Why is it important not to waste energy?
On this day, we will focus on why it is important not to waste energy and easy ways that we can conserve energy without getting into renewable resources. After day 2, students will understand why it is important that we don't waste energy and what examples of that might look like.
The easiest way to explain wasted energy is to think of a car. Now remember what we said yesterday, one form of energy can change into another form. With that in mind, when we put gas into a car, the chemicals in the gasoline are what creates the energy for the car to move. But when we stand at the back end of the car, we can feel heat coming from the tail pipe. This heat is a form of energy that comes from the gasoline powering the car, and therefore is wasted gasoline energy. This means that the caliber or value of the energy being released from the car is not the same as the caliber or value of energy being put into the car (Getting Energized!). Once resources that are non-renewable are wasted and used up, they can't be replaced. Again, these are things like coal, oil or petroleum, and natural gas. To help conserve these resources and the energy that comes from them, we can: remember to turn off lights and electronics when we leave the room, ride the bus or carpool, RECYCLE, don't buy plastic bottles (they only end up in landfills), resell clothing, and use fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent (AE kids).
Activities today will be about conserving energy. The teacher will start by reading the quote at the top of the page aloud to the students. They will use this as a journal prompt and write what they think it means or how it makes them feel. The students would then brainstorm their own ideas to conserve resources. Next, the teacher will help the students create an energy conservation contract. In it the students would list some ideas that they could do at home and at school to conserve resources. This will help them see they are accountable for helping the planet and not wasting resources. At the end of day two, they should have a better understanding of why it is important not to waste energy.
The easiest way to explain wasted energy is to think of a car. Now remember what we said yesterday, one form of energy can change into another form. With that in mind, when we put gas into a car, the chemicals in the gasoline are what creates the energy for the car to move. But when we stand at the back end of the car, we can feel heat coming from the tail pipe. This heat is a form of energy that comes from the gasoline powering the car, and therefore is wasted gasoline energy. This means that the caliber or value of the energy being released from the car is not the same as the caliber or value of energy being put into the car (Getting Energized!). Once resources that are non-renewable are wasted and used up, they can't be replaced. Again, these are things like coal, oil or petroleum, and natural gas. To help conserve these resources and the energy that comes from them, we can: remember to turn off lights and electronics when we leave the room, ride the bus or carpool, RECYCLE, don't buy plastic bottles (they only end up in landfills), resell clothing, and use fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent (AE kids).
Activities today will be about conserving energy. The teacher will start by reading the quote at the top of the page aloud to the students. They will use this as a journal prompt and write what they think it means or how it makes them feel. The students would then brainstorm their own ideas to conserve resources. Next, the teacher will help the students create an energy conservation contract. In it the students would list some ideas that they could do at home and at school to conserve resources. This will help them see they are accountable for helping the planet and not wasting resources. At the end of day two, they should have a better understanding of why it is important not to waste energy.