effects of our current use of fossil fuels as a primary energy source. The research
included current and long term effects of fossil fuel use on the environment, inability of fossil
1

fuel reserves to meet growing energy demands, and the connection between energy production
and consumption to human wealth and well-being. After learning about the current science and
engineering research that was happening, this researcher became very passionate about teaching
students the scientific data surrounding the hot topics of global climate change and use of fossil
fuels. The general public’s opinions on issues relating to these topics are often deeply held and
politically charged. With so much debate and argumentation from both positions, it is not
surprising that the general public’s opinions do not reflect the scientific consensus and are based
on information from media sources rather than peer-reviewed scientific work.
The purpose of this research was to determine whether a teacher can implement a unit
that successfully addresses the currently required HSCE’s, the shift in science education to the
NGSS and STEM education, and to educate students and encourage passionate young adults to
be concerned and informed about the energy crisis in a physics class. A redesigned energy unit
is the perfect stage to accomplish all of this. Throughout any introductory level physics class,
students first learn the basics of mechanics. The energy content expectations are unique because
they are where physics branches off into other topics. The six forms of energy (mechanical,
electrical, chemical, electromagnetic, thermal, and nuclear) all represent areas of study within
physics. This is the crossroads of physics where other topics branch off (waves, sound, light,
electricity, magnetism, quantum and modern physics, thermodynamics, and nuclear physics). A
teacher could conceivably design units of instruction with a focus on energy and teach concepts
of any of these topics.
Meaningful science education takes a great deal of time. Teachers have very limited time
with students and a very extensive list of required objectives to cover. With new methods of
science education constantly being developed, time is the limiting variable that decides what can

2

be accomplished in class. Project-based engineering takes a great deal of time in class.
Educating students about the many facets of the energy crisis including global climate change
and renewable energies, while considered a very valuable experience, is not represented in
current standards for any of the required high school courses (biology, chemistry, and physics).
Time spent incorporating new ideas into a class takes instruction time away from other topics,
and can lead to not covering all of the required content expectations. In order to add enrichment
to the objectives being taught, a teacher must design curriculum that multitasks.
The curriculum presented here was designed and implemented with that goal. The
purpose of this research was to measure the effectiveness of a unit that accomplishes the
following objectives: uses project-based learning to teach the engineering process and standards
of the NGSS, addresses required content expectations of energy and electricity from the HSCE’s,
and provides students with scientific evidence behind issues (both environmental and
social/economic) relating to the energy crisis and current dependence of fossil fuels as our
primary energy source. Energy education provides the “worldwide problem” required by the
NGSS to be solved by the engineering process, as well as motivation for the students. Projectbased engineering provides the opportunity to learn the science concepts of the HSCE’s needed
to accomplish the tasks. Designing the unit in a way that intertwines all three objectives allowed
the time spent in the classroom to address all three objectives.
The Need for Engineering Education
The focus on STEM education has gained a lot of attention in the media and among
educational institutions. Why has it become the current buzzword in education? “Rising
concern about America's ability to maintain its competitive position in the global economy has
renewed interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.”
3

(Chen, 2009). 21st Century learners need to be prepared for new challenges. There is concern
about our ability to cultivate enough highly skilled scientists and engineers to meet future
demands.
A major question is whether this concern over skilled people in these areas is
substantiated or just a perceived need. An ongoing public opinion research project
commissioned by Bayer Corporation surveyed 150 talent recruiters at Fortune 1000 companies.
The survey asked about the demand for 2 and 4-year STEM degrees compared to non-STEM
degrees, and also about creation of STEM-related positions compared to non-STEM. 89% of
talent recruiters identified 4-year STEM related degrees are “as/more” in demand than their
counterparts. 73% of talent recruiters reported 2-year STEM degrees are “as/more” in demand.
Only half of these Fortune 1000 recruiters say they can find adequate numbers of qualified job
candidates with either 2-year or 4-year STEM degrees in a timely manner. 75% of Talent
recruiters state that 10-years from now there will be more STEM job creation than non-STEM
(Bayer Corporation, 2014).
A Carnegie Foundation commission in 2007 concluded that, “The nation’s capacity to
innovate for economic growth and the ability of American workers to thrive in the global
economy depend on a broad foundation of math and science learning, as do our hopes for
preserving a vibrant democracy and the promise of social mobility for young people that lie at
the heart of the American dream.” (Carnegie Corporation of New York Institute for Advanced
Study Commision on Mathematics and Science Education, 2007).
The NGSS discuss the need for new science standards by noting a reduction of the U.S.'s
competitive economic edge, lagging achievement of U.S. students, the need for preparation in
STEM careers for the modern workforce, and scientific and technological literacy for an

4

educated society. The NGSS argue that the current system of science and mathematics education
is performing below par, and if left unattended, “Will leave millions of young Americans
unprepared to succeed in a global economy.” (Next Generation Science Standards, 2015)
According to recent studies, the United States education system is performing below par. The
recently reported Third International Mathematics and Science Study, which compares
performance in mathematics and science of 500,000 students worldwide, identified that U.S.
students' performance was above average for fourth graders as compared to more than 21 other
countries. However, by 12th grade, U.S. students perform near the bottom of industrialized
nations (Brown, 1999).
Science, mathematics, and computer/technology credits are currently required as part of
the graduation requirements in the State of Michigan. With three of these disciplines already
well represented in high school courses, our biggest opportunity to improve STEM education is
engineering education. The current curriculum based on the HSCE’s contain no engineering
design standards. Furthermore, high-school students take science, math, and technology classes
that are taught as isolated subjects with few connections made between the disciplines.
Engineering courses are offered by very few high schools, and only as elective choices. With
school districts facing major budget concerns, the ability to staff and equip a classroom for an
engineering course becomes more of a pipedream than a realistic requirement. “For at least 50
years, imaginative teachers and engineers have attempted to introduce some form of engineering
education into US high schools. But despite these sporadic efforts, only a small number of
students have actually had such exposure.” (Industrial Research Institute Inc., 2009).
Many students are guided toward careers in engineering if they show promise in math
and science in secondary education. Without an authentic experience of what engineering

5

entails, how could they confidently choose engineering as a major? According to the U.S.
National Science Foundation, enrollment in undergraduate engineering programs has dropped at
a disturbing rate the past two decades, while the demand for engineers continues to rise (National
Science Foundation, 2004). A statistical analysis designed to measure perspectives of
engineering education among college students from 2008 reveals that college students, in
general, feel that engineering is important and beneficial to society, however, it is difficult to
obtain a degree in engineering and it leads to a demanding career (Li, McCoach, Swaminathan,
& Tang, 2008). Furthermore, approximately one-half of engineering majors entering college
complete degree requirements (French, Immekus, & Oakes, 2005).
This result could be from the engineering major not attracting stronger students, but also
could be due to the fact that many students that choose, or are guided to engineering as a major,
have had little experience in engineering and do not exactly know what engineering entails until
they begin the program. Engineering experiences in secondary education could attract more
interested students to the profession, and could also deter students who may choose engineering
as a major but find out they are not interested in the work. This places a lot of importance on
secondary teachers providing experiences that are both authentic and motivating for students.
Simply put, if we as teachers are going to implement engineering at the high school level with
limited resources, budgets, and experiences, it must be done well.
Implementing Engineering Education in the Classroom
There are a lot of benefits of approaching engineering standards by incorporating them
into existing science courses rather than teaching them in stand-alone courses. This would cause
teachers to rethink their subject matter. William S. Carlson from Cornell University argues that
“technological design projects provide a sociologically fruitful approach to teaching new themes

6

in science education” (Carlsen, 1998). A study from the University of Nevada in 2006 showed
that students enrolled in integrated science courses that included an engineering design aspect
had larger increases on standardized assessments than other students (Cantrell, 2006). The
results of the study indicated that “Engaging students in engineering curriculum activities may
diminish achievement gaps in science for some student populations.”
Implementing Engineering in a secondary physics classroom lends itself well to a projectbased learning (PBL) approach. The Buck Institute for Education defines PBL as, “A systematic
teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended
inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products
and tasks.” (Markham, Larmer, & Ravitz, 2003). PBL often involves peer collaboration, a strong
emphasis on critical thinking and communication skills, and interdisciplinary learning (Lattimer
& Riordin, 2011). For these reasons, PBL could inherently be more effective at scaffolding of
learners with differing levels of ability through student collaboration. Traditional methods of
teaching physics are not as well-suited to mixed-ability teaching, or developing group work
skills. If the problems presented in the project are sufficiently complex, students must rely on
each other to solve them. Delegation within groups can also motivate and keep students focused
(Kampen, 2004). This approach facilitates students taking on an active role in constructing
knowledge and engaging in inquiry and problem-solving skills.
For this research it is important to maintain the position that the purpose is, first and
foremost, learning physics. PBL was used as a method to include engineering practices with a
focus of alternative energies and climate change. Lattimer and Riordin (2011) claim that PBL
often fails when the emphasis falls too heavily on the “project” element rather than the
“learning”. Projects that come at the end of a unit of study, are peripheral to core concepts, or

7

are intended to demonstrate what has been learned rather than actively engage students in new
learning might be fun but fail to engage students in meaningful learning. Wiggins and McTighe
label this as the “sin of activity-oriented teaching” in their Understanding by Design Guide to
Creating High-Quality Units (p. 8). Teachers plan and conduct activities to be engaging but the
approach often confuses “hands-on work with minds-on work” (Wiggins & McTighe, 2011).
John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller (2010) suggest two criteria to ensure projectbased learning is meaningful. First, students must perceive the work as personally meaningful,
as a task that matters and that they want to do well. Second, a meaningful project fulfills an
educational purpose. They also suggest that the project should include a publicly presented
product arguing that students care more about the quality of their work when presenting to a
public audience. Barren et al. describe a study done by Petrosino in which he found students
learned very little while performing a rocket building project for a competition (Petrosino, 1998).
Petrosino modified the project to enhance the use of the scientific method by adding a “learning
appropriate goal”. In the new version, the students submitted design plans with specification to
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for a rocket kit to be used by many schools.
Exit interviews showed that students with the enhanced conditions learned more about rocketry
and controlled experimentation (Barron et al., 1998).
Students in a secondary science classroom should have experiences with controlled
experimentation. The addition of engineering design practices should work synergistically with
scientific work performed in the class and not replace it. A combination would allow the
opportunity for students to compare and contrast the work of both professions. The Learning by
Design ™ (LBD) framework is a project-based inquiry approach with roots in case-based
reasoning and problem-based learning (Kolodner et al., 2003). The approach blends

8

design/redesign activities with explore/investigate activities. The investigations become
concepts they “need to know” to develop what they “need to do” for the design (Brophy, 2008).
This approach shows how project-based engineering design activities can be linked to science
content and investigations to provide students authentic experiences in both disciplines.
A Framework for K-12 Science Education released by the National Research Council
(2012) provides the foundation for which the NGSS was based. The Framework includes
engineering practices that should be used in science classrooms to facilitate successful
implementation of the engineering standards. The eight science and engineering practices that
the Framework indicate are “essential for all students to learn and describe in detail” are listed
below: (Next Generation Science Standards, 2014)
1. Asking question (for science) and defining problems (for engineers)
2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics, computer technology, and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
7. Engaging in arguments from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.
The rationale for why these practices are essential is explained in chapter 3 of the
Framework: “Engaging in the practices of science helps students understand how scientific
knowledge develops; such direct involvement gives them an appreciation of the wide range of
approaches that are used to investigate, model, and explain the world. Engaging in the practices
of engineering likewise helps students understand the work of engineers, as well as the links
9

between engineering and science.” (National Research Council, 2012) These practices provide
teachers with ways to be sure they are effectively engaging students in practices that will provide
meaningful learning of science and engineering practices in their course. They also provide a
basis for which the research reported here was developed and implemented to achieve.
The Need for Alternative Energy and Climate Change Education
A frustrating gap exists between the scientific consensus of global climate change and
public opinion. Research published in 2013 found that among peer-reviewed papers stating a
position on anthropogenic global warming, over 97% endorsed the consensus that humans were
causing climate change. Meanwhile the public think there is a 50:50 debate among climate
scientists (Cook, 2013). A National Academy of Sciences report states that, “The scientific
understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to begin taking steps to prepare for
climate change and to slow it.” (The National Academies, 2008). Robert Brulle and his
colleagues performed an empirical analysis of the factors that affect U.S. public concern on
climate change and found that media coverage imparts an important influence, however the
coverage itself is a function of cues from the political elite and advocacy groups. The report
showed that circulation of scientific information to the public has minimal effect (Brulle,
Carmichael, & Jenkins, 2012). According to Brulle et al, “Public opinion regarding climate
change is likely to remain divided as long as the political elites send out conflicting messages on
this issue.” Greater efforts are needed to educate the public in the sciences of climate change
(Contribution of Working Group II, 2007).
As science educators we have an opportunity to help our students who will soon become
the “general public” to approach all information with a healthy dose of skepticism and to put
more trust in the scientific process that can expose misinformation. Our students are growing up
10

in an age where information is everywhere. Showing our students the scientific information
alone may have a minimal effect, but including education of the scientific process and how peerreviewed scientific information differs in accountability from “expert” opinions propagated
through media channels could provide a much needed paradigm shift of how the “general public”
discerns information they base their opinions on.
Climate change and alternative energy education implemented in secondary education
has the opportunity to increase awareness about the climate and energy use and supply issues.
Energy is the basis of a modern standard of living. Conventional energy education has also
generally failed to provide basic understanding about issues relevant to energy supply, its use,
and energy–environment interaction. In their case study in Pakistan, Mirza, Harijan, & Majeed
(2012) state that the recent surge of growth in the alternative energy industry has caught
educators off-guard. They also recommend a solution, “By understanding the role of education
in the growth of renewable energy, appropriate programs can be developed to address the needs
of industry and the community.”
In the past, science education centered on cultural change has fallen short of creating
desired changes. For example, Rosalyn McKeown and Charles Hopkins (2010) claim that sex
education focused on anatomy has not necessarily lowered teen pregnancy rates. Also, education
of toxic and carcinogenic components of tobacco have not reduced the number of smokers. They
also argue that climate change has social, economic, environmental and political roots and that
climate change education should reflect that complexity. In their paper, Rethinking Climate
Change Education, they claim that climate change can be successfully taught: “We know from
years of experience in environmental education that knowledge and awareness alone do not bring
about large-scale societal change. However, education that includes awareness, knowledge,

11

skills, values, and opportunities for participation does bring about in-depth learning and behavior
change.” To accomplish the desired behavior change in students, it seems awareness and values
of the social, economic and political components of the issue, which would traditionally not be
taught within physics curriculum, are just as important to include as the knowledge and skillbased components.
School Demographics
The research reported here took place in a Physics course at Stockbridge High School.
Stockbridge is located in the southeast corner of Ingham County. The area is very rural,
consisting of mostly farmland. The school district includes areas of Ingham, Livingston,
Washtenaw, and Jackson Counties. Stockbridge High School had a total of 581 students in the
2014-2015 school year. Of those students 177 (30%) are labeled as economically disadvantaged.
The district is not ethnically diverse with 551 white, 24 Hispanic/Latino and 4 African-American
students. The eighth grade was brought up to the high school building in 2014 when the middle
school was closed and grades were re-aligned. The High School runs a 4 x 4 block schedule
where students take 4 courses each semester that meet for 90 minutes every day.
There are four science teachers in the high school building. All students take Earth
Science in 8th grade and Biology as ninth graders. Students then take either Chemistry 1 or
Applied Chemistry. Applied Chemistry is team-taught with a special education teacher. In the
2014-2015 year there were four sections of Chemistry 1 and one section of Applied Chemistry.
All students then take either Applied Physics or Physics 1 as their third high school science
credit typically in 11th grade. There were four sections of Physics 1 and one section of Applied
Physics in 2014-2015. The high school also offers AP Biology, AP Physics, Chemistry II,
Wildlife Biology, and Anatomy & Physiology as science electives.

