Renewable Energy Unit Plan

This unit provides teachers with a comprehensive approach to teaching fourth graders about renewable resources. The students will understand what makes for a renewable resource and analyze the impact abundant resources have on the Earth. They will investigate, problem-solve, and research in order to develop a firm understanding of renewable energy.

Unit ObjectivesList at least one renewable or one nonrenewable resource.Describe why wind, water, sunlight, geothermal heat, or biomass is a renewable energy resource.Describe why wind, water, sunlight, geothermal heat, or biomass is a renewable energy resource.Recognize why plants and animals are renewable energy resources. We will list the process of biomass conversion.Understand how dams work.Describe how we can conserve water while still meeting daily needs.Describe how a sailboat uses wind energy.Describe how solar power can be used to cook food after an experiment.Standards AddressedSO4-S4C3: Organisms and EnvironmentsUnderstand the relationships among various organisms and their environments.PO 1. Describe ways various resources (e.g. air, water, plants, animals, soil) are utilized to meet the needs of a population.PO 2. Differentiate renewable resources from nonrenewable resources.PO 3. Analyze the effect that limited resources (e.g. natural gas, minerals) may have on an environment.PO 4. Describe ways in which resources can be conserved (e.g. by reducing, reusing, recycling, finding substitutes).

Testing our sailboats on wind power day!