1. A WebQuest for 5th Grade by Becky Weinkauf beckyw@fisd.org
Energy Design choices
A WebQuest
for 5th Grade
by Becky Weinkauf

2. Energy design choices:
Home
Introduction
Energy design choices:
Task
Introduction
Process
Resources
Evaluation
Conclusion
The world is expanding and changing at rapid rates. To be good stewards of the earth we should consider the energy we use and how we use it. These days there are many questions about what types of renewable and nonrenewable energy to use. Only one question is about the cost. Let’s head out on this quest to explore other questions, different types of energy, and find out just what you would suggest!
Teachers

3. Home
Introduction
Task
Task
Process
Resources
Energy design choices:
Evaluation
Conclusion
Boy do we need a new gym! You get to advise the architect and the school principal on what type of energy to use to power our new school gym. To do a responsible job you need to considering the following when you make your decision: Both renewable and nonrenewable sources, and Data from scientific, financial, legal, and community- related components of energy.
Your Design Team will research, debate, recommend, and ultimately help decide the direction to take.
With guidance along the way, you will prepare written and oral evidence to support your team's decision and thoroughly convince the class, the principal, and the architect!
Teachers

4. Process Home Energy design choices: Introduction
Step 1: Select a four member design team and choose which component of this renewable and nonrenewable energy system decision to focus on for gathering facts:
a. Scientific (formation & effects) c. Legal (laws or legal issues)
b. Financial (costs involved) d. Community-related (what people seem to want)
Step 2: Print out copies of the ENERGY COMPARISON CHART for each member, and explore several energy-related websites. Look for any information related to your component of the energy system decision. One website is listed here (find others by clicking the RESOURCES link).
Step 3: To help you determine relevant facts and data, be sure to determine whether the information found would be an advantage or a disadvantage to each type of renewable or nonrenewable energy as it relates to your focus from Step 1. It would typically contain answers to these and other questions:
a. How is it formed (renewable or nonrenewable)?
b. How does it impact the environment (slightly or in a big way)?
c. How is it stored? (Does it take up space? What does it look like? Is it expensive to store?)
d. How efficient is it (from somewhat to very wasteful)?
e. Are some energy-types more suitable for certain building needs? Note: To power the gym there will be water, heating & cooling, electricity, and lighting needs.
Step 4: Complete the ENERGY COMPARISON CHART by placing researched facts in the pros or cons column of the type of energy they correspond to—separating each of the four components.
Step 5: As you each complete your chart, the team needs to come together, share your findings, and decide which type or types of renewable or nonrenewable energy to recommend for the new building. (Review Process Guide #2: Building Consensus at onset of this step.) Note: You can recommend different types of energy for powering the building. For example, you might recommend using a solar panel for hot water, oil for heat, and wind for all other energy needs.
Step 6: Write your team ENERGY PLAN, being sure to list thorough written support for your decision using your research notes. (Students should review Process Guide #8: Persuasive Arguments at the onset of this step , and then please follow the five step format given to write your plan.)
Step 7: Use your ENERGY PLAN to orally present your decision to the whole class. Be sure you prepare a set of ideas and arguments to use against others' ideas, as stated in Strategy 3 of Process Guide #8.
Step 8: Present all team decisions, and find class consensus of the energy system to be suggested as the design of our new Gym.
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Teachers

5. Resources These websites should help you make your recommendation!
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Energy design choices:
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These websites should help you make your recommendation!
.asp
ive_energy/alternative_energy_basics.htm
Teachers

6. Energy design choices:
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At this step please print out and complete the Energy Design Rubric to do a self evaluation of your hard work!
Turn the rubric in along with your team’s Energy Plan to be given a final grade.
Teachers
Evaluation
Energy design choices:

7. Energy design choices:
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Energy design choices:
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Congratulations, what hard work and tough processing of energy options you have completed!
Evaluation
Conclusion
Besides comparing renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy, you have used that information to make decisions for yourselves and to persuade others of your choices-- a valuable skill. While I am sure you can think of tons of places to use that skill— which movie to see, what to have for dinner, what to do for vacation—think also about how your energy information might impact your life: What energy sources do you use at home? Might you make any changes? Might you do things differently when you grow up? What might homes or cars be like in the future? What might other buildings and communities use for energy? What different energy-related jobs might there be when you grow up? How do you advise the world? Here are a two additional websites to help find answers to these and other questions you might have:
Teachers