12

The research reported here took place in two sections of Physics I offered in the first
semester of the 2014-2015 school year. While sections of the course typically average 25-30
students per class, the two sections taught during this research only had 16 and 21 students. The
course is designed to be an introductory level physics course to meet all students’ skill level,
while maintaining the rigor of a college-prep physics course.

13

Implementation
In order to implement research on high-school students, a consent process was
implemented to collect classroom artifacts generated by minors. A consent form (Appendix A)
was developed, explaining the study and the process of collecting, storing, and reporting data. A
sealed envelope was provided with the forms and students were instructed to place the form in
the sealed envelope and place it into a sealed box located in the teacher’s classroom. The box
and envelopes were not opened until after the course was completed and final grades were
assigned.
Reorganization of the Course
The Physics 1 course on which this research was based was previously broken up into
nine units, each requiring about two weeks of instruction: Unit 1: Science & Measurement, Unit
2: 1-D Motion, Unit 3: 2-D Motion, Unit 4: Forces, Unit 5: Gravitation and Rotation, Unit 6:
Impulse & Momentum, Unit 7: Work, Power and Energy, Unit 8: Waves, Sound and Light, Unit
9: Electricity and Magnetism. To make room for new curriculum, Impulse & Momentum was
combined with the Forces unit, Work, Power & Mechanical Energy form a unit, and the unit
upon which the research was done was a combination of Energy and Electricity. This format
allowed coverage of the required HSCE’s while making room for longer term engineering
projects related to energy and electricity concepts. This format also allowed a focus on energy
and the opportunity to teach alternative energies while covering the required content
expectations. Table 1 displays the sequence of activities designed for this unit. The objectives
of each activity are also included.

14

Table 1: Sequence of activities designed and implemented during unit

1

2
3
4

5

6

7

8

9

Activity
Energy
Powerpoint®
presentation

Objectives (Students will)
 Identify the 6 forms of energy
 Explore nuclear energy
 Describe how power plants work
 Create energy transformation diagrams
 Discuss efficiency and energy “loss”
Energy
 Identify forms of energy present in devices
Transformation Lab
 Create energy transformation diagrams
Greenhouse in a
 Perform controlled experiments to observe the greenhouse
beaker lab
effect
Cosmos season 1
 Observe changes in climate in the past and the results of
episode 9
those changes
 Identify how fossil fuel reserves built up on Earth in
Carboniferous period
 Observe how the scientific process works and what data
lead to our understanding of these changes in geological
history
Cosmos season 1
 Explore numerous indicators of humans effect on the
episode 12
environment through fossil fuel use
 See the scientific data that forms the evidence and how it
was collected
 Differentiate between climate and weather
 Make predictions about what could happen unless changes
are made
Energy use/supply
 Explore the connection of energy and human wealth and
and Climate data
well-being
exploration and
 Analyze data and interpret results
presentation
 Realize the current state of energy supply and use and the
realization of the energy crisis
Energy Articles
 Compare peer-reviewed scientific work to information
Activity and
portrayed in the made
Assignment
 Find sources (articles) and critique arguments made about
climate change or energy use/supply
 Identify possible bias that may exist
Exploring Wind
 Use Engineering Design Process
Design Project
 Conduct controlled experiments (Wind investigations) to
aid in design
 Perform energy and electricity calculations to evaluate
performance
Energy Calculation
 Used during wind design project to aid students in
practice
performing energy calculations with simple circuits
Ohm’s law
notes/assignment

15

Table 1: (cont’d)
10

Wind farm design /
Presentation

11

Exploring Solar
Power Activity /
Assignment

 Research social, cultural, and environmental impacts to
prioritize criteria and constraints of design
 Use computer models to perform cost analysis of design
 Publicly present designed wind farm
 Perform inquiry investigations to investigate solar power
and the effect of series and parallel circuits on voltage and
current
 Practice wiring solar arrays to produce desired voltage and
current output

Activities Designed for this Study
Unit 7 began with a PowerPoint® presentation covering the 6 forms of energy
(mechanical, electrical, electromagnetic, chemical, thermal and nuclear). The presentation
defined each type and gave numerous examples. The initial focus was on students identifying
the types of energy around them and naming them properly. While covering nuclear energy,
students investigated the mass-energy relationship by finding the mass difference in nuclear
fusion and fission reactions and calculating the energy using E=mc2. The nuclear chain reaction
was investigated and applications in weapons and reactors were discussed.
The next half of the PowerPoint® addressed conservation of energy. Students must
understand that energy comes from energy. Students made energy transformation diagrams of
common items or devices. The concept of efficiency was also introduced and applied to
examples. The energy transformation involved in power plant operation was also presented.
The students were given homework to reinforce these basic energy concepts.
An Energy Transformation (Appendix B) lab followed. Each of six stations had different
items placed on them that undergo forms of energy transfer. The students’ task was to identify
the forms of energy, then draw an energy transformation diagram showing the energy transfers

16

that occurred with each item. Some of the devices included a: cordless drill, solar-powered car,
hand-crank generator connected to light bulbs and capacitor, model St. Louis electric motor,
thermopile generator, hand boiler, striking a match and burning a small tortilla chip, large ball
bearings (when smashed together on paper they burn a hole in paper), electric radio/alarm clock,
flashlight, and others.
The unit shifted to a larger scale understanding of energy. The goal of the next few
activities was for students to interpret the scientific data behind global climate change and gain a
better understanding of how energy is currently produced and used. Additionally, students were
to realize the importance of affordable energy on wealth and well-being, explore actual data
behind the supply and demand of energy and future predictions, understand the existence and
explore possible causes of the discrepancy between scientific consensus and public opinion, and
ultimately form their own educated opinions about all of these topics.
The Greenhouse in a Beaker Lab (Appendix C) was slightly modified from a National
Energy Education Development Project (NEED) publication titled Exploring Climate Change.
Students were able to see the temperature difference the CO2 caused in the beaker as shown in
Figure 1. Sample student data are shown in Figure 2. The concept was then reinforced using a
University of Colorado Boulder simulation from the PhET website
(http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/greenhouse). Greenhouse gases other than CO2 were
explored. The simulation also allowed students to see the large scale effect on the planet by
observing the sun warming the earth and manipulating the greenhouse gas concentration and
cloud cover and observing the change in temperature at the surface.

17

Figure 1: Students performing Greenhouse in a Beaker Lab

Figure 2: Sample student data from Greenhouse in a Beaker Lab

18

To explore the consequences of the greenhouse effect on Earth, two episodes of Cosmos:
A Spacetime Odyssey were shown to students. They were provided handouts to use during the
videos (Appendix D) that were found at http://evolution.about.com/od/Cosmos-TeachingTools/fl/Cosmos-Episode-9-Viewing-Worksheet.htm. The episodes were paused to answer
questions and reinforce ideas. Episode nine from season one “The Lost World of Planet Earth”
explored the geological, and biological history of Earth and showed the impact on the
development of life on Earth caused by dramatic changes in climate in the past. The causes of
those changes in climate as well as the consequences were also explored. Students learned about
the carboniferous period and how and why fossil fuel reserves built up on Earth. In the episode
students saw how the scientific process works over time.
The greenhouse effect due to human activity was also explored in episode twelve of
season one “The World Set Free” which presents scientific evidence of humanity’s influence on
climate change. The existence of positive feedback loops were investigated and the possibility
of a runaway greenhouse effect was introduced. The episode also shows alternative forms of
energy introduced by entrepreneurs as early as the 19th century and how those forms were
ultimately abandoned as fossil fuels were abundant and affordable.
The Frontiers in Science sessions that inspired the work reported here also provided a lot
of useful information, primarily data, and graphs from those presenters (Appendix E) for
students to use in the discussion that followed. Some data were reinforcement of what students
learned in the Cosmos episodes, while some data presented material new to the students about
fossil fuel use, supply and the connection to human wealth and well-being.
At this point students were asked why there is so much debate on what to do, if we need
to do anything, or if there is a climate change and energy supply problem at all? As a class we
19

looked at four different articles taken from internet media sources to explore the problem. The
sources were all cited and accessed within a day or two of the activity. Two articles were chosen
from each position of global climate change/energy crisis. Students read the article and then we
evaluated the claims the writers were making and investigated any bias that might exist. The
activity was designed to show students how scientists are held accountable for their claims by
other scientists and how the process exposes incorrect or misleading conclusions and arguments.
However, journalists are held accountable for claims they make only by their employers and
ultimately the readers. The activity had students consider how scientific facts can be accurate in
an article, but used or spun in certain ways. For example, in one of the articles a claim was made
that “CO2 is not a significant greenhouse gas; 95% of the contribution is due to water vapor”
(Staff, 2014). It is accurate that water vapor is a large contributor to the greenhouse effect,
however, human activity is not causing an increase, unless you consider increased evaporation
rates caused by a rising global temperature.
The analysis encouraged students to be just as critical of unsupported and spun claims
made by authors with a pro climate change position. The objective of the activity was for
students to be more skeptical of what they read and also to illustrate how this can lead to such a
large disconnect in scientific and public opinion. Students were assigned homework (Climate
Change Articles Homework, Appendix F) where they were to find four articles on their own and
analyze them in the same ways.
The major activity in this unit was the engineering process adopted from NASA, which
includes eight steps (Figure 5 in Appendix G). A template was made (Appendix G) to provide
students with a guide to help them navigate the process. Each step was included on the template
along with bulleted notes about what each step includes and how students were to accomplish

20

each step. The template also included bolded check marks which are required items in their
engineering design write up.
The stage was set for the Exploring Wind Design Project (Appendix H) since students
had the necessary background information and motivations for learning about alternative
energies. To manage the group work in the engineering project, students were placed in groups
of three or four students chosen by the teacher based on their strengths and weaknesses. The
students became employees of an engineering firm. The teacher became the owner/general
manager of the firm. A fictitious company, The Michigan Energy Corporation, has hired the
firm to help them design wind turbines to implement wind power in the state. They were to use
the engineering process, and template provided, to design and build a wind turbine that meet
some basic criteria. The students were then given the task of assigning a specific role to each
person within the group. The roles were:
Scientist – in charge of all content knowledge related things
Project Manager – In charge of facilitating discussion and delegating tasks.
Held accountable for any and all off-task behavior.
Lead Engineer – In charge of design/construction and building related tasks.
Communication Manager (if four members in group) – Takes lead responsibility
for organizing/presenting information.
The project managers report directly to the teacher. If any off-task or unacceptable
behavior was observed, the project manager was held accountable. If any student was not
upholding their responsibilities in the group they could be fired by their group. Concerns must
first have been brought to the general manager (teacher), who then met with the individual. A
performance management plan was developed to correct the problem. If improvement did not

21

occur the student could be fired. Any student fired must either complete the entire project alone,
or reapply and interview for their old position.
The student engineering groups were given the Exploring Wind Design Project
handout (Appendix H). The project was developed by the researcher to meet the four
engineering standards of the NGSS (Appendix I). The students engaged in activities that had
them analyze a major global challenge, specify qualitative and quantitative criteria, design
solutions through engineering by breaking it down into small, manageable problem, evaluate the
solution based on prioritized criteria, and model the performance using physical models and
mathematical modeling. The project also addressed several required physics HSCE’s relating to
energy, electricity and the scientific process standards (Appendix J).
The students were provided with a benchmark blade template from the Exploring Wind
Teacher Guide available from NEED Project’s website (www.need.org/secondary). A basic tool
kit was assembled for each station and included: cardboard, ¼” dowel rods, small saws, heavy
wire cutters, duct tape, masking tape, packing tape, rulers, a blade pitch protractor and KidWind
turbine hub (purchased from www.verner.com), utility knife, scissors, hotglue gun, pennies and a
balance to use in construction of their blades.
The students were instructed to work up to step three (Brainstorming/Ideation) of the
engineering template. As students worked through the engineering process they were
documenting their work in the Exploring Wind Design Project handout. As they got to step three
they received the Wind Turbine Blade Investigations handout (Appendix K). The investigations
were modified from the NEED Project’s Exploring Wind Student Guide. Students used the
provided materials to complete five controlled experiments to research the variables that affect
the performance of their turbine blades. The investigations were to explore: blade pitch, number

22

of blades, surface area of blades, and mass of blades. Students also calculated power from wind
using a wind-speed meter which allowed an efficiency calculation by comparing the electrical
power produced by their blades. Additionally, the students did research on how concepts of
torque, drag, and Bernoulli’s principle affect blade design from pages 14-17 of NEED Project’s
student guide. For each experiment, students formed hypotheses, choose how to test the
variable, took data, constructed graphs, and formed conclusions. The optimum blades from their
investigation then became the control for the next investigation.

Figure 3: Model turbine and blade
testing station
Three testing stations for the investigations were setup using a model turbine constructed
from PVC pipe and electric motor inserted into the end, and a standard box fan as shown in

23

Figure 3. Students were able to press-fit their hub and blade assembly to the motor’s shaft and
take voltage measurements to measure the performance of their blades using a multi-meter.
Students worked through steps 3-5 of the design process where they brainstormed ideas
to construct their own blades, provided sketches of top 3 or 4 options and listed the pros and cons
of each design. Students completed a decision matrix (sample found in Engineering Design
Template, Appendix G) where they broke down the design into the top 3-5 constraints and
assigned a number to each design representing how well it would meet that constraint. The
highest scoring design from their matrix became the plan for their first prototype.
To support the next phase of the project students were given notes in a lecture format on
energy and electrical power and example calculations were done in class. Students were
assigned related homework (Energy and Power Practice Appendix L). Once the prototype
blades were constructed by students they measured the voltage produced by blades alone, the
voltage and current when the leads were connected to a 10 Ohm resistor, and were able to
calculate the electrical power produced by their blades. They were also able to do efficiency
calculations by comparing the power of the wind at the controlled distance and fan setting (from
investigations) to the electrical power their blades produce. The students documented the
performance in step seven of the handout and noted any changes they would like to make to
refine their design. The final step of the blade construction for students to refine their prototype
and test the performance of their final product in the same way.
The next phase of the project was designed to further the engineering process of
communicating results. The remaining engineering standards of the NGSS were also addressed
including: accounting for societal needs and wants in their design, cost analysis, accounting for

24

social, cultural, and environmental impacts, and using computer simulations to model the impact
of proposed solutions.
Students were provided with the Communicate Results handout (Appendix M). The
students were given the task of preparing a presentation to the fictitious energy company of the
design process and final product. Their presentation needed to include mathematical modeling
of the full-scale performance of their turbine blades. The scenario was taken a step further by
telling students that the federal government was willing to subsidize a 9.3 billion dollar loan to
the company with the best plan to implement wind power in their state. The number was chosen
because it represents only 10% of the reported profits from the top five oil companies from 2013
(Peterson, 2014). The student teams were given the task of designing wind farms in Michigan
using the subsidized loan. The students were also to account for a wide range of societal needs
and wants. In summary, there were three main aspects of the student presentations
(mathematical modeling of full-scale blade design, computer modeling of wind farm
performance in Michigan, and the siting a wind farm activity accounting for societal needs and
wants).
The Siting a Wind Farm activity adapted from NEED was completed by groups in the
classroom using student provided laptops. The students were given various roles to explore with
a short description of aspects of a wind farm they might be concerned with. The roles included:
developer, investor, farmer/rancher, neighbor/consumer, environmentalist, and others (Appendix
M). Students were given some useful websites to read about the general pros and cons of wind
power and encouraged to come up with their own as well.
The implementation of the wind farm design portion of the presentation also required use
of a computer lab. Students were provided with a help sheet with required websites to use for
25

the design process. Students used the energy mapping system found on the Energy Information
Act (EIA) website (http://www.eia.gov/state/maps.cfm?src=home-f3). This system provided
information on energy related resources for the entire country. The students selected the
Michigan map and removed all filters except for wind power plants and on-shore/off-shore wind
potential. The map provided locations of wind turbines currently in use and even allowed
students to click on a turbine and acquire relevant information about that specific turbine.
Students were given the task of finding areas in Michigan where the wind-speed potential was
high enough to make building a wind farm economically feasible. Additional parameters were a
location where wind power was not in use, and where the construction of a new farm would be
the least restrictive to the societal needs and concerns explored in the Siting a Wind Farm
activity.
The students were provided with a Wind Farm Calculator spreadsheet (Appendix N) to
model the cost and environmental impact of constructing a wind farm. The spreadsheet was
developed by this researcher to give students an opportunity to look up authentic information
with provided links, regarding Michigan energy use and the costs involved in building and
maintaining a wind farm. Students also perform complex cost analysis of building multiple
turbines. The formulas built into the spreadsheet allowed students to model the performance
without the advanced math skills required to come with the calculations on their own.
Upon completion of the three main aspects of the Communicate Results (Appendix M)
activity (mathematical modeling of full-scale performance, siting a wind farm activity, and
designing a wind farm using computer modeling), the students were given one week to finish
their presentations.

