Clean Energy through Thinking Skills
Mitch Epstein
American Power Series
Title – not known at present time
1
The Story
As President Obama mentioned in his State of the Union Address, there will
be BIG changes in the way we use energy in the near future. The next
generation will warm their homes, run their cars, and power their economy
in radically different ways than we do now. In order for this to happen,
students today must start shifting their ideas and assumptions about energy.
They will be the ones creating businesses that develop these energies.
With the anniversary of the BP Oil spill of 2010 approaching, Clean Energy
Technologies seem to be a hot topic for everyone from environmentalists to
concerned students. President Obama addressed the problem of a nation
that relies too heavily on oil; he also addressed the need to reinvent
ourselves, since tomorrow’s jobs for our students have not even been
defined yet. President Obama is quoted…
“Already, we’re seeing the promise of renewable energy. Robert
and Gary Allen are brothers who run a small Michigan roofing
company. After September 11th, they volunteered their best
roofers to help repair the Pentagon. But half of their factory went
unused, and the recession hit them hard. Today, with the help of a
government loan, that empty space is being used to manufacture
solar shingles that are being sold all across the country.”
“At the California Institute of Technology, they’re developing a way
to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars. At Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, they’re using supercomputers to get a lot more
power out of our nuclear facilities. With more research and
incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and
become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the
road by 2015.”
We trust that students will connect with President Obama’s challenge in
setting the goal of 80 percent of America’s electricity coming from clean
energy sources by 2035. We hope that this will translate into creating clean
energy breakthroughs that could come from a single student inspired by this
one unit.
This unit is meant to “spark the creativity and imagination” of Walt Disney’s
students; seeing the world of art as inspiration to change the rules that
change the world in which they live.
2
Content and Timeline
April 25 through May 6th, 2010 the 6th grade team will devote the entire
instructional day to this theme.
Teachers
Kim Varner – Art Teacher
Katie Fitzpatrick – Media Resource Teacher
Emily McGrath – 6th Grade Teacher
Rod Earles – 6th Grade Teacher
3
Objectives and Inquiry Questions
TEAM ART INSTITUTE UNIT
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE
COMPONENTS INCLUDED: Objective, Standards, and Inquiry
Questions
Contributed By: Emily McGrath
February 5, 2011
Objectives:
solutions for conserving energy resources
xpected to reflect and respond regarding the advantages
and disadvantages of using coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, biomass,
wind, hydropower, geothermal, and solar resources.
Standards:
12.C.1a Identify and compare sources of energy (e.g., batteries, the sun).
12.C.2a Describe and compare types of energy including light, heat, sound,
electrical and mechanical
12.C.3a Explain interactions of energy with matter including changes of
state and conservation of mass and energy.
12.B.4a Compare physical, ecological and behavioral factors that influence
interactions and interdependence of organisms.
12.C.1b Compare large-scale physical properties of matter (e.g., size,
shape, color, texture, odor).
12.E.1c Identify renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
12.E.4a Explain how external and internal energy sources drive Earth
processes (e.g., solar energy drives weather patterns; internal heat drives
plate tectonics).
4
Inquiry Questions:
What are some of the positive/negative environmental impacts of wind
power?
How are we managing energy resources?
What are the different energy resources we use everyday?
What is energy conservation?
Can renewable energy be used for our current energy needs? Why or why
not?
Does renewable energy use too much land to be considered? Why or why
not?
What are some of the disadvantages to be considered when using renewable
energy in Illinois? The Unite States? The World?
How do utility-scale wind power plants compare in cost to other renewable
energy sources?
What are the environmental benefits of wind power?
What are wind power's other environmental impacts?
How much water do wind turbines use compared with conventional power
plants?
In what states is there significant wind power/solar power development?
What is solar energy?
How does a solar cell work?
What is the difference between a solar collector and a solar panel?
Why do other countries use more solar energy than the U.S.A. ?
How much energy is in sunlight?
Is an integrated system possible?
