This activity first introduces students to the basics of the power grid as a system made up of subsystems. They will watch and discuss a video showing how energy is converted into power that is then transmitted and distributed throughout the community. They then identify different sources of energy for producing electricity, learn the difference between nonrenewable and renewable energy sources, and learn what energy sources have a high carbon footprint. Finally, students construct parallel circuits and use them to model the power grid and talk about energy. They discuss aspects of the model, including energy flows within the system, how different subsystems of the power grid are represented, and limitations of the model.
The Details
Grades
6th - 8th Grade
Time Required
45-85 minutes in one or two class periods
Downloads
Materials
You may want to package them together in a kit:
- Student Guide (5 pages)
- 10 LED lightbulbs (8 red, 2 green)
- 1 Manila folder, cut into pieces
- Maker Tape (2-3ft strip per student)
- Jumper leads with alligator clips (2 per student group)
- Narrow (1/2″) transparent tape
- 1 Hand crank motor with handle (3D and Laser files available for printing handle)
- 1 Solar panel
- 1 Coin cell battery
- 1-2 Pair(s) of scissors
- Ruler
- Pencil
Next Generation Science Standards
Cross-Cutting Concepts
- Energy & Matter
- Stability & Change
- Systems & System Models
Disciplinary Core Ideas
- PS2.B Types of Interactions
- PS3.A Definitions of Energy
- PS3.B Conservation of Energy & Energy Transfer
Learning Objectives
- Identify and discuss the main subsystems of a power grid system
- Describe the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, and identify energy sources as one or the other
- Discuss how the class model of a power grid represents the parts of its system and its limitations (the parts of the system not about to be represented in the model)
- Track inputs, outputs, and energy flows through their power grid models