26

During the week students were completing their presentations outside of class time, the
energy unit continued with an exploration of solar power. Students were given notes and
demonstrations of Ohm’s law in class and completed Ohm’s Law Homework (Appendix O).
Series and parallel circuits and their effect on current and voltage within a circuit were also
covered in class. The students then completed the Exploring Solar Power activity (Appendix P)
where they used small photovoltaic cell arrays to investigate how wiring the array in series and
parallel affects the output of the array. The exploring solar power activity was also modified
from the NEED Project’s Photovoltaics Student Guide available from their website
(www.need.org). Upon completion of the lab activity, the students completed the Wiring Solar
Panels worksheet (Appendix Q) for homework.
The original plan by the researcher was to include an additional exploration of
hydroelectric power. The hydroelectricity project was similarly setup to the wind project.
Students were to complete investigations of hydropower by building a turbine out of 2 gallon
water jugs and designing rotor blades that fit inside. Students were to test their blades, measure
the potential energy of an elevated water source, measure the power of the flowing water from
the elevated source, and investigate electromagnetic induction by experimenting with magnetic
fields produced by coils of wire. The students were to make their generators from scratch using
wire and magnets to use with their turbine and follow the same engineering template designed
for the wind power project. The presentation aspect of this project was also similar to that of the
wind turbine project. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, time ran out for the semester and
the hydroelectricity project had to be sacrificed.

27

Assessments
There were numerous objectives of this unit. The objectives can be grouped into 4
categories: climate, engineering, energy, and electricity. A separate assessment was developed
for each of the main objectives to measure how well the unit addressed each of them. Students
were given pre-assessments for use as comparisons before the unit began. The same test was
then given after the students had completed the material designed to address that objective.
Some of the post-assessments were given during the unit for that reason rather than
administering them all at the end of the study.
Climate Change Survey (Appendix R)
This assessment addressed the goal of the researcher to improve students’ scientific
knowledge and to inspire passionate young people who are educated about the issues
surrounding global climate change. The assessment contained survey questions that had students
rate their belief regarding a certain statement from a 1-5 scale with 1 being strongly disagree, and
5 being strongly agree. There was also an “I don’t know” option given to students if they felt
they didn’t have the necessary knowledge to take a position on the statement. Many of the
questions involved common misconceptions or positions about the issues that are seen in articles
and news programs. The survey also asked students to rate how much they trust information
about climate change from different sources. If the unit was successful as intended by the
researcher, there should be a shift toward agreement for the scientifically supported statements,
and a shift toward disagreement of the common misconceptions or scientifically inaccurate
statements. There should also be evidence of higher motivations in doing something about the
problem. The last question on the survey was to see if students get the big idea of how they

28

affect climate change by simple choices they make in their daily lives. The survey was given as
a post-assessment at the beginning of the wind power project.
Energy Pre/Post Test (Appendix S)
The energy assessment consisted of 7 short answer and 7 survey questions. The short
answer questions were designed to see how well the unit addressed energy concepts required by
the Michigan standards (HSCE’s). Students should know the forms of energy, conservation of
energy, where energy comes from, how to draw transformation diagrams, and define efficiency.
If the unit was successful the assessments should also show students making mature connections
between quality of life and affordable energy. Students should be able to list multiple reasons
why it is important to develop alternative energy sources. The survey questions asked students
about their agreement of statements about fossil fuels and alternative energies. Questions also
measured students’ agreement with statements relating to the supply of fossil fuels, if alternative
energies are feasible replacements, should we pursue them now, and their motivation for looking
at articles or new stories about energy.
Engineering Design Pre-Assessment/Post Assessment (Appendix T)
The engineering design pre assessment asked students about what scientists and
engineers do to see if they can distinguish between them. It also measured their opinion about
their knowledge of the engineering process and what an engineer does, whether they are
interested in engineering and if they feel engineers are important to the future of society. The
post assessment asked the same questions but also measured how effective the unit was at
implementing the four NGSS Engineering Design Standards (Appendix I). Students should be
able to describe where in the unit they engaged in the practices contained within the standards.

29

Electricity Assessment (Appendix U)
The electricity assessment was given to students to measure how well they learned the
electricity science content while engaging in the engineering projects and supporting classwork.
The assessment asked them to respond with what they know about current, resistance, voltage,
Ohm’s law, power, energy, and a basic analysis of series and parallel circuits. This assessment
indicated whether the unit was successful at teaching students the science content required by the
HSCE’s. A question about alternating and direct current was not applicable since it was
addressed during the hydropower project that was omitted.

30

Results
The Climate Change Survey results are shown in Tables 2 through 5. The analysis
showed averages of student responses (n=34). For statistical analysis, averages on all
assessments were compared using a paired, single tailed t-test. The results were considered
statistically significant if the p-value was less than 0.05. The survey showed a shift in class
averages for each response to the survey questions. For the survey, the responses are a spectrum
that show agreement with each statement. A response of 1 indicates strong disagreement, and a
response of 5 indicates strong agreement with the statement. A response of 3 indicates that the
student neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement. The students were also given the option
of choosing “I don’t know”. They were instructed to use this option if felt they had no basis to
answer the question or didn’t understand it. During the pre-test, of all student responses, 79
questions were answered with “I don’t know”. During the post-test, only 28 questions were
answered with “I don’t know”. The results shaded dark grey showed no significant change based
on statistical analysis and will be discussed in the discussion section.
Table 2: Class averages of student responses on Climate Change Survey.

Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value
Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value
Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value

Q1
3.565
4.452
0.001
Q8
3.042
2.500
0.112
Q15
3.656
4.242
0.002

Q2
4.452
4.706
0.042
Q9
3.857
4.161
0.074
Q16
3.000
3.676
0.000

Q3
2.000
1.758
0.043
Q10
4.040
4.313
0.198
Q17
2.765
2.424
0.108

31

Q4
3.969
4.455
0.023
Q11
2.379
2.147
0.201
Q18
3.323
4.212
0.001

Q5
2.375
1.912
0.022
Q12
3.100
1.933
0.000
Q20
0.324
1.227
0.000

Q6
4.241
4.485
0.044
Q13
3.483
4.242
0.001

Q7
2.571
1.906
0.038
Q14
2.667
3.176
0.023

The results showed a significant shift toward strong agreement with statements that show
an increase in knowledge of the science content involved with global climate change. The
results showed a significant shift toward strong disagreements with many statements that indicate
common misconceptions about climate change. To more clearly display the data and summarize
the results, Tables 3 and 4 show the statements to which the student average shifted toward
strong agreement and disagreement respectively.
Table 3: Statements with significant shift toward strong agreement

Question #
1
2
4
6
14
15
16
18

Significant shift toward strong agreement from Climate Change Survey
Statement
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere prevent some of the sun’s energy from
radiating into space.
Burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other gases into the
atmosphere.
The Earth goes through natural cycles of heating and cooling over the course of
millions of years.
Assuming global warming/climate change is happening, it is very likely affected
by humans.
If I come across information about climate change I tend to look at it.
Decisions and actions I make every day can contribute to climate change.
I feel a moral duty to do something about climate change.
I feel I am educated enough to form my own opinion about global climate change.

Table 4: Statements with significant shift toward strong disagreement
Significant shift toward strong disagreement from Climate Change Survey
Question
#
3
5
7
12

Statement
The Earth’s atmosphere is large enough where human activity cannot possibly cause
a significant change.
I am unsure if global warming/climate change is happening.
The evidence for climate change is unreliable.
The last winter was one of the coldest on record. This is evidence against global
warming/climate change.

32

Table 5 shows averages in the level of trust that students put in information about climate
change coming from various sources (n=34). The results showed a significant increase in the
level of trust students would put in information coming from a scientist and a distrust in
information coming from the media. The results shaded dark grey showed no significant
difference based on statistical analysis. The data showed that students overall had in increase in
skepticism about climate change information from the media, and significantly more trust in
scientific data.
Table 5: Averages of student responses to Question 19 of Climate Change Survey.
Question 19
Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value
Question 19
Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value

Family/Friend
2.618
2.765
0.141
Energy
Supplier
2.303
2.290
0.369

Scientist
1.424
1.147
0.013
Environmental
Organization
1.576
1.765
0.064

Government
2.618
2.882
0.106
Media
3.118
3.471
0.010

Tables 6 & 7 contain the class average data for the Engineering Assessment (n=34). The
post-assessment includes five additional questions not found on the pre-assessment. Four of
these correspond to the engineering standards found in the NGSS and question 7 asked students
to identify science concepts used during engineering projects. Questions 3-5 became questions
8-10 on the posttest due to the insertion of the additional questions. The results shaded dark grey
showed no significant change based on statistical analysis and will be discussed in the discussion
section.

33

Table 6: Class average data for Engineering Pre/Post Assessments

Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value

Q1
0.54
0.74
0.19

Q2
0.22
0.71
1.06E-04

Q3/Q8
2.77
4.23
3.06E-06

Q4/Q9
2.97
3.23
0.17

Q5/Q10
4.30
4.97
2.64E-04

Table 7: Class average data for Engineering Post-Assessment

Class Average Score

Q3
1.74

Q4
1.71

Q5
1.65

Q6
1.94

Q7
1.16

The results of Q2 and Q3 showed a significant increase in the students’ knowledge of
what an engineer does, but no increase in the knowledge of what a scientists does. There was an
increase in students’ agreement that they would consider engineering as a major in college but it
was not statistically significant. Question 5 shows a very strong agreement in students feeling of
the importance of engineering and the benefit to society that engineers provide. Questions 3-6
show that students were able to articulate how they performed each of the four engineering
performance tasks from the NGSS within the unit. Question 7 shows that students were able to
connect at least some of the science content learned in the physics course to the engineering
projects.
The results of the Energy Assessment are shown in Table 8 (n=34). The assessment
measured the students’ improvement in the energy related HSCE’s (Appendix J), as well as their
knowledge of alternative energies, and their understanding of the current methods of energy use
and the consequences of continued use. The results shaded dark grey showed no significant
change based on statistical analysis and will be discussed in the discussion section.

34

Table 8: Class average data of Energy Assessment

Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value
Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value
Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value

Q1
0.088
1.656
6.00E-18
Q6
0.382
1.000
5.05E-05
Q11
3.720
4.375
9.29E-04

Q2
0.971
1.594
4.64E-05
Q7
0.294
0.969
2.43E-05
Q12
3.000
3.219
2.04E-02

Q3
0.853
1.625
4.41E-06
Q8
2.333
1.594
7.66E-03
Q13
3.963
4.531
1.56E-03

Q4
0.265
1.313
1.49E-07
Q9
2.654
2.567
2.91E-01
Q14
4.094
4.906
6.35E-05

Q5
0.500
1.625
2.32E-09
Q10
3.040
3.759
1.29E-02

The results show significant increase in all content knowledge questions (Q1-Q7).
Question 8 shows students shift toward strong disagreement that fossil fuels are abundant and
will not run out for a very long time. Questions 10-14 show a significant shift toward strong
agreement that advances made by scientists and engineers can find affordable solutions to the
dependence on fossil fuels, that work is essential to the advancement of mankind, and that we
need to develop alternative energies now before it is too late.
The results of the Electricity Assessment are shown in Table 9 (n=34). The assessment
measured students’ growth of the electricity content knowledge required in the HSCE’s
(Appendix J). The results show significant increases in students’ knowledge in all areas. The
scores also show students are proficient in their understanding of voltage, current, resistance,
Ohm’s law, series and parallel circuit calculations and wiring diagrams. The average score of
question 1d and question 6 shows students were not proficient in being able to identify Ohm’s
law as the relationship between voltage current and resistance, or their understanding the
difference between electrical power and energy.
35

Table 9: Class average data of Electricity Assessment

Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value
Pre-Test Average
Post-Test Average
P Value

Q1a
0.182
1.625
2.97E-13
Q3b
0.091
1.406
7.61E-09

Q1b
0.061
1.563
9.83E-13
Q6
0.030
0.581
9.73E-05

Q1c
0.364
1.563
2.59E-08
Q7a
0.061
1.774
3.86E-14

36

Q1d
0.061
0.844
3.81E-05
Q7b
0.000
1.839
3.66E-18

Q2
0.212
1.094
3.00E-06
Q7c
0.000
1.548
5.34E-12

Q3a
0.091
1.469
1.66E-09
Q7d
0.000
1.290
2.41E-11

Discussion
Discussion of Climate Change Results
The results of the Climate Change Survey (Appendix R) show that the developed unit
was successful at teaching students the science behind climate change and causing a shift in their
knowledge and opinions. Whether or not this will lead to a behavior change remains to be seen
and would be impossible to measure for this research. The unit did include education focused on
awareness, knowledge, skills, values, and opportunities for participation which McKeown and
Hopkins (2010) argue will bring about in-depth learning and behavior change. Furthermore, a
study by Paul C. Stern (2000) concluded that education which facilitates a moral approach that
appeals to values, and education to change attitudes and provide information, if carefully
executed, can change environmentally significant behavior. The results of the climate change
survey show an increase in motivation for my students to look at information regarding climate
change. Also the students agreed that they feel a moral duty to do something about climate
change. Students also agreed that: a) carbon dioxide levels are being released by the burning of
fossil fuels, b) greenhouse gases do prevent some of the sun’s energy from radiating into space,
c) climate change is happening and is likely influenced by humans, d) it should be a high priority
for government officials, and e) decisions they make every day affect climate change. Responses
to question 14 showed an increase in student motivation to look at information about climate
change if they come across it. Additional responses to question 18 showed a strong increase in
students’ feeling educated enough to form their own opinion about climate change. Question 13
also showed that students feel global warming should be a high priority for the president and
congress.