5
Lesson Plans Focusing on Wind Energy
6
Lesson Plans Focusing on Solar Energy
“Walking on Sunshine”
Objectives: write a comparison essay
Standards:
Procedure:
 Students will select two of the pieces from the collection put
together from the Art Institute of Chicago.
Designed by Eleanor Kluck (American, born 1919) and Henry Kluck
(American, 1922–2007)
Produced by Elenhank Designers, Inc.
United States, Illinois, Riverside
Panel Entitled "Solar", 1974
1998.559
7
Arthur Dove
American, 1880-1946
Silver Sun, 1929
Oil and metallic paint on canvas
55.3 x 74.9 cm (21 3/4 x 29 1/2
in.)
Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1949.531
John Marin
American, 1870-1953
The Red Sun, Brooklyn Bridge, 1922
Watercolor with opaque watercolor, scraping, and wiping, and fabricated
charcoal with stumping, on thick, rough-textured, ivory wove paper (all
8
edges trimmed)
542 x 665 mm
1°: none
Alfred Stieglitz Collection,
1949.561R
Gustave Le Gray
French, 1820–1884
The Haloed Sun, 1856
Albumen print from wet collodion on glass negative, from the Vistas del Mar
album
32.6 x 41.6 cm
Original label on mount "Le Soleil Couronné"
Hugh
Edwards Fund, 1971.577.1
9
Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976)
printed at Shorewood Bank Street
Atelier, New York
Blue Sun, from Conspiracy, The Artist as Witness, 1971
Color lithograph from zinc plates on ivory wove paper
601 x 447 mm
(image/sheet, sight)
Gift of Edith Fantus DeMar in memory of David A.
DeMar, 2008.796.2




Students will observe and describe the art work based on the sun
as a common element in each.
Students will comply questions about each piece and investigate the
answers.
Identifying similarities and differences for the pieces selected,
students will write a comparison essay of the two pieces based on
at least three points of comparison.
Students will make a connection to the art work and the Clean
Energy of Solar
Assessment:
Comparison Essay Rubric
10
Varner’s Art Lesson
Arts Integrated Lesson Plan: Comparing the Aesthetic Qualities of
Clean Air Technology and Sculptural Forms
Essential Question: How can students identify relationships between clean
energy technology and sculpture?
Inquiry Question: How can I help my students find connections between
clean energy technology and sculpture and reflect on those connections?
Objectives:
Compare and describe connections between sculptural representation and
clean energy technology.
Create sculptural representation reflective of the comparisons between clean
energy technology and art.
Standards:
25.A.2d Identify and describe the elements of 2 and 3 dimensional space,
figure ground, value and form, the principles of rhythm, size, proportion and
composition, and the expressive qualities of symbol and story.
25.B.2 Understand how elements and principles combine within an art form
to express ideas.
26.A.2e Describe the relationships among media, tools/technology, and
processes.
26.A.2f Understand the artistic processes of sculpture.
26.B.2d Demonstrate knowledge and skills to create works of art using
problem solving, observing, designing, sketching, and constructing.
27.A.2b Describe how the arts function in commercial applications.
Focus Artwork:
11
Oskar Schlemmer
German, 1888-1943
Grotesque, 1923 (cast 1964)
Gold-plated silver
56 x 23.2 x 10 cm (22 x 19 3/8 x 4 in.)
none
12
Alexander Calder
American, 1898-1976
Streetcar, 1951
Painted steel, brass, and wire
106.7 x 294.6 cm (42 x 116 in.)
Gift of Florene May Schoenborn and Samuel A. Marx, 1953.179
Procedure:
During the first and second session, the students will compare and contrast
a selected work of art from the Art Institute and an example of a wind
turbine. The students will list the similarities and differences and find three
meaningful connections.
During the next several sessions, the students will reflect upon the previous
class discussions and based on their reflections, create a response to the
comparisons and connections with a sketch of a sculpture they will create.
