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Changing Climate: Energy Choices

Class Description

Sustainable energy is the major focus of this class. Testing of various household appliances empowers students to adjust their personal energy footprint through conservation and efficiency. Students experiment with various renewable energy technologies such as photovoltaic and solar water heating. When possible, the sun is used to cook a cake. Students understand electrical power through a bicycle generator. Students understand CO2 foot printing through a large inflatable balloon used to represent equivalents of CO2 produced in various activities. Solutions are posted by students to reduce their CO2 footprints to help with reducing the impact of climate change on Earth's ecology. Taught all year. See also Climate Change and Ecological Effects.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the Energy Choices class students will be able to:

Understand that climate change is occurring and their is a 90 % chance it is caused by humans.
Briefly describe how their energy habits could affect ecological change on earth.
Define atmosphere, greenhouse gases, climate, ecology, carbon footprint, energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable vs non renewable fuels.
Describe the hierarchy choices necessary to reduce CO2 released into the atmosphere: 1. wants vs need 2. energy conservation 3. energy efficiency 4. fuel choices.
Analyze climate change current events when seen in the media.
Recommend personal actions they can take in reducing their carbon footprint.

Minnesota Graduation Standards

Wolf Ridge has aligned the Center's entire curriculum to Minnesota Department of Education Academic Standards. As the primary student audience at Wolf Ridge is from 4th-12th grade, the matrices address these grade levels. Teachers may request that their students focus upon a specific benchmark while attending Wolf Ridge. The Wolf Ridge Curriculum Standards Matrix addresses benchmarks in

Science
Math
History and Social Science
Language Arts
Arts

Wolf Ridge Curriculum Concepts

The sun is the primary source of energy for life on earth.
Renewable resources must be used at a sustainable level to remain available.
A growing human population is making increasing demands on natural resources.
Humans have a great ability to alter natural systems, and a responsibility to consider the effects of our actions.
Gases (O2, CO2, air), minerals (N, Ca, Fe, rocks, soil), energy and life all change location and form in a predictable cyclic pattern.
A growing human population is making increasing demands on natural resources.
See entire Wolf Ridge Curriculum Framework