37

Responses to questions 8-11 on the Climate Change Survey (Appendix R) showed no
statistical change. This result showed that the instruction in the unit did not cause students to
disagree that a significant number of scientists have doubt about the evidence for climate change
or that the climate changes are so slow that humans don’t have to worry about it for hundreds of
years or longer. Student also did not shift toward agreement that experts are agreed that climate
change is a real problem. This result could be an indication of a deeply held belief by some
students that the data are false and that climate change may be a hoax that the instruction could
not overcome. It is also possible that student misread the problem or answered it too quickly.
The results show a large shift toward disagreement that a significant number of scientists have
doubts about the evidence, and a shift toward agreement that experts are agreed that it is a
problem, but it wasn’t statistically significant due to the large range of answers (1’s and 5’s). It
is possible students did not make the distinction between our analysis of information from
scientific sources, and the conflicting information from media sources. This could be addressed
during instruction by making clear distinctions between them.
Some of the strongest evidence toward the effectiveness of the unit was not captured by
the assessments. Multiple conversations occurred between the researcher and the students before
and after school. Students began having a lot of questions and even did research on some new
exciting things in alternative energies. There were students that chose alternative energy and
climate related themes for an activism project for another class. Multiple students have written
research papers about these topics in their English courses. A student returning from winter
break told a story about a “huge argument” they had with their grandfather over the holidays
about alternative energies. Although anecdotal in nature, this is perhaps the best indicator to the

38

researcher that the unit was successful at motivating students to do something about the energy
crisis and are thinking about the many facets of the problem outside of the classroom.
Discussion of Engineering Assessment Results
The results of the Engineering Design Pre and post Assessments (Appendix T) indicate
that the unit was highly successful at teaching the engineering process and thoroughly covering
the four engineering performance expectations from the NGSS. By implementing aspects of the
Learning by Design ® model (Brophy, 2008), the students were also able to link scientific
investigation and the knowledge gained to contribute to the engineering process. Questions 2
and 8 show students understanding of the engineering process and what an engineer does was
significantly improved. The results for Question 2, “What does an engineer do?” show an
average that is less than 1 on a 0-2 scale. The major reason for this was that students didn’t write
enough to meet the rubric’s description of a 2 response. Many students tended to write as little
as possible to answer the question.
The results of Question 10 show that the students almost unanimously strongly agree that
well-trained engineers are important and beneficial to society. Question 9 shows that the unit did
not significantly motivate students to consider engineering as a career or major in college. This
result supports the research by Li, McCoach, Swaminathan, & Tang (2008) which found that
students feel engineers are beneficial, but the program is difficult and the career is demanding.
In retrospect, the engineering assessment should have been designed to capture student reasons
why or why not to see if the conclusion the study Li, McCoach, Swaminathan, & Tang
determined of college students holds true for high school students. Another possibility is that the
experience motivated some to agree that they would consider engineering (the class average did
increase slightly) and others to disagree. The unit may have helped some students realize the
39

work of engineers is not suited for them, preventing them from pursuing engineering after high
school. The experience may have helped reduce the low degree completion rates found by
French, Immekus, & Oakes (2005). Upon analysis of the individual responses, most students
moved one point either toward agreement or disagreement from pre to post assessment.
The students enjoyed the project-based engineering component of the class. The unit
incorporated complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks as required
by the Buck Institution’s definition of PBL (Markham, Larmer, & Ravitz, 2003). The
authenticity of the project raised student motivation in class. One student included on the
assessment that, “The project made me feel like I was really part of the the class”. Responses
from other students showed that the students felt like real engineers and they were actually
solving real problems and contributing to society with their work.
Barron et al. (1998) showed that students learn more with “enhanced conditions” that
make the project authentic. The assigned engineering teams, student roles, and the structure of
the class (engineering firm) worked very well to increase the authenticity of the project. Many
students who typically were unmotivated and low-achieving in the standard classroom
environment became key contributors of their groups. At the beginning of the project, some
teams did not work well together. Many students felt they were only responsible for their job in
the group and did not have to contribute to the other areas of the project. As student
communication and delegation increased, the groups started working better as they understood
how their role compliments the work of others in the group. These results also support findings
in the literature about the benefits of peer-collaboration in PBL discussed in the introduction
(Kampen, 2004) (Lattimer & Riordin, 2011).

40

PBL and engineering projects take a great deal of time to accomplish. At times during
the unit the students felt very rushed to meet the deadlines for parts of the project. In the future,
more time will be allowed to complete the projects. The unit blended instruction into the project
so it is possible to start the project earlier in the unit. Students can begin the design process and
complete the wind investigations, then there could be several days that interrupt the project to
accomplish the other labs and activities of the unit. Setting a schedule of “work” days for the
project mixed with the other activities would give students more time to think about and plan
their design. This type of work could also be done outside of class. Spreading the project out
over more days would allow the students more time to complete the project while using the same
amount of class time for the unit.
Discussion of the Energy and Electricity Results
The results of Energy Pre/Post Test (Appendix S) and Electricity Assessment (Appendix
U) indicate that the unit was very successful at teaching the concepts of electricity and energy.
Interestingly, the results of question 10 showed students strongly agree that some forms of
alternatives are comparable in cost to fossil fuels. However, the results of Question 9 showed no
significant shift toward disagreement to the statement, “It is not feasible (too expensive) to stop
using fossil fuels in the near future.” These results seam to contradict one another. A possible
reason for this is that the instruction helped students realize the overwhelming dependence our
society has on fossil fuels and how difficult it is to shift that paradigm. This hypothesis is
strengthened by the almost unanimous strong agreement by students that it is important to
develop alternative energies now before it is too late (Question 14).

41

Final Analysis
In conclusion, this research indicated that it is possible to teach required content in a
physics course while incorporating the engineering standards of the NGSS. This research also
showed that instruction on the science of climate change and energy use/supply is not only
possible to accomplish in a physics course, but provides a complex, worldwide problem to be
solved through the engineering process and increases student motivation to participate in the
solution.
Improvements
The unit totaled 22 class periods of instruction in the course and covered 2 units worth of
material. This successfully met the two-week average per unit pace of the course. However,
during the process, the students felt rushed and there was a high level of anxiety to finish. The
quality of the final product suffered slightly from this time constraint. The engineering process
modeled in this unit from NASA and the National Research Council (2012), takes a great deal of
time to accomplish. The process required students to continuously test and improve their design.
This work will produce a better product from the students, but also required more time than a
science course can spare. There has to be limits. Spreading out a project over more days, as
discussed previously, while supporting it with instructional days, would help to alleviate the time
contraints. It is also possible to streamline the process used for some projects and not complete
every step of the process.
During the windfarm design project, the student prepared a publically presented product
as recommended by Larmer & Mergandoller (2010). Many groups did a fantastic job of
presenting their proposal to the class. To continue the authenticity that was achieved by the

42

other aspects of the project, it would be better to assemble a panel of adults (teachers,
administrators, etc) to serve as a panel to hear the presentations. The adults could be given roles
such as: energy corporation CEO, U.S. Senetor, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy,
etc. I feel the quality of the presentations would improve if the students knew they were not just
presenting to the class.
Another improvement to the engineering project would be set check-points that must be
signed off by the teacher before continuing to the next step of the design process. Students
struggled with steps 3-6 of the adopted design process (Appendix G). The students wanted to
build what they thought would work, or that they thought was “cool”. They did not want to
follow the design process to systematically choose the best option. Much of the student work on
those steps of the design template was superficial, and in many cases biased to favor the design
they wished to build rather than what their data indicated they should build.
The successes of the unit also lead to further questions about science education. Is it
possible to teach my entire physics course using project-based engineering projects with various
themes that would allow the exploration other physics content standards? Also, since PBL and
the projects themselves encourage interdisciplinary learning, could science be taught in a more
interdisciplinary way in the future? The adoption of the NGSS would allow for the content
standards to be reorganized in a different way. The currrently required HSCE’s of Michigan fall
into Biology, Chemistry and Physics courses. If the NGSS are adopted, courses could be
developed that incorporate comprehensive project-based learning allowing a broader exploration
of the sciences based on core concepts and the science and engineering practices.
Within the scope of an alternative energy theme, a course could have a more
interdisciplinary science approach. The theme worked well for a physics course, but there are
43

also energy related topics in biology, chemistry and Earth science as well. Biological standards
could be taught by including an exploration of microbial hydrogen production, or natural gas
production by anaeobic digestion as an alternative energy. Chemistry concepts could be covered
by including an exploration of the synthesis of biodiesel, an exploration of the stored energy of
hydrocarbons in fossil fuels, or an investigation of nuclear energy. Science educators would
have an opportunity, if and when the NGSS are adopted, to offer new courses to provide the state
required three credits of science that are more interdisciplinary in nature. The engineering
standards can also be taught by adopting the methods of PBL and carefully designing projects
that require exploration of a broad range of scientific content.

44

APPENDICIES

45

APPENDIX A:

Parent Consent Form

46

Parental Consent and Student Assent Form

Dear Students and Parents/Guardians:

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Physics I and invite you to participate in
a research project which I will conduct as part of this course. My name is Mr. Bryan Tasior. I
am your physics instructor and I am also a master’s degree student at Michigan State University.
Researchers are required to provide a consent form like this to inform you about the study, to
convey that participation is voluntary, to explain risks and benefits of participation, and to
empower you to make an informed decision. You should feel free to ask the researcher any
questions you may have.

What is the purpose of this research? I have been working on effective ways to teach the
topics of physics in a more meaningful way by incorporating more project-based learning and
engineering practices. These practices align with the Next Generation Science Standards which
are new benchmarks for science education. I plan to study the results of this teaching approach
on student comprehension and retention of material. The results of this research will contribute
to the understanding about the best way to teach about science topics. Completion of this
research project will also help me earn my master’s degree in Michigan State University’s
College of Natural Science.

What will students do? Students will participate in the usual instructional curriculum for
Physics I, but with added emphasis on applying the knowledge to projects and engineering tasks.
Students will complete all of the usual assignments, laboratory experiments and activities, class
demonstrations, and assessments just as they would do for any other unit of instruction.
Participation in this study will not increase or decrease the amount of work that students do. The
techniques and activities used in class are part of the science curriculum of the State of Michigan
and Stockbridge High School and are used in the classroom regardless of participation in the
study. I will simply make copies of student’s work for research purposes as part of the study.
This project will take place in the second quarter in the Fall semester 2014. I am asking for
permission from both students and parents/guardians (one parent/guardian is sufficient) to use
copies of student work for my research purposes.

What are the potential benefits? My reason for doing this research is to learn more about
improving the quality of science instruction and the skills and knowledge gained by students in
my classroom. I will not know about the effectiveness of my teaching methods until I analyze
my research results. If the results are positive, I can apply the same teaching methods to other
science topics taught in this course, and you will benefit by better learning and remembering of
47

course content. I will report the results in my master’s thesis so that other teachers and students
can benefit from my research.

What are the potential risks? There are no foreseeable risks associated with completing course
assignments, laboratory experiments and activities, class demonstrations, and pretest/posttests.
In fact, completing coursework will be very beneficial to students. I will store the consent forms
(where you say “yes” or “no”) in a locked cabinet that will not be opened until after I have
assigned the grades for the semester. That way I will not know who agrees to participate in the
research until after grades are issued. In the meantime, I will save all written work. Later I will
analyze the written work as my data for my research for students who have agreed to participate
in the study and whose parents/guardians have consented.

How will privacy and confidentiality be protected? Information about you will be protected
to the maximum extent allowable by law. Students’ names will not be reported in my master’s
thesis or in any other dissemination of the results of this research. Instead, the data will consist
of class averages and samples of student work that will not include names. After I analyze the
data to determine class averages and choose samples of student work for presentation in the
thesis, I will destroy the copies of students’ original assignments, tests, etc. The only people who
will have access to the data are me, my thesis committee at MSU, and the Institutional Review
Board and MSU. The data will be stored on password-protected computers (during the study)
and in locked file cabinets in Dr. Heidemann’s locked office at MSU (after the study) for at least
three years after the study.

What are your rights to participate, say no, or withdraw? Participation in this research is
completely voluntary. You have the right to say “no.” You may change your mind at any time
and withdraw. If either the student or parent/guardian request to withdraw, the student’s
information will not be used in this study. There are no penalties for saying “no” or choosing to
withdraw.

Who can you contact with questions and concerns? If you have questions or concerns about
this study, please do not hesitate to contact:

Mr. Bryan Tasior
Stockbridge High School
416 N. Clinton St.
Stockbridge, MI 49285
tasiorb@panthernet.net
(517) 851-7770 ext.6118

Dr. Merle Heidemann
118 North Kedzie Lab
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
heidma2@msu.edu
(517) 432-2152 ext. 107
48

If you have questions or concerns regarding your role as a research participant, would like to
obtain information or offer input, or would like to register a complaint about this study, you may
contact, anonymously if desired, MSU Human Research Protection Program at: irb@msu.edu

How should I submit this consent form? Please compete the attached form. Both the student
and parent/guardian must sign the form. Please return with your student a form indicating
interest either way. Please return this form in a sealed envelope to the drop-box in Room
118 by the announced date.

49

Parents/guardians should complete this following consent information:

I voluntarily agree to have ___________________________________________________
participate in this study.
(Student Name)
Please check the box that applies:
Data: (CHOOSE ONE)
__________ I give Bryan Tasior permission to use data generated from my child’s work in this
class for his thesis
project. All data shall remain confidential.
__________ I do not wish to have my child’s work used in this thesis project. I acknowledge
that my child’s work will be
graded in the same manner regardless of participation in this research.

Photography, audiotaping, or videotaping: (CHOOSE ONE)
__________ I give Bryan Tasior permission to use photos or videotapes of child in the class
room doing
work related to this thesis project. I understand that my child will not be
identified.
__________ I do not wish to have my child’s images used at any time during this thesis project.

_______________________________________________________________
__________________________
(Parent Signature)

(Date)

_______________________________________________________________
__________________________
(Student Signature)

(Date)

Important: Please return this form in the sealed envelope to the drop-box in Room 118 by
the announced date.

50

APPENDIX B:

Energy Transformation Lab

51

Energy Transformation Lab
Table 10: The 6 main forms of energy.
Type of Energy
Mechanical

Definition
Energy of motion

Thermal

Energy due to the internal
motion of particles. Change
in temperature/phases.
Energy that bonds atoms
together. Energy stores in
chemical bonds.
Electro-magnetic waves.

Chemical Potential

Electro-magnetic
Electric (a form of E.M.)
Nuclear

Energy in the form of moving
electric charges (current)
Energy in atomic nucleus.

Examples
Sound, Waterfall, wind,
moving objects.
Heat, rubbing hands together.

Gasoline, charcoal grill,
energy in food.
light, x-rays, radio waves.
(all of the E.M. spectrum)
Current in wires, lightning
Splitting an atom (fission,
nuclear power plant)
Fusing atoms into one atom
(fusion, energy in stars)

At each station you will find common items. These items have certain forms of energy
associated with them. These items transfer energy to different forms. At each station you will
be observing the forms of energy and describing how energy is transferred to a different form.
Try to think of every form of energy present and every energy transfer taking place. Write your
responses including descriptions, not just a list of the energy transfer. Then draw an energy
transformation diagram.
For example:
Item: The lights in the ceiling.
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
The lights on the ceiling are converting Electric energy in the form of electricity, to Thermal
energy in the form of heat and Electro-magnetic energy in the form of light.
Energy Transformation diagram:
Electric Energy  Electromagnetic Energy  Thermal Energy

52

Station #1
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:

Station #2
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:

53

Station #3
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:

Station #4
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:

54

Station #5
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:

Station #6
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:
Item: ________________________________
Describe forms of energy and energy transfer:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Energy Transformation diagram:

55

APPENDIX C:

Greenhouse in a Beaker Lab

56

Greenhouse in a Beaker Lab
Questions:



What effect does adding carbon dioxide to the air have on the air’s temperature during
the day and night?
Could having increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere cause change the climate?

