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Icon for Energy: Writing an Explanation of an Alternate Energy sources

Energy: Writing an Explanation of an Alternate Energy sources

Science

Learning Module

Abstract

Students learn about different forms of energy, energy transformations, and how energy can be harnessed and preserved. They also learn about writing in Scholar, how to search for information, and how to write an explanation before writing their own explanation about alternate energy sources and how they are being researched and used.

Keywords

Alternate Energy, Renewable Energy, Non Renewable Energy, Fossil Fuels, Solar, Tidal , Nuclear, Wind, Water

1. Overview

For the Student

In this Learning Module, you will learn about alternate forms of energy, how energy transformations can be made,  and how to conserve scarce resources effectively. As this is your first experience of using Scholar, you will also learn about writing in Scholar, how to search for information, and how to write an explanation before writing your own explanation about Alternate Energy transformation.

Ninety percent of the source of energy we use today is non renewable. This implies that we are consuming energy that are permanently destroyed. This is easily noticeable by the amount of gas, oil and electricity that we use in our day to day lives, which is ever increasing. This  is  well depicted by the following video you can see :

Media embedded February 11, 2016

Most of our energy comes from fossil fuels. They are coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Carbon is the main element in fossil fuels. For this reason, the time period that fossil fuels formed (about 360-300 million years ago) is called the Carboniferous Period.

Fossil fuels are a valuable source of energy. They are relatively inexpensive to extract. They can also be stored, piped, or shipped anywhere in the world.

However, burning fossil fuels is harmful for the environment. When coal and oil are burned, they release particles that can pollute the air, water, and land. Some of these particles are caught and set aside, but many of them are released into the air.

Comment: Where do you use energy in your life?  Give at least two examples and explain how you are using them . Comment on whether is a fossil fuel or not .  Look at other students' comments and note the similarities and differences.

For the Teacher

In this learning module  students learn about:

Different types of Renewable and Non Renewable  energy sources, energy transformations, understand the key differences and how to tap and harness these forms of energy sources.

The structure and language features of an explanation

How Scholar works

This initial activity links the learning to students' experiences of energy transformations in their own lives. It also introduces them to Community with a simple comment. The activities that follow build on this so that students become part of a knowledge producing community, sharing their knowledge and supporting their peers.

Emphasize to students that Community in Scholar is an academic learning space. Hence students should use appropriate language and challenge themselves to develop their writing skills. Encourage them to always be supportive of their peers.

Main  Focus

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

3. Group 1: Bio Gas as an Alternate Energy Source

For the Student

Learning Intention: To identify important ideas about Bio Gas as a alternate energy source and to share these with your peers in Community.

If you are viewing these texts first, then you are in Group 1 watch the videoclip below

Media embedded February 11, 2016

Also read the material in wikipedia for interesting facts about bio gas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogas

The videoclip and link  are  your focus  , so view and read it very carefully and become an expert on the material. You may also find other texts about the topic to add to your knowledge and to share in Community.

Comment: Add a comment in which you identify three important facts of biogas. Check other students' comments and try not to repeat facts they have added. You should comment on other facts or build on existing facts by adding more details.

 

 

For the Teacher

There will be two updates to post to Community, each one focusing on different texts, but requiring students to follow the same instruction. Students are expected to read/view and comment on each one but to be an expert on the first or second one that they read/view. In this way students cover important reading and viewing about the topic. As experts, they share their knowledge through comments in Community.

Form groups by assigning each student a number, 1 or 2 , trying to keep groups as equal as possible. The group number indicates which text students read/view first. Each student will read/view all of the texts, but in a different order. This ensures that comments are made on each text and then as students read/view the second , there are existing comments for students to build on. Also students are encouraged to be experts on the first text that they read so they read this more closely than the others.

Some of the information is repeated so that the information builds on and reinforces what students have already covered.

By identifying what they consider to be 3 of the most important facts in the text, they must read through the entire text and identify key facts that they will add to the comments.

Encourage students to build on existing facts by adding more details and elaboration rather than repeating existing comments.

While the texts include viewing and reading, these texts may be complemented by concrete investigations wherever possible.

3. Group 2 : Water as an Alternate Energy Source

For the Student

Learning Intention: To identify important ideas about Water( Hydropower energy) as a alternate energy source and to share these with your peers in Community.

If you are viewing these texts first, then you are in Group 2. Watch the video

Media embedded February 11, 2016

Also read the material in wikipedia for interesting facts about 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity

The videoclip and link  are  your focus  , so view and read it very carefully and become an expert on the material. You may also find other texts about the topic to add to your knowledge and to share in Community.

Comment: Add a comment in which you identify three important facts of Hydro Power. Check other students' comments and try not to repeat facts they have added. You should comment on other facts or build on existing facts by adding more details.

For the Teacher

There will be two updates to post to Community, each one focusing on different texts, but requiring students to follow the same instruction. Students are expected to read/view and comment on each one but to be an expert on the first or second one that they read/view. In this way students cover important reading and viewing about the topic. As experts, they share their knowledge through comments in Community.

 

Form groups by assigning each student a number, 1 or 2 , trying to keep groups as equal as possible. The group number indicates which text students read/view first. Each student will read/view all of the texts, but in a different order. This ensures that comments are made on each text and then as students read/view the second , there are existing comments for students to build on. Also students are encouraged to be experts on the first text that they read so they read this more closely than the others.

Some of the information is repeated so that the information builds on and reinforces what students have already covered.

By identifying what they consider to be 3 of the most important facts in the text, they must read through the entire text and identify key facts that they will add to the comments. Encourage students to build on existing facts by adding more details and elaboration rather than repeating existing comments.

While the texts include viewing and reading, these texts may be complemented by concrete investigations wherever possible.

4. Survey: Energy Transformations

For the Student

Learning Intention: To demonstrate your factual knowledge about energy and energy transformations.

Complete the survey.

Fig. 6: A bowling ball has mechanical energy which it transfers to the pins when it hits them.

For the Teacher

This survey will provide data on what students understand about energy following the initial activities in this Learning Module.

Provide extra support