Sculpture: TBA
Assessment:
Pre and Post Test:
13
Science and art terminology forced choice (clean energy vocabulary and
sculptural vocabulary)
14
Fitzpatrick’s Media Resource Lesson
Teacher/School Information
Katie Fitzpatrick, Librarian, Walt Disney Magnet School
Title and Brief Summary
Energy Research in the Library
There are ten major energy sources used in the United States today. Energy
is a part of every aspect of our lives. It is important to learn about energy
and its impact on our society. Students will gain background information
about energy sources and will be able to compare and contrast them. The
research will provide students with knowledge to prepare them for their CAC
unit, as well as an art integrated project.
Timeline
Research will begin in the library on March 7. This lesson will probably
continue for several 40 minute library classes.
Inquiry Question(s)
How much energy do we use now compared to the past?
What kinds of energy do we use in our daily lives?
Where will our energy come from in the future?
Objectives
Students will learn about energy sources using web-based resources.
Students will be able to present their information to the rest of the class.
Standards Addressed
Standards for the 21st Century Learner
Use a critical-thinking process that involves asking questions, investigating
the answers, and developing new understandings for personal or academic
independent-learning activities. (1.1.1)
Use technology resources such as online encyclopedias, online databases,
and Web subject directories, to locate information. (1.1.8)
Select and use appropriate electronic reference materials and teacherselected websites to answer questions. (1.1.8)
Work collaboratively in using technology to meet information needs. (2.1.5)
Present conclusions and supporting facts in a variety of ways. (3.1.1)
15
Encourage team members to share ideas and opinions. (3.1.2)
Focus Art Work (Image and any necessary information)
Margaret Bourke-White
American, 1904–1971
Fort Peck Dam, Montana, 1936
1957.139
Margaret Bourke-White
American, 1904–1971
Approaching storm, Hartman,
Colorado, 1954
1991.1285
Activities/Procedure
Thinking Skills: Comparing and Connecting Students will be shown the
images of two different pieces of art. (see above) Then will then be given a
piece of paper and asked to list and/or sketch the comparisons of the two art
pieces. Compare the colors, medium, purpose, subject, etc.
Next students will be asked to connect the two pieces of art. What is the
relationship between the two art pieces? Also, ask students if they can
make any connection between their own lives and the paintings. They will
also list and/or sketch their connections on the handout provided.
This thinking skills activity will be an introduction to energy research they
will be conducting in the library and at home for homework.
Ask students what kind of energy they currently use in their home or at
school?
16
Explain that they need to obtain background information about the 10 major
energy sources in the United States.
As a group, they need to collect as much information as they can about their
source so that they are an “expert”.
They will be asked to teach the other groups about their energy source.
Then they will be comparing types of sources, advantages and
disadvantages, etc.
Students in groups of two will be assigned an energy source.
Coal
Wind
Solar
Petroleum
Biomass
Hydropower
Natural Gas
Geothermal
Electricity
Uranium
Student groups will use the computer lab to research information about their
energy source, using at the web resources listed at
www.disneylibrary.wikispaces.com/Earles+McGrath
Student groups will work together to take detailed notes about their energy
sources to understand what they are learning.
Students must provide the following information about the energy source:
description of the energy source, including renewable or nonrenewable
history of the energy source
where the energy source is found and how it is recovered
how energy is stored in the source and how the energy is released
how the energy source is used today
17
advantages and disadvantages of the energy source
economic impacts of the energy source
environmental impacts of the energy source
future of the energy source
other interesting facts about the energy source, pictures/drawings, etc.
citations of the web and print sources used.
Student groups will search the collection on the Art Institute’s website and
choose a work of art that they think best represents their energy source.
Student groups will present their projects to the class. The presentation
format is TBD.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated using a rubric which includes knowledge of the
energy source, content of the presentation, level of participation in the
research and presentation, and design and creativity of the presentation.
Conclusion
Class discussion emphasizing the fact that every energy source has
advantages and disadvantages and that it is important to use many energy
sources to provide the energy needed in the U.S.
Students will also investigate future energy sources.
Extension
Student groups will pair up with other groups to compare and contrast their
energy information using a venn diagram.
If there is time, we will use this format to study emerging energy
technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, fusion, wave energy, and more.
18
Reflections and Findings
19