Hypotheses


Write a hypothesis (prediction of result) of what will happen with CO2 added to the air
during the day (while sunlight is adding heat to the air).
H1:____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________
What results (data) would you expect to get to confirm your hypothesis?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________



Write a hypothesis (prediction of result) of what will happen with CO2 added to the air
during the night (no sunlight is adding additional heat to the air, only heat from daytime
cycle is present in air in the beaker).
H2:____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________
What results (data) would you expect to get to confirm your hypothesis?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________

57

Materials:













2 600 mL Beakers
1 250 mL Flask
1 Rubber stopper with hole
1 Vinyl tubing, 3/16” diameter, 60 cm long
1 Clip light
1 1000-1100 lumen bulb (equivalent to 75-watt incandescent)
1 Ruler
2 Probe thermometers
Small piece of masking tape
4 Alka-Seltzer tablets
Safety glasses
240 mL Water (room temperature)

Procedure:
Part 1—Day
1. Set up the light source 15 cm in front of the two beakers. The beakers should be receiving
equal light.
2. Insert the tubing through the hole in the 250 mL flask. Place the other end of the hose near the
bottom of one of the beakers. Secure the tubing inside the beaker with a small piece of masking
tape.
3. Add 120 mL of water to the flask.
4. Turn on the clip light. Wait for the temperature in each beaker to stabilize. The temperatures in
the beakers should be similar, but they do not have to be exactly the same.
5. Record the stable temperature of each beaker in the data table.
6. Break two Alka-Seltzer tablets in half and drop the pieces into the flask. Secure the rubber
stopper.
7. Record the temperature of each beaker every 30 seconds for three minutes.
Part 2—Night
1. After you have data to model temperatures during the day, empty out your beakers and flask.
Refill the flask with 120 mL water. Resecure the tubing inside one of the beakers.
2. Turn on the clip light. Wait for the temperature to stabilize. The temperatures in the beakers
should be similar, but they do not have to be exactly the same.
3. Record the stable temperature of each beaker in the data table.
4. Break two more Alka-Seltzer tablets in half and drop the pieces into the flask. Secure the
rubber stopper.
5. Turn off the light.
6. Record the temperature of each beaker every 30 seconds for three minutes.

58

Data:
Table 11: Simulated day-time data
Beaker 1 (Without CO2)

Beaker 2 (With CO2)

Beginning Temperature
30 s
1 minute
1 min 30 sec
2 minutes
2 min 30 sec
3 min
Table 12: Simulated night-time data
Beaker 1 (Without CO2)
Beginning Temperature
30 s
1 minute
1 min 30 sec
2 minutes
2 min 30 sec
3 min
Graph: Create a graph showing both day and night Data

59

Beaker 2 (With CO2)

Conclusion
Do you accept or reject your hypotheses? What were the results of your experiment? Use data
to explain what happened.

Why do you think this happened?

How does this experiment relate to climate change on the Earth?

What were some aspects of the result that were surprising to you? (Unexpected results,
surprising results, etc.)

What are new questions that have you have after completing this lab?

Are there any further experiments that could be done to study this further?

60

APPENDIX D:

Cosmos Episode Student Handouts

61

Directions: Answer the questions as you watch episode 12 of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

1. What planet is Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about when he says it used to be paradise?

2. How hot is the surface of Venus?

3. What are the clouds that block the Sun on Venus made of?

4. Which country landed a probe on Venus in 1982?

5. What is the difference in the way carbon is stored on Venus and on Earth?

6. What living thing created the White Cliffs of Dover?

7. What would Venus have needed in order to store carbon in the form of a mineral?

8. What on Earth primarily controls the amount of carbon dioxide in the air?

9. What did Charles David Keeling manage to do in 1958?

10. How can scientists read the “diary” of the Earth written in the snow?

62

11. What major event in history is the starting point of the exponential rise of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere?

12. How much carbon dioxide do volcanoes add to the atmosphere on Earth every year?

13. How did scientists conclude the extra carbon dioxide in the air contributing to climate change
was not made from volcanoes, but instead comes from burning fossil fuels?

14. How much extra carbon dioxide are humans putting into the atmosphere every year by
burning fossil fuels?

15. How much additional carbon dioxide has been spewed into the atmosphere since Carl Sagan
first warned about doing so in the original “Cosmos” television series in 1980?

16. What do Neil deGrasse Tyson and his dog walking on the beach symbolize?

17. How are the polar ice caps an example of a positive feedback loop?

18. At what rate are the Arctic Ocean ice caps receding now?

19. How is the permafrost near the North Pole melting increasing carbon dioxide levels?

20. What are two ways we know that the Sun is not the cause of the current global warming
trend?
63

21. What amazing invention did Augustin Mouchot first display in France in 1878?

22. Why was there no interest in Augustin Mouchot’s invention after he won the gold medal at
the fair?

23. Why did Frank Shuman’s dream of irrigating the desert in Egypt never come to be?

24. How much of the wind’s power would have to be tapped in order to run all of civilization?

25. The manned missions to the moon were a direct result of what period in the United States’
history?

26. Who were the first group of people to stop wandering and begin civilization by using
agriculture?

64

Directions: Answer the questions as you watch episode 9 of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.

1. On what day of the “cosmic calendar” is 350 million years ago?

2. Why could insects grow to be so much larger 350 million years ago than they can today?

3. How do insects take in oxygen?

4. How big was most vegetation on land before trees evolved?

5. What happened to the trees in the Carboniferous Period after they died?

6. Where were the eruptions centered during the mass extinction in the Permian Period?

7. What had the buried trees in the Carboniferous Period turned into and why was this bad during
the time of the eruptions in the Permian Period?

8. What is another name for the Permian mass extinction event?

9. New England was a neighbor to which geographical area 220 million years ago?

10. The lakes that broke apart the great supercontinent turned into what eventually?

65

11. What did Abraham Ortelius say ripped America away from Europe and Africa?

12. How did most scientists in the early 1900s explain that certain dinosaur fossils were found in
both Africa and South America?

13. How did Alfred Wegener explain why there were the same mountains on opposite sides of
the Atlantic Ocean?

14. What happened to Alfred Wegener the day after his 50th birthday?

15. What did Marie Tharp discover in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean after drawing a map of
the ocean floor?

16. How much of the Earth lies beneath 1000 feet of water?

17. What is the longest submarine mountain range in the world?

18. What is the name of the deepest canyon on Earth and how deep is it?

19. How do species get light at the bottom of the ocean?

20. What is the process bacteria use in the trenches in order to make food when sunlight doesn’t
reach that far?

66

21. What created the Hawaiian Islands millions of years ago?

22. What is the core of the Earth made of?

23. What two things keeps the mantle a molten liquid?

24. How long were dinosaurs on the Earth?

25. What did Neil deGrasse Tyson say the temperature of the Mediterranean basin was hot
enough to do when it was still a desert?

26. How did tectonic forces bring North and South America together?

27. What two adaptations did early human ancestors develop in order to swing from trees and to
travel short distances?

28. Why were human ancestors forced to adapt to living and traveling on the ground?

29. What caused the Earth to tilt on in axis?

30. How did the human ancestors get to North America?

31. How long is the current intermission in the Ice Age projected to last?

67

APPENDIX E:

Frontiers in Science Presentations

68

Frontiers in Science Presentations
Information and data obtained at these sessions were used in the classroom during the Energy
Unit reported in this study.

“Celluosic Biofuels”
Presented by Bruce Dale: October 20, 2012

“Why Do We Not Get our Energy from the Sun and How Can we change that”
Presented by Richard Lunt: December 15, 2012

“The Future of Power”
Presented by Wolfgang Bauer: December 7, 2013

69

APPENDIX F:

Climate Change Articles Homework

70

Climate Change Articles Homework
Find 4 articles online about global climate change. You may need to do a little research about
the source to answer the questions.
1. Title: __________________________________________________________________
Source: (name of publication, organization, etc.): _____________________________________
Major arguments for or against Climate Change:

What bias could be present in the article (intended audience of article, or motives of the
author)? Explain.

What are your thoughts about the scientific accuracy of the article?

2. Title: __________________________________________________________________
Source: (name of publication, organization, etc.): _____________________________________
Major arguments for or against Climate Change:

What bias could be present in the article (intended audience of article, or motives of the
author)? Explain.

What are your thoughts about the scientific accuracy of the article?

71

3. Title: __________________________________________________________________
Source: (name of publication, organization, etc.): _____________________________________
Major arguments for or against Climate Change:

What bias could be present in the article (intended audience of article, or motives of the
author)? Explain.

What are your thoughts about the scientific accuracy of the article?

4. Title: __________________________________________________________________
Source: (name of publication, organization, _________________________________________
Major arguments for or against Climate Change:

What bias could be present in the article (intended audience of article, or motives of the
author)? Explain.

What are your thoughts about the scientific accuracy of the article?

72

APPENDIX G:

Engineering Design Template

73

Engineering Design

Design  Evaluate  Refine

Figure 4: NASA Engineering Design Template.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/plantgrowth/reference/Eng_Design_512.html#.U6l_efm-2Fw

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STEP 1: Identify the Problem - Students should state the challenge problem in their own
words. Example: How can I design a __________ that will __________?






Who is the client?
What is the project?
Who are the designers?
What is the problem statement?
What is the design statement?

STEP 2: Identify Criteria and Constraints - Students should specify the design requirements
(criteria).
 What are the constraints? (Materials, time, size, assembly, safety, cost,
performance, etc.)

STEP 3A: Gather Information - Research any possible information that might be needed for
project.
STEP 3B: Ideation/Brainstorm Possible Solutions - Each student in the group should
formulate/sketch his or her own ideas as the group discusses ways to solve the problem. Labels
and arrows should be included to identify parts and how they might move. These drawings
should be quick and brief.





Defer Judgment
Go for Volume
Build on the ideas of others, encourage wild ideas
One conversation at a time, stay on topic

STEP 4: Generate Ideas - In this step, each student/group should develop two or three ideas
more thoroughly.
 Incorporate the best ideas into 3-4 different sketches of the final product.
 Sketches can include writing and labels identifying important aspects
 Think about constraints

75

STEP 5: Explore Possibilities - The developed ideas should be shared and discussed among the
team members.
 Record pros and cons of each design. Can be done on sketches.

STEP 6: Select an Approach - Students should work in teams and identify the design that
appears to solve the problem the best. Students should have a statement that describes why they
chose the solution. This should include some reference to the criteria and constraints identified
above.
 Create a decision matrix based on criteria and constraints
 Prioritize constraints, which ones are more important?
 Try to eliminate bias. Pursue the best choice, not the one you WANT to build for
any other reasons (it’s cool etc.)

Figure 5: Example decision matrix. Criteria will vary based on
the project.

STEP 7: Build a Model or Prototype - Students will construct a full-size or scale model based
on their drawings.
 Try out the prototype, or have peers critique.
 Document performance of prototype(s). Could be data and/or descriptive.
 Identify what changes could be made to improve performance

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STEP 8: Refine the Design - Students will examine and evaluate their prototypes or designs
based on the criteria and constraints. Groups may enlist students from other groups to review the
solution and help identify changes that need to be made. Based on criteria and constraints, teams
must identify any problems and proposed solutions.






Test, Rebuild, Refine
Incorporate new ideas into a new design.
The design process lasts as long as the product is on the market.
Document performance of new prototype(s). Could be data or descriptive.
Document whether or not the changes were successful and propose any
addition modifications that would improve your design.

Final Product: The final product may vary depending on the nature of the project
Documentation of the engineering process is important and should be done as students work
through the process. All Required aspects for the documentation are listed in bold with a 
to indicate they are required in the write-up. This handout can be used as a template to write
up the engineering process and will be graded on required elements.

Table 13: Engineering Design Template Rubric
CATEGORY

2

1

0

Step 1: Identify the Problem is clearly
problem
defined with all
required items from the
checklist

Problem is reasonably
defined with most of the
required items from the
checklist.

Problem is poorly
defined with inadequate
inclusion of required
items from the checklist

Step 2: Identify
criteria and
constraints

Criteria are present with
Criteria are inadequate,
relevance to project. Some missing or not relevant.
major criteria may be
missing.

Multiple criteria are
well defined and are
relevant to the project.
All relevant criteria are
present.

Step 3A: Research Research is included
that affect the major
aspects of design.
Research provides
background
information necessary
to be successful.

Research is present but does Research is inadequate
or missing.
not directly affect the
design. Information is only
vaguely connected to design
performance.

77

Table 13: (con’t)
Step 3B:
Brainstorm

Multiple ideas are
explored in detail.

Few ideas are explored. OR Insufficient
Ideas are not well thought exploration of design
out and presented.
ideas. Few or poorly
presented ideas.

Step 4: Generate
ideas

Top choices chosen are
reasonable and
probable to be best
choices. Choices are
fully developed
including labeled
diagrams. Professional
appearance.

Incomplete or poorly
labeled diagrams, top
choices are not all explored
fully or too much emphasis
on one. Acceptable
appearance.

Step 5: Explore
Possibilities

Professional
appearance and fully
developed list of pros
and cons that are
relevant and
meaningful.

Acceptable appearance OR Incomplete
pros and cons are present
but only trivial.

Step 6: Select and Neatly presented
Approach
decision matrix with
well-chosen criteria
and constraints
weighted properly
leading to the best
choice.

Decision matrix is present.
Criteria may be only
partially relevant and values
used are arbitrarily chosen
and do not make the matrix
as useful to choose.

Only one choice is
explored ignoring
other options. Missing
diagrams or
inadequate
appearance.

Matrix may be absent
are poorly completed
making it unusable to
choose best option.

Step 7: Build a
Well-constructed
Complete prototype. Tested Poor or incomplete
model or prototype prototype. Tested with with measurements.
prototype. Major
valuable and accurate Mathematical models
flaws in measurement
measurements. Proper (calculations) used but may or mathematical
mathematical models have errors or not measure models.
(calculations) correctly most important data.
used accurately
document performance.

78

Table 13: (con’t)
First prototype is evaluated Refinements not made.
and a refinement is
proposed to increase
performance but may be just
a guess. OR Tested
improperly (as in last
section)

Step 8: Refine the
design

First prototype is
evaluated and a
meaningful refinement
is proposed to increase
performance. Tested
properly (as in last
section)

Final:
Communicate
results

Presentation of project Presentation of project is
is complete,
complete, and meets most
professional, and meets requirements given.
all additional
requirements given for
the presentation.

79

Presentation of project
is incomplete, or
meets few of the
requirements given.

APPENDIX H:

Exploring Wind Design Project

80

Exploring Wind Design Project

Introduction: Michigan Energy Corporation is looking for alternatives to their coal-fired power
plants to produce electricity. Growing energy needs of residential, commercial and industrial
consumers as well as growing concerns over human activity (burning fossil fuels) causing
changes in climate and environmental quality have led to the energy company needing to find
low emission, renewable resources. The cost of fossil fuels is increasing as the supply becomes
more limited and the demand increases. The need for renewable resources that are cost efficient
(comparable to costs associated with fossil fuels) has become vital to avoid falling into energy
poverty that would significantly decrease our standard of living.
One of the renewable resources they are investigating for use is wind power. They have
contacted your engineering firm and asked you to design wind turbine blades that produce the
most power. Your team has been given __________ days to come up with the most successful
design to be presented to them. Your design must be safe to operate, be made from inexpensive
and readily available materials, be easy to produce in mass quantities, be able to fit on a
generator tower that requires your blades to be no longer than 40cm (measured from center of
hub to tip of blade), in order to have clearance on the tower, produce the highest voltage reading
possible and have the highest efficiency rating. Your blades can have any design and materials
choices you wish within the given constraints. Several other engineering firms are concurrently
working on this project. The winning design will be selected to design wind farms containing
your turbines. (Will you get the job?)

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(Design Project Team Name)

Client:
______________________________________________________________________________
_

Project:_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________

Designers:

___________________________

______________________________

___________________________

______________________________

___________________________

______________________________

Problem Statement:
______________________________________________________________________________
_______
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________

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Design Statement:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
2. Constraints:

3. Ideation/Brainstorming:
3A: Research. Complete the Wind Investigations before continuing.
Briefly summarize the important design aspects of your blade

3B: Brainstorm

Additional sheets may be attached if necessary

83

4 &5. Top 3-4 Design Options (labeled sketches) with Pro’s and Con’s listed

Additional sheets may be attached if necessary

84

6. Select an Approach: Create and complete a decision matrix below

7. Build Prototype and Test
Read page 18 of student guide. SHOW ALL WORK including equations when
necessary.
Calculate power of the wind at the .5 m distance on low and high

Low speed voltage: ___________________
Low speed voltage with resistor connected: _____________________
Low speed current with resistor connected: _____________________
Low speed electrical power produced by turbine:

High speed voltage: __________________
High speed voltage with resistor connected: ____________________
High speed current with resistor connected: ____________________

High speed electrical power produced by turbine:

Efficiency of turbine at high wind speed:

85

Describe any performance aspects not captured by the data (blades bent, broken,
etc.)