8. Teachers: Introduction
Home-Student Page
Energy design choices:
Teachers-Introduction
Teachers: Introduction
Learners
Standards
Procedures
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ENERGY DESIGN CHOICES was created as a year-end, culminating activity for fifth graders to demonstrate their technology application skills and several language arts standards. USING RENEWABLE AND NONRENEWABLE ENERGY responsibly is a teaching standard and very relevant to most communities. The hope is to enable our students to come away with facts and data to support choices they make, along with the ability to communicate their choices clearly in both written and oral formats. Becky Weinkauf

9. Energy design choices:
Home-Student Page
Energy design choices:
Teachers-Introduction
Learners
Learners
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Process
As fifth graders, students are expected to have working background knowledge in the following areas prior to this lesson:
Applying methods of inquiry
Knowing that our natural environment consists of resources that are constantly changing
Using data input skills appropriate to a task
Evaluating electronic information
Using research skills to create new knowledge
Using context to clarify meaning
Analyzing and drawing conclusions from text
Knowledge and skills in the writing process
While the reading level is above fifth grade, some difficult words have been reused to build understanding from context clues and others are linked to an online dictionary to provide assistance.
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10. Energy design choices:
Home-Student Page
Energy design choices:
Teachers-Introduction
Standards
Learners
Standards
Students will be responsible for the following:
All Technology Application Standards
English Language Arts and Reading Standards
Analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis
Understand how to glean and use information in procedural documents
Use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning
Use elements of the writing process to compose text
Write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues
Understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing
Determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather
Listen attentively to speakers, ask relevant questions, and make pertinent comments
Science Standards
Investigate renewable, nonrenewable, and alternative energy sources
Identify alternative energy resources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biofuels
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11. Energy design choices:
Home-Student Page
Energy design choices:
Teachers-Introduction
Procedures
Learners
This lesson is expected to last about eight one-hour days during the last grading period of the school year.
Prior: In addition to having the background knowledge listed under Learners, teacher will show a DE video (see Materials--may substitute with a related video) along with a brief verbal introduction to a WebQuest.
These suggestions correspond with the student Process steps:
Step 1: Monitor for understanding of the four components as students create their teams. You might assign teams to help ensure all are successful, especially when abilities vary (Inclusion, GT).
Step 2: Make sure each student prints their own chart and labels it accurately with their chosen component.
Step 3 & 4: Spot check charts for relevancy and accurate placement of information.
Step 5: Be sure students print and review the Consensus Guide.
Step 6: Monitor students as they print and review the Persuasive Guide, and check that they thoroughly support their decisions.
Step 7: Discuss with the whole class how predictions of opposing arguments are made.
Step 8: Review public speaking and class rules of conduct with the whole class.
Along with knowing the websites, knowing your students and having good monitoring skills are critical components to this lesson. This would include being able to make quick assessments and give quick assistance. It may become necessary to address the whole class if more than one group has problems understanding or moving forward.
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12. Energy design choices:
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Needed for this lesson:
Access to 20 Internet ready computers
Access to word processing software
Subscription to (or other related videos):
For access to video streaming of the following segment titles:
LAND USE IN THE US: Coal and Oil—2:10
SOLAR ENERGY—1:29
SOLAR ENERGY AND WIND—5:48
Texas State Standards
Link to an annotated list of the student websites
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13. Energy design choices:
Home-Student Page
Energy design choices:
Teachers-Introduction
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Learners
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Many people and websites have been helpful in creating this WebQuest, and I would like to thank them here:
Bernie Dodge and several resources at
Tom March
Fresno Pacific University School of Professional Studies for the opportunity of its TEC942 WebQuests: Implementing Technology Integration course
George Smith, instructor, for his direction, resources, assistance, and encouragement!
All clip art is from Microsoft Office Clip Art
Materials
Credits