PHASE 4
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Extension Activites
What do the words “energy” and “efficiency” actually mean? These lessons use the Piper Computer Kit, along with some real-world examples to show students what energy is, how it's used, how it's conserved, and what choices students can make as consumers to make smarter decisions about energy use.
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
VOCABULARY
TEACHING
RESOURCES
LESSON 1
What is Energy? What is Efficiency?
We often hear the words “energy” and “efficiency” used, but what do they actually mean? This lesson will use the Piper Computer Kit, along with some real-world examples to show students what energy is. The lesson illustrates how different items and devices use energy and waste energy, and that efficiency is the ratio of useful versus wasted energy.
LESSON 2
The Energy Behind Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
The things we use every day are made from raw materials - plastic, metal, wood, etc. What materials are used, whether they are new or recycled, and how much material is used has a surprising impact on the overall amount of energy required to make a new product. By taking the time to understand how much energy is consumed by various manufacturing processes, students can become smarter, more conscientious consumers.