Describe changes you can make to refine the design and why those are necessary.

8. Refine the Design
Low speed voltage: ___________________
Low speed voltage with resistor connected: _____________________
Low speed current with resistor connected: _____________________
Low speed electrical power produced by turbine:

High speed voltage: __________________
High speed voltage with resistor connected: ____________________
High speed current with resistor connected: ____________________
High speed electrical power produced by turbine:

Describe any performance aspects not captured by the data (blades bent, broken,
etc.)

Describe if your changes made to the new prototype were successful. Are there any
future changes that could be made to further improve performance?

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Model the Performance of a single turbine
Include the following calculations in your presentation
Energy produced by best model blades in 1 day (Joules):

Energy produced by best model blades in 1 day (kWh):

Energy produced by best model blades in 1 year (Joules):

Energy produced by best model blades in 1 year (kWh):

Scaling your model: How powerful would your turbine be full-scale?
Area: The swept area of the full-scale blades will be much larger. The blades will be 50m long
from center to the end of the blade. The area is directly proportional to the power so an increase
in the area will cause the same increase in power production.
Area of model blades:_________________ Area of real blades:______________________
Real blades/model blades = _____________________

Area multiplier: ________x

Gears: The full scale blades will include a gear box with a 300:1 ratio. This means your
generator will spin 300 times for every 1 time the blades turn.
Gearbox
multiplier: _300__x
Efficiency: The full size generator is 35x more efficient at producing electricity from
mechanical work.
Efficiency multiplier:

35 x

Power of model turbine (high speed): ____________________
P = ____________ x ______________ x____300______ x ______35___ = ______________ W
Model power X Area multiplier X Gearbox multiplier X Efficiency multiplier = Full-Scale
Power

87

Full scale power in MW (megawatts): _______________________MW

Energy produced by real blades in 1 day (Joules):

Energy produced by real blades in 1 day (kWh):

Energy produced by real blades in 1 year (Joules):

Energy produced by real blades in 1 year (kWh):

The average US household uses 10,837 kwh of electricity per year. How many homes
could one of your blades supply power to?

88

APPENDIX I:

Next Generation Science Standards Engineering Performance Standards

89

NGSS Engineering Performance Standards:
Accessed at http://www.nextgenscience.org/msets1-engineering-design
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
MSETS1-1.

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to
ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and
potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible
solutions.

MSETS1-2.

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how
well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MSETS1-3.

Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several
design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into
a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

MSETS1-4.

Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed
object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

90

APPENDIX J

Michigan High School Content Expectations Covered in Energy Unit

91

Michigan Physics HSCE’s Covered in Energy Unit
Available From the Michigan Department of Education
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/Physics_HSCE__168208_7.pdf
P1.1 Scientific Inquiry: Science is a way of understanding nature. Scientific research may
begin by generating new scientific questions that can be answered through replicable scientific
investigations that are logically developed and conducted systematically. Scientific conclusions
and explanations result from careful analysis of empirical evidence and the use of logical
reasoning. Some questions in science are addressed through indirect rather than direct
observation, evaluating the consistency of new evidence with results predicted by models of
natural processes. Results from investigations are communicated in reports that are scrutinized
through a peer review process.
P1.1A Generate new questions that can be investigated in the laboratory or field.
P1.1B Evaluate the uncertainties or validity of scientific conclusions using an
understanding of sources of measurement error, the challenges of controlling variables,
accuracy of data analysis, logic of argument, logic of experimental design, and/or the
dependence on underlying assumptions.
P1.1C Conduct scientific investigations using appropriate tools and techniques (e.g.,
selecting an instrument that measures the desired quantity–length, volume, weight, time
interval, temperature–with the appropriate level of precision).
P1.1D Identify patterns in data and relate them to theoretical models.
P1.1E Describe a reason for a given conclusion using evidence from an investigation.
P1.1f Predict what would happen if the variables, methods, or timing of an investigation
were changed.
P1.1g Based on empirical evidence, explain and critique the reasoning used to draw a
scientific conclusion or explanation.
P1.1h Design and conduct a systematic scientific investigation that tests a hypothesis.
Draw conclusions from data presented in charts or tables.
P1.1i Distinguish between scientific explanations that are regarded as current scientific
consensus and the emerging questions that active researchers investigate.

P1.2 Scientific Reflection and Social Implications: The integrity of the scientific process
depends on scientists and citizens understanding and respecting the “Nature of Science.”
Openness to new ideas, skepticism, and honesty are attributes required for good scientific
practice. Scientists must use logical reasoning during investigation design, analysis, conclusion,
and communication. Science can produce critical insights on societal problems from a personal
and local scale to a global scale. Science both aids in the development of technology and
provides tools for assessing the costs, risks, and benefits of technological systems. Scientific
conclusions and arguments play a role in personal choice and public policy decisions. New

92

technology and scientific discoveries have had a major influence in shaping human history.
Science and technology continue to offer diverse and significant career opportunities.
P1.2A Critique whether or not specific questions can be answered through scientific
investigations.
P1.2B Identify and critique arguments about personal or societal issues based on
scientific evidence
P1.2C Develop an understanding of a scientific concept by accessing information from
multiple sources. Evaluate the scientific accuracy and significance of the information.
P1.2D Evaluate scientific explanations in a peer review process or discussion format.
P1.2E Evaluate the future career and occupational prospects of science fields.
P1.2f Critique solutions to problems, given criteria and scientific constraints.
P1.2g Identify scientific tradeoffs in design decisions and choose among alternative
solutions.
P1.2h Describe the distinctions between scientific theories, laws, hypotheses, and
observations.
P1.2i Explain the progression of ideas and explanations that lead to science theories that
are part of the current scientific consensus or core knowledge.
P1.2j Apply science principles or scientific data to anticipate effects of technological
design decisions.
P1.2k Analyze how science and society interact from a historical, political, economic, or
social perspective.

Standard P4: Forms of Energy and Energy Transformations: Energy is a useful conceptual
system for explaining how the universe works and accounting for changes in matter. Energy is
not a “thing.” Students develop several energy-related ideas: First, they keep track of energy
during transfers and transformations, and account for changes using energy conservation.
Second, they identify places where energy is apparently lost during a transformation process, but
is actually spread around to the environment as thermal energy and therefore not easily
recoverable. Third, they identify the means of energy transfers: collisions between particles, or
waves.
P4.1 Energy Transfer Moving objects and waves transfer energy from one location to
another. They also transfer energy to objects during interactions (e.g., sunlight transfers
energy to the ground when it warms the ground; sunlight also transfers energy from the
Sun to the Earth).
P4.1A Account for and represent energy into and out of systems using energy transfer
diagrams.

93

P4.1B Explain instances of energy transfer by waves and objects in everyday activities
(e.g., why the ground gets warm during the day, how you hear a distant sound, why it
hurts when you are hit by a baseball).
P4.2 Energy Transformation Energy is often transformed from one form to another. The
amount of energy before a transformation is equal to the amount of energy after the
transformation. In most energy transformations, some energy is converted to thermal
energy.
P4.2A Account for and represent energy transfer and transformation in complex
processes (interactions).
P4.2B Name devices that transform specific types of energy into other types (e.g., a
device that transforms electricity into motion).
P4.2C Explain how energy is conserved in common systems (e.g., light incident on a
transparent material, light incident on a leaf, mechanical energy in a collision).
P4.2D Explain why all the stored energy in gasoline does not transform to mechanical
energy of a vehicle.
P4.2e Explain the energy transformation as an object (e.g., skydiver) falls at a steady
velocity.
P4.2f Identify and label the energy inputs, transformations, and outputs using qualitative
or quantitative representations in simple technological systems (e.g., toaster, motor, hair
dryer) to show energy conservation

P4.10 Current Electricity: Circuits Current electricity is described as movement of charges. It
is a particularly useful form of energy because it can be easily transferred from place to place
and readily transformed by various devices into other forms of energy (e.g., light, heat, sound,
and motion). Electrical current (amperage) in a circuit is determined by the potential difference
(voltage) of the power source and the resistance of the loads in the circuit.
P4.10A Describe the energy transformations when electrical energy is produced and
transferred to homes and businesses.
P4.10B Identify common household devices that transform electrical energy to other
forms of energy, and describe the type of energy transformation.
P4.10C Given diagrams of many different possible connections of electric circuit
elements, identify complete circuits, open circuits, and short circuits and explain the
reasons for the classification.
P4.10D Discriminate between voltage, resistance, and current as they apply to an electric
circuit. P4.10x Current Electricity — Ohm’s Law, Work, and Power In circuits, the
relationship between electric current, I, electric potential difference, V, and resistance, R,
is quantified by V = I R (Ohm’s Law). Work is the amount of energy transferred during
an interaction. In electrical systems, work is done when charges are moved through the

94

circuit. Electric power is the amount of work done by an electric current in a unit of time,
which can be calculated using P = I V.
P4.10e Explain energy transfer in a circuit, using an electrical charge model.
P4.10f Calculate the amount of work done when a charge moves through a potential
difference, V.
P4.10g Compare the currents, voltages, and power in parallel and series circuits.
P4.10h Explain how circuit breakers and fuses protect household appliances.
P4.10i Compare the energy used in one day by common household appliances (e.g.,
refrigerator, lamps, hair dryer, toaster, televisions, music players).
P4.10j Explain the difference between electric power and electric energy as used in bills
from an electric company.

95

APPENDIX K:

Wind Turbine Blade Investigations

96

1. Exploring Blade Pitch
Question: How does the blade’s pitch (angle) affect the electrical output?
Hypothesis/Prediction: (if…then…because)

Independent Variable (manipulated):
Dependent Variable (responding):
Controlled Variables: _________________________________________________________
Materials:









Poster board
Dowels
Scissors
Masking tape
Hub




Protractor
Turbine testing station (turbine
tower,
multimeter, fan)
Benchmark Blade Template

Procedure:
1. Using the benchmark blade template, make three blades out of poster board. Space them
evenly around the hub.
2. Slip the protractor around the dowel. Set the blades to a pitch of 90 degrees.
3. Put your hub on the turbine tower and observe the results. Record the data.
4. Set your blades to a new pitch and test again. This is your second trial. Record your data.
5. Repeat Step 4 at least 4 more times to try to find the optimum pitch for the greatest electrical
output.
Table 14: Blade Pitch Data
Pitch
Voltage
90°

Graph:

Conclusion: Do you accept or reject your hypothesis? Use results from your data table to
support your reasoning and explain which blade pitch you will proceed with for your next
investigations and why.
Note: The pitch you decided was optimal for the greatest electrical output today will now be a
controlled variable. You will continue to use this pitch in the next investigations.

97

2. Exploring Number of Blades
Question: How do the number of blades on a turbine affect the electrical output?
Hypothesis/Prediction: (if…then…because)

Independent Variable (manipulated):
Dependent Variable (responding):
Controlled Variables: _________________________________________________________
Materials:









Poster board
Dowels
Scissors
Masking tape
Hub




Protractor
Turbine testing station (turbine
tower,
multimeter, fan)
Benchmark Blade Template

Procedure:
1. Decide how many blades you will be testing and make enough blades for the maximum
number you will be testing.
2. In the data table, put down the greatest electrical output from the blade pitch investigation of
the three benchmark blades.
3. Put the number of blades you want to test into the hub. They should have the same pitch as in
the previous investigation.
4. Put your hub onto the turbine tower and test the number of blades. Record the results as trial 1.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 at least two more times to try to find the optimum number of blades for the
greatest electrical output.
Table 15: Number of Blades Data
# of blades
Voltage
2
3
4

Graph:

Conclusion: Do you accept or reject your hypothesis? Use results from your data table to
support your reasoning and explain how many blades are ideal for a turbine and why.
Note: The # of blades you decided was optimal for the greatest electrical output today will now
be a controlled variable. You will continue to use this # in the next investigations.

98

3. Exploring Surface Area
Question: How does the surface area of the blades affect the electrical output?
Hypothesis/Prediction: (if…then…because)
Independent Variable (manipulated):
Dependent Variable (responding):
Controlled Variables: _________________________________________________________
Materials:









Poster board
Dowels
Scissors
Masking tape
Hub




Protractor
Turbine testing station (turbine
tower,
multimeter, fan)
Benchmark Blade Template

Procedure:
1. Calculate the surface area of the benchmark blade. In the data table, record the surface area
and the greatest electrical output from your previous investigation of the benchmark blades. The
formula for finding the area of a trapezoid is one half the sum of both bases, multiplied by the
height or, A = ½ (b1 + b2) h.
2. Keep the same shape as the benchmark blade, but change the length and/or width. This will
change the surface area of the blade.
3. Make your new blades. You should have the same number of blades that you found had the
best results in your previous investigation.
4. Find the surface area for each of your new blades.
5. Put your blades into the hub and onto the turbine tower. Test for electrical output and record
data.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 at least two more times to try to find the optimum surface area for the
greatest electrical output.
Table 16: Surface Area Data
Surface
Voltage
Area

Graph:

Conclusion: Do you accept or reject your hypothesis? Use results from your data table to
support your reasoning and explain how surface area affects performance.
Note: The surface area you decided was optimal for the greatest electrical output today will now
be a controlled variable. You will continue to use this in the next investigations.
99

4. Exploring Mass
Question: How does the mass of the blades on a turbine affect the electrical output?
Hypothesis/Prediction: (if…then…because)

Independent Variable (manipulated):
Dependent Variable (responding):
Controlled Variables:
___________________________________________________________________
Materials:






Optimum blades from previous investigation
Pennies (or other mass)
Masking tape
Turbine testing station
Protractor

Procedure:
1. In the data table, record your results from your previous investigation on the row with zero
grams.
2. Tape one penny near the base of each blade, an equal distance from the center of the hub.
3. Test and record the electrical output. Repeat, adding another penny. If adding mass increases
the output, add more pennies one at a time until you determine the ideal mass for the greatest
electrical output.
4. Distribute the pennies on the blades at different distances from the hub until you determine the
optimal distribution of mass for the greatest electrical output.
Table 17: Blade Mass Data
Additional
Voltage
Mass
0g

Graph:

Conclusion: Do you accept or reject your hypothesis? Use results from your data table to
support your reasoning and explain how mass and distribution of it on the blades affects
performance. (to address distribution of mass, is it best to have mass distributed evenly, close to
center, closer to outside of blades)

100

Blade Optimization Research
Are there other factors that affect blade performance we have not investigated? Read pages 1417 in the Exploring Wind Energy Student Guide and label the diagram below with other factors
you should consider when design optimum blades. Define major science concepts used
(Bernoulli’s principle, Torque, etc.)
Drag:

Lift:

Torque:

Aerodynamics

Use the space below to put any other useful information from the reading and any
information you find online about how to design and build optimum blades.

101

Calculating Power from Wind
Read pages: 6, 12-13, 18-19 in the Student Guide
Question
How do you calculate wind power?
Materials
Fan # ______________
 Fan
 Wind gauge
 Turbine with benchmark blades
 Meter stick
Formula
Power = ½ ρAv3
Where ρ = air density (ρ = 1.2 kg/m3 at standard ambient temperature and pressure); A = swept
area of fan (A = πr2 ; π = 3.1416); v = velocity
Watts = ½ (kg/m3) x (m2) x (m/s)3
Procedure
1. Measure the radius of the turbine blade assembly and calculate the area swept by the blades.
(A = πr2)
2. Use the wind gauge to measure the wind velocity at a distance of 1 meter from the fan on low
and high speeds in both miles per hour and meters per second (m/s).
(1 mile = 1609.344 meters)
Wind Velocity at Low Speed - 1 meter: ____________ mph = ____________m/s
Wind Velocity at High Speed - 1 meter: ____________ mph = ____________m/s
3. Use the formula above to calculate the power of the wind in watts at both fan speeds. (Show
Work)
Wind Power at Low Speed - 1 meter: ____________W
Wind Power at High Speed - 1 meter: ____________W
4. Vary the distance from the fan and calculate the power on low and high speeds.
Wind Power at ___________m (distance A) on Low Speed: ___________W
Wind Power at ___________m (distance A) on High Speed: ___________W
Wind Power at ___________m (distance B) on Low Speed: ___________W
Wind Power at ___________m (distance B) on High Speed: ___________W
Conclusion
1. Compare the power at different distances from the fan and on different fan speeds.

2. Explain the relationships between the different variables and the power produced.

102

APPENDIX L:

Energy and Power Practice

103

Energy and Power Practice
Part 1: (Adapted from electicity lesson by Nicole McMahon found from Michigan
Technological University www.geo.mtu.edu/rs4hazards/Project%20resources/Electricity.docx)
Suppose your toaster consumes 500 Watts of electricity. You are going to toast 24 pieces of
bread (one at a time), and each piece of toast takes 5 minutes. How much electricity are you
consuming to cook the toast? If each kWh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity costs $0.10, how much
does it cost to toast the bread?
To calculate how much electricity you are using, you have to calculate the kWh (kilowatt-hour),
which is the watts of electricity multiplied by the number of hours the appliance is in use.
_____ pieces of toast

x _____ minutes per piece = _____ minutes = _____ hour(s)

_______ watts x ______ hours = _______ Wh = _______ kWh
To calculate the cost, you have to multiply the amount of electricity by the unit price.
_______ kWh x ______ unit price = $________

Suppose your microwave consumes 1000 Watts of electricity. You are going to cook 6 TV
Dinners (one at a time) that each take 5 minutes. How much electricity are you consuming to
cook the dinners? If each kWh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity costs $0.10, how much does it cost
to cook the dinners?
To calculate how much electricity you are using, you have to calculate the kWh (kilowatt-hour),
which is the watts of electricity multiplied by the number of hours the appliance is in use.
_____ dinners

x _____ minutes per dinner = _____ minutes = _____ hour(s)

_______ watts x ______ hours = _______ Wh = _______ kWh
To calculate the cost, you have to multiply the amount of electricity by the unit price.
_______ kWh x ______ unit price = $________

Suppose your television consumes 5000 Watts of electricity. You are going to watch four
episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants, each 30 minutes long. How much electricity are you
consuming to watch the shows? If each kWh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity costs $0.10, how
much does it cost to watch the shows?
To calculate how much electricity you are using, you have to calculate the kWh (kilowatt-hour),
which is the watts of electricity multiplied by the number of hours the appliance is in use.

104

_____ episodes

x _____ minutes per episode

= _____ minutes = _____ hour(s)

_______ watts x ______ hours = _______ Wh = _______ kWh
To calculate the cost, you have to multiply the amount of electricity by the unit price.
_______ kWh x ______ unit price = $________
Suppose your oven consumes 3000 Watts of electricity. You are going to cook 6 pies (one at a
time), each for 30 minutes. How much electricity are you consuming to cook the dinners? If
each kWh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity costs $0.10, how much does it cost to cook the dinners?
To calculate how much electricity you are using, you have to calculate the kWh (kilowatt-hour),
which is the watts of electricity multiplied by the number of hours the appliance is in use.
_____ pies

x _____ minutes per pie = _____ minutes = _____ hour(s)

_______ watts x ______ hours = _______ Wh = _______ kWh
To calculate the cost, you have to multiply the amount of electricity by the unit price.
_______ kWh x ______ unit price = $________

Part 2
Students complete Home Energy Use practice Sheet available by Consumers Energy at
www.ConsumersEnergy.com/kids

105

APPENDIX M:

Communicate Results Portion of Wind Power Project

106

Communicate Results
Prepare a presentation to Michigan Energy Corporation (PowerPoint or other method) of
your engineering design process and final product. The chosen firm will be selected to further
the process and design and construct your wind farms in Michigan for power. The company also
wants you to detail a plan to further your design by building wind farms in Michigan using your
turbines.
The federal government is willing to subsidize (no interest charged) a 9.3 billion dollar
loan to the energy company with the best plan to implement wind power in their state. This
figure is a large sum of money but represents only 10% of the profits (not revenue) from the top
five oil companies from last year! Your firm was selected to design wind farms in Michigan
using your turbines. The engineering team with the plan that has the largest impact on Energy
production in Michigan will be awarded the opportunity to design and build wind farms in
Michigan using the 9.3 billion dollars. Your team must use the provided computer models to
develop the best solution. Several interested, and powerful, groups are keeping a close eye on
the project. Some groups will be opposed to certain uses and placements of farms and others
may support them. Your team must consider constraints involved in the project that include cost,
safety, societal needs and wants, environmental impacts, and address them in your presentation.
Required elements of presentation:






Presentation of design process of turbine blades
Mathematical modeling of large scale performance of turbine
Design wind farms in specific locations of Michigan using computer models. (see below)
o Include calculations from wind farm calculator in presentation.
Address constraints on the project from the “Siting a Wind Farm” activity.
Present general pros and cons of implementation of the design and wind power in
general. Convince your audience!

Using computer models to design wind farms using your turbines
http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=MI <-Interactive map
It will help if you clear all layers and add the ones you are interested in. Wind data for an
area can be found by clicking on the area and looking up the wind class data. Be sure to check
where wind power is already in use, an area may not be available to you.
Use the wind farm calculator spreadsheet to model the cost and performance of your wind farms
based on location (wind speed). For the spreadsheet, use provided resources to look up and fill
in the yellow cells. You may use any combination of turbine types, number, location etc. as long
as you work within the constraints (cost, social etc.). You my build multiple farms with different
#’s of turbines in different areas of the state as long as you stay within constraints.

107

Resources needed:
http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/tables/1-1T.html  Wind class data
http://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/state/  Net Generation, Fossil Fuel Consumption, and Avg
Price by State
http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/capitalcost/  Cost of construction and operation/maintenance
(Table 1)

Feel free to save the spreadsheet(s) to your drive with your figures to include in your
presentation.

108

Siting a Wind Farm (adapted from NEED organization Exploring Wind Power Student
Guide)
What additional constraints (social needs/wants, safety, reliability, cultural, environmental
impacts) will your team use to evaluate the location and construction of your wind farm?
Use the various perspectives below to research your constraints. Some questions and concerns
are listed below each group. Be sure to address a sufficient number of concerns. Some concerns
are common among groups, be sure to make those a priority to address. A graphic organizer is
provided to help you document your findings. Your group should divide the work among your
members. Additional copies of the graphic organizer will be made available.
Governmental Agency Representative–BLM
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency in the federal government that is responsible for
managing and conserving the resources that are on public land. The BLM has a policy of
encouraging multiple uses of public lands. If a wind farm is built on the public land under your
control, you will be responsible for overseeing and managing the project. The federal
government would receive lease payments and/or royalties from the developer.
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages to the BLM of allowing the development of
the wind farm?
2. What are the major issues that the BLM must consider before allowing the development
of the wind farm?
3. One of the jobs of the BLM is to protect the public’s interest in the land. Will allowing
the development of the wind farm be in the best interest of the public?

Developer
As the developer of the wind farm project, you must create a plan that details the advantages of
establishing a wind farm in your particular area. You must also be able to answer questions from
those groups that might oppose the wind farm. It is important as the developer that you
understand the “big picture” of the positive and negative impacts of developing the wind farm.
1. What are the long-term benefits to the community of developing the wind farm?
2. What are the disadvantages? How will potential risks be minimized?
3. How will the environment be protected during the installation, operation, and
maintenance of the wind farm?

109

Investor
An investor is someone who uses his or her money to finance a project, in order to make money
later. A developer has approached you with a proposal to build a wind farm in a nearby
community. As an investor, you are interested in paying money now to build a wind farm, with
the idea that you will earn money later as the wind farm becomes productive. You need to
determine the costs, risks, earning potential, and benefits of investing in the wind farm.
1. How much will it cost to build and maintain the wind farm? What costs do you need to
consider?
2. How much return of income can you expect from your investment? Over how many
years?
3. What are the biggest risks to investing in the wind farm?

Site Planner
The site planner of a wind farm considers many factors to determine the best location for a wind
farm. You must take into consideration the important concerns that community members have.
You need to determine the optimum areas for the turbines in regard to local weather patterns.
You must also take into consideration any other environmental factors that might affect the siting
of the wind farm.
1. What information about local and global weather patterns and wind technology must you
research before siting a wind farm?
2. What environmental factors must you consider before siting a wind farm?
3. What other factors must you consider? Are there roads and power lines nearby?

110

Farmer/Rancher
You are a farmer and rancher who has a long-term lease of 10,000 acres of public land that you
use to grow crops and graze your cattle. The Bureau of Land Management has informed you that
it is considering a proposal to allow a wind farm to be built on part of the land. You think that
using renewable energy and having multiple uses of the land are good ideas, but you are
concerned about the impact of a wind farm on your crops and animals.
1. What impacts will siting, building, and operating a wind farm have on your crops and
cattle?
2. Will you have to reduce the acres of crops you grow or the number of cattle that graze on
the land?
3. Are there any benefits to you of building the wind farm on your leased land?

Consumer/Neighbor
You are a neighbor of the farmer/rancher on whose land the wind farm might be built. You have
heard that large wind turbines generate a great deal of noise and that concerns you because the
chinchillas you raise are very sensitive to noise. You are aware that there have been predictions
of blackouts in the near future in your area because of a lack of electricity capacity. You are also
wondering how the price of electricity in your area might be affected if a wind farm was
installed.
1. How much noise do wind turbines generate?
2. How would a wind farm affect the property values of the surrounding properties?
3. How would local electricity rates be affected by the installation of a wind farm?

111

Environmentalist
You are very concerned with protecting the environment. You would like to know how wind
energy impacts the environment during the manufacture, installation, maintenance, and removal
of the wind turbines. Also, there have been reports in the past of wind turbines injuring birds and
bats that fly into them. You would like to know how wind energy installations might affect birds
and animals in your area. Great Lakes conservation groups have worked hard to keep the great
lakes in a natural state. They’ve historically opposed oil and gas drilling. They have strong
citizen support in the state.
1. How would the manufacture and installation of wind turbines affect the local
environment?
2. How would the operation of the wind turbines affect the surrounding environment and
the plants and animals in the area?
3. Would the amount of electricity generated by the wind turbines be enough to offset the
“cost” to the environment?

Economist
An economist is a person who can analyze the financial impacts of actions. The community that
will be affected by the development of the wind farm has consulted you. They have asked you to
determine the costs of generating electricity from fossil fuels and wind energy and to do a
comparison study. This includes comparing construction costs, transmission costs, generation
costs, and potential tax credits available for using wind. Many local economies in areas of MI
depend on income from tourists/vacationers.
1. How does the cost of using wind to generate electricity compare to other sources?
2. What economic advantages/disadvantages would the wind farm bring to the area?
3. Will the wind farm impact the economy of the area by bringing more jobs to the area?

112

Utility Company Representative
You are an employee of the local utility company and are responsible for making sure that your
utility has the necessary capacity to provide electricity to all of your customers. There is
increased demand for electricity in your community and you know you must secure reliable
sources of additional generation in the near future. You would be the main purchaser of
electricity from the wind farm.
1. How expensive would the electricity be from the wind farm?
2. Will the wind farm produce enough electricity with reliability to meet the growing needs
of the community?
3. Will there be additional costs to the utility company that might be passed along to
consumers?

Member of the County Commission
The County Commission manages the public services of the community and determines how
they are paid for. The County Commission is a political group and must take into consideration
all political sides of the issue. You must consider the impacts on the community if the Bureau of
Land Management allows the wind farm to be developed in the area.
1. What impacts would the wind farm have on the need to provide local services?
2. What economic impacts would the wind farm have on the local community and taxes?
3. What political impact would supporting the wind farm have on your community?

Useful Web Sites to Visit When Conducting Research
American Wind Energy Association: www.awea.org
Energy Information Administration: www.eia.gov
Bureau of Land Management: www.blm.gov
U.S. Department of Energy - Wind: www.doe.gov/science-innovation/energysources/renewable-energy/wind
U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency: www.doe.gov/science-innovation/energyefficiency
U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Wind Program:
www1.eere.energy.gov/wind

113

APPENDIX N:

Wind Farm Calculator Spreadsheet with Sample Data Entered

114

Wind Farm Calculator with Sample Data Entered
Students manipulate values in yellow cells by researching information from resources provided,
calculating area of full-scale turbine, changing the number of turbines in farm, and entering the
wind speed in the area selected from the interactive mapping system
(http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=MI). The spreadsheet makes calculations of the performance of
the wind farm based on the entry of those cells using formulas.
Table 18: Wind Farm Calculator Spreadsheet with Sample Data Included
Turbine Performance Calculation
Efficiency of turbine blades
0.50
Wind speed @ location (m/s)
8.90
Area of full size turbine (m^2) (50m blades if on shore, 80
m blades if offshore)
Power of wind @ location (kW)
Power of single turbine @location (kW)
Turbine Cost Calculation
Cost of on shore 50m turbine construction ($/kW)
Opertation and maintenance cost on shore ($/kW-yr)
Cost of offshore 90m turbine construction ($/kW)
Opertation and maintenance cost off shore ($/kW-yr)
1.5 MW turbine construction cost (on-shore)
4 MW turbine construction cost (off-shore)
Wind Farm Cost Calculation
Number of turbines in Farm
Power of wind farm (kW)

20,106.00
8,504.46
4,252.23
$2,213.00
$39.55
$6,230.00
$74.00
$3,319,500.00
$24,920,000.00
372
1,581,830

20 year cost on shore (construction and op & main)
20 year cost off shore (construction and op & main)

$1,238,217,515.52
$9,276,533,303.38

Total Energy of Wind Farm
Energy produced by farm in one year (MWh)
Cost of electricity ($/kWh)
Value of energy produced in one year
Michigan net electricity generation (needs) per year (MWh)
% of total electrical needs Provided to MI
Michigan Electricity Generated from Coal (MWh/yr)
Amount of Coal used for power generation in a year (tons)
Amount of CO2 released from coal plants every year (tons)

13,856,834
$0.1098
$1,521,480,319.32
108,166,078
12.81%
52,470,940
29,795,605
85,215,430

115

Table 18: (cont’d)
Amount of coal saved from wind farm construction
(tons)
Amount of CO2 saved from being released every year
(tons)
% decrease in coal consumption
On shore Pay off time (yrs)
0.81
Off shore pay off time (yrs)
6.10

116

7,868,598
21,087,843
26.41%

APPENDIX O:

Ohm’s Law Homework

117

Ohm’s Law, Power and Electrical Energy
Define and state what unit each is measured in:
Electrical current:
Voltage:
Resistance:

Review: All should be on your notecard!
Power is the rate at which work is done, or the rate at which energy is transferred. It is measured
in watts (which is a Joule/second)
𝑃=

𝑊

𝑂𝑅 𝑃 =

𝑡

∆𝐸
𝑡

Energy can be found by

𝛥𝐸 = 𝑃 ∙ 𝑡

If the power is watts and the time is seconds, this will give you Joules. If you want kilowatthours of energy, convert the power to kilowatts and have time in hours.
Electrical power is 𝑃 = 𝑖𝑉

Practice:
If a small appliance is rated at a current of 10 amps and a voltage of 120 volts,
the power rating would be ______ Watts. (P = I V )

What is the resistance of the appliance? (Ohm’s law)

How many Joules of energy will it use in 2 minutes at max power?

If a clock expends 2 W of power from a 1.5 V battery,
What amount of current is supplying the clock?

What is the resistance of the clock’s circuits?

118

Tommy runs his juicer every morning. The juicer uses 90 W of Power and the current supplied is
4.5 A.
How many volts are necessary to run the juicer?

What is the resistance of the juicer?

Amanda’s hair dryer requires 11A of current from a 110 V outlet.
How much power does it use?

A DC electric motor transforms 1.50 kW of electrical power into mechanical form. If the motor's
operating voltage is 300 volts,
How much current does it "draw" when operating at full load (full power output)?

How many kilowatt-hours of energy will it use in a day?

How much will it cost to run the motor at $.10 per kilowatt-hour?

A 100 Watt lightbulb is plugged into the wall supplying 110 V.
What is the resistance of the bulb?

How much current flows through the bulb?

119

How much energy will it use in 1 day:
In Joules

In kilowatt-hours

120

Ohm’s Law Practice Worksheet
An alarm clock draws 0.5 A of current when connected to a 120 volt circuit. Calculate its
resistance.

A subwoofer needs a household voltage of 110 V to push a current of 5.5 A through its coil.
What is the resistance of the subwoofer?

A walkman uses a standard 1.5 V battery. How much resistance is in the circuit if it uses a
current of 0.01A?

A circuit contains a 1.5 volt battery and a bulb with a resistance of 3 ohms. Calculate the current.

What current flows through a hair dryer plugged into a 120 Volt circuit if it has a resistance of 25
ohms?

If a toaster produces 12 ohms of resistance in a 120-volt circuit, what is the amount of current in
the circuit?

A 12 Volt car battery pushes charge through the headlight circuit resistance of 10 ohms. How
much current is passing through the circuit?

How much voltage would be necessary to generate 10 amps of current in a circuit that has 5
ohms of resistance?

An electric heater works by passing a current of 100 A though a coiled metal wire, making it red
hot. If the resistance of the wire is 1.1 ohms, what voltage must be applied to it?

A light bulb has a resistance of 5 ohms and a maximum current of 10 A. How much voltage can
be applied before the bulb will break?

What happens to the current in a circuit if a 1.5-volt battery is removed and is replaced by a 3volt battery?
What happens to the current in a circuit if a 10Ω resistor is removed and replaced by a 20Ω
resistor?

121

APPENDIX P:

Exploring Solar Power Activity

122

Exploring Solar Power

Students use Elenco® Electronic Inc. Solar Deluxe Educational Kit and digital multimeters
Students use the included solar array to complete Solar 1, Solar 2, Solar 5, and Solar 9 from
page 18-27 of the Exploring Photovoltaics Student Guide
Accessed from
http://www.need.org/files/curriculum/guides/Photovoltaics%20Student%20Guide.pdf

Solar 1: Students measure current, voltage and power of each of three panels in the solar array
Solar 2: Students wire the three panels in series and connect to a light bulb to measure current,
voltage and power.
Solar 5: Students vary the distance of the series array to the light source and measure current,
voltage and power.
Solar 9: Students wire the three panels in parallel and connect to a lightbulb to measure current,
voltage and power.

123

APPENDIX Q:

Wiring Solar Panels Worksheet

124

Wiring Solar Panels Worksheet
Students Complete Activity 6: Series and Parallel Wiring
Source: Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Accessed from:
http://www.solar4rschools.org/sites/all/files/Series%20and%20Parallel%20Wiring.pdf

In the activity, students are given arrays of individual solar panels with specific voltage and
current ratings. They are given the task of connecting them together in combinations of series
and parallel by drawing wires to the leads that produce a desired output voltage and current of
the array.

125

APPENDIX R:

Climate Change Survey

126

Global Climate Change Survey
1. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere prevent some of the sun’s energy from radiating
into space.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
2. Burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
3. The Earth’s atmosphere is large enough where human activity cannot possibly cause a
significant change.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
4. The Earth goes through natural cycles of heating and cooling over the course of millions
of years.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
5. I am unsure if global warming/climate change is happening.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
6. Assuming global warming/climate change is happening, it is very likely affected by
humans.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
7. The evidence for climate change is unreliable.
1
2
3
4
strongly
neither agree/
disagree
nor disagree

127

5
 I don’t know
strongly agree

8. A significant number of scientists have doubts about the evidence for global climate
change.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
9. A significant number of citizens have doubts about the evidence for climate change.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
10. Experts are agreed that climate change is a real problem.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
11. Global warming/climate change, if it is happening, is so slow that humans do not have to
worry about it for hundreds of years or longer.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
12. The last winter was one of the coldest on record. This is evidence against global
warming/climate change.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
13. Do you think global warming should be a low, medium, high, or very high priority for the
President and Congress?
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
Low
Medium
High
14. If I come across information about climate change I tend to look at it.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree

128

15. Decisions and actions I make every day can contribute to climate change.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
16. I feel a moral duty to do something about climate change.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
17. Jobs today are more important than protecting the environment for the future.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
18. I feel I am educated enough to form my own opinion about global climate change.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
19. By circling the number, please indicate how much you would trust information about
climate change if you heard it from...
1) A lot

2) A little

A family member or friend
A scientist
The government
An energy supplier
And environmental organization
The media

1
1
1
1
1
1

3) Not very much
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3

20. How can turning on a light at home put CO2 into the atmosphere?

129

4
4
4
4
4
4

4) Not at all

Table 19: Scoring Rubric for Climate Change Survey
Question
Q20

2

1

Properly addresses that
power plants use fossil fuel
to generate electricity
which is transported to
their home and “used” by
turning into light and heat.
Therefore the light came
from burning fossil fuels at
the plant

Partially addresses that Does not address the
power plants use fossil use of fossil fuels by
fuel to generate
power plants and how
electricity which is
that is the source of the
bulb’s energy
transported to their
home and “used” by
turning into light and
heat. Therefore the light
came from burning
fossil fuels at the plant

130

0

APPENDIX S:

Energy Pre/Post Test

131

Energy Pre/Post Assessment
1. What are the 6 main forms of energy?

2. What is the difference between a renewable and non-renewable source of energy? Give
examples of each.

3. Why is it important to develop alternative energy sources? (support with at least two
reasons)

4. If the law of conservation of energy states that it cannot be created or destroyed, why
should we worry about running out of energy?

132

5. How does your quality of life depend on energy?

6. How does efficiency play a role in energy supply and consumption?

7. How does the energy from a coal power plant come from the sun? Include an energy
transformation diagram.

8. Fossil fuels are abundant and we don’t have to worry about running out for a very long
time.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
9. It is not feasible (too expensive) to stop using fossil fuels in the near future
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree

133

10. Some forms of renewable energy are currently comparable in cost to fossil fuels.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
11. Continued advances made by scientists and engineers can find affordable solutions to the
dependence on fossil fuels for energy.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
12. If I come across a news story, article, etc. concerning energy, I will tend to look at it.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
13. The development of alternatives to fossil fuels is essential for the continued advancement
of mankind.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
14. It is necessary to develop alternative energies now before it is too late.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree

134

Table 20: Scoring Rubric for Energy Pre/Post Test
Question 2

1

0

Q1

All six listed

3-5 listed

1-2 listed

Q2

Definitions of renewable and
non-renewable used properly
(non-renewable cannot be
replaced as quickly as it is
used, renewable energy can).
Proper examples of each are
given.

Definitions of renewable and
non-renewable used well.
Examples are incorrect or
missing.

Response does not show
knowledge of what
makes a resource
renewable or nonrenewable

Q3

Response contains a statement Response contains a statement No evidence given to
based on evidence of climate based on one piece of evidence support a change to
change, increasing demand, of climate change, increasing renewables.
and diminishing supply. (At demand, or diminishing
least two must be addressed) supply.

Q4

Statement refers to the forms
of energy changing. In the
process some energy is turned
into other forms. Some forms
are useful and some are not
(thermal energy) easily
recoverable or useful but the
amount is the same.

Q5

Response connects energy to Response makes some
wealth and well-being.
connection to energy
Energy is needed for a society contributing to progress.
to advance and have a high
standard of living (health,
wealth, education etc.)

Response makes no
meaningful connection
between energy and
standard of living.

Q6

Response points out that
Response includes
increased demand can be met responsible/non-wasteful
by using what we have more energy use.
efficiently with some
reference to conservation
practices and not being
wasteful.

Response does not
address wasteful energy
use as a problem to be
addressed.

Statement only addresses
energy in the form of fossil
fuels running out. (We will
run out of oil etc.)

135

Statement supports the
notion of energy being
used and/or destroyed in
the process.

Table 20: (con’t)
Q7

Response explains the process Response correctly relates
Response incorrectly
of energy conversion from
energy from the sun in energy relates solar power to a
solar to chemical in coal and in coal. Mistakes possible in coal plant.
how a powerplant burns the transformation diagram or in
coal to generate electricity. A explanation (only one)
complete energy
transformation diagram is
included

136

APPENDIX T:

Engineering Design Pre and Post Assessments

137

Engineering Design Pre Assessment

1. What does a scientist do?

2. What does an engineer do?

3. I feel that I understand what the engineering process is/what an engineer does.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
4. I would consider engineering as a career/major in college.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
5. I feel that well-trained engineers are important to the future and beneficial to society.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree

138

Table 21: Scoring Rubric for Engineering Design Pre Assessment
CATEGORY 2
1
0
Q1

Properly addresses that
Addresses only the
scientists answer
scientific method of
questions through using answering questions
the scientific process.
Hypotheses are tested and
conclusions are drawn
from evidence.

Q2

Properly addresses that
Addresses that engineers Does not correctly
engineers solve problems use the engineering
explain what an
design process.
engineer does.
using the engineering
design process. Elements
of the design process are
included in response.

139

Does not correctly
explain what a
scientists does.

Engineering Design Post Assessment

1. What does a scientist do?

2. What does an engineer do?

3. Explain how, over the course of the past two units, you have analyzed a major global
challenge (energy crisis) to specify criteria and constraints for solutions that account for
the wants and needs of society.

4. Explain how, over the course of the past two units, you have designed a solution to a
complex real-world problem (energy crisis) by breaking it down into smaller, more
manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

140

5. Explain how, over the course of the past two units, you have evaluated a solution to a
complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and tradeoffs that account for a
range of constraints. (decision matrix)

6. Explain how you have used models to help you determine or estimate the impact of
proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem. Models may be computer
models/simulations, or mathematical models and calculations, or physical models used to
simulate systems. Address as many as you can.

7. What science concepts did you use to design your wind power project? List as many as
you can think of.

141

8. I feel that understand what the engineering process is/what an engineer does.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
9. I would consider engineering as a career/major in college.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree
10. I feel that well-trained engineers are important to the future and beneficial to society.
1
2
3
4
5
 I don’t know
strongly
neither agree/
strongly agree
disagree
nor disagree

142

Table 22: Scoring Rubric for Engineering Design Post Assessment
Question

2

1

0

Q1

Properly addresses that
Addresses the scientific
scientists answer questions
method of answering
through using the scientific questions
process. Hypotheses are
tested and conclusions drawn
from evidence

Does not correctly
explain what a scientists
does.

Q2

Properly addresses that
engineers solve problems
using the engineering design
process. Elements of the
design process are included in
response.

Does not correctly
explain what an
engineer does.

Q3

Description connects the work Some connections
performed in class to the
performance expectation in
question

Description does not
connect the work
performed in class to the
performance expectation
in question

Q4

Description connects the work Not available
performed in class to the
performance expectation in
question

Description does not
connect the work
performed in class to the
performance expectation
in question

Q5

Description connects the work Not available
performed in class to the
performance expectation in
question

Description does not
connect the work
performed in class to the
performance expectation
in question

Q6

Description connects the work Not available
performed in class to the
performance expectation in
question

Description does not
connect the work
performed in class to the
performance expectation
in question

Q7

A complete list of the major
concepts is included:

Very few listed

Properly addresses that
engineers use the
engineering design
process.

A partial list of the
concepts is included:

143

APPENDIX U:

Electricity Assessment

144

Electricity Assessment
1. What do you know about: (include units)
a. Electric current

b. Voltage

c. Resistance

d. How are they related?

2. What are the differences between series and parallel circuits?

3. What happens to voltage and current when solar cells, batteries, or other voltage sources
are wired in
a. Series

b. Parallel

145

4. What is alternating and direct current and give examples of each.

5. How can electricity be generated? How does the process work? (use science concepts)

6. What is the difference between electric power and electric energy?

7. You have four 1.5 V batteries and a 10  resistor.
a. Draw a circuit below using all four batteries that has 3 V supplied to the resistor.

b. Calculate the current through the resistor.

c. Calculate the power dissipated in the resistor.

d. Calculate the energy used by the resistor in 1 day in joules and kilowatt hours.

146

Table 23: Electricity Assessment Scoring Rubric
Question 2

1

0
Response does not
correctly describe
current.

Q1a

Response correctly describes
electric current as the flow of
electric charges and includes
units.

Response describes electric
current with some minor
mistake OR does not include
units.

Q1b

Response correctly describes
voltage and includes units.

Response describes voltage
Response does not
with some minor mistake OR correctly describe
does not include units.
voltage.

Q1c

Response correctly describes
resistance and includes units.

Response describes resistance Response does not
with some minor mistake OR correctly describe
does not include units.
resistance.

Q1d

Response includes ohm’s law
either as an equation with
variables or units. Ohm’s law
described in words (directly
proportional, inversely
proportional)

Relationship between at least Ohm’s law is not
two of the variables is correct. listed or described

Q2

Series and parallel circuits are
described correctly with clear
differences between the two.

The circuits are not fully
described or differences are
present but may be unclear.

Descriptions are
incorrect.

Q3a

Series circuits the voltage is
added and the current remains
the same

Either voltage or current is
missing or incorrect

Relationships are
incorrect

Q3b

Parallel circuits the voltage
remains the same and the
current is added.

Either voltage or current is
missing or incorrect

Relationships are
incorrect

Q4

Descriptions of AC and DC are Descriptions of AC and DC are Descriptions of AC
accurate with proper examples accurate may have a mistake and DC are incorrect
of each.
on examples

Q5

The process of inducing current
by changing magnetic fields
(electromagnetic induction) is
properly described.

Statement of the parts of
generator is present but no
description of the science
concepts.

147

Incorrect or absent
description. May
simply say a
generator.

Table 23: (cont’d)
Q6

Power is described as the rate of Either power or energy
description is incorrect.
energy transfer or the rate at
which electricity does work.
Energy described as the ability
to do work/transfer energy.

Q7a

Proper diagram showing a
parallel connection of two
systems of two batteries in
series with each other with a
complete circuit through the
resistor.

N/A

Incorrect/absent
circuit

Q7b

3 V / 10  = .3A or 300mA

May have incorrect units

Incorrect/absent

May have incorrect units

Incorrect/absent

Both concepts are not
described correctly.

Or other correct use of Ohm’s
law based on incorrect circuit in
part a
Q7c

Proper use of P=IV =
(.3A)(3V)=0.9W
Or other correct use using
incorrect values from part a&b.

Q7d

Proper use of
May have incorrect units or
E=Pt=(0.9W)(86,400s)=77,760J incorrect use/conversion of
and (9.0x10time. May have one of the
4
-2
kW)(24hr)=2.16x10 kWh
calculations incorrect (J or
kWh)

148

Incorrect/absent

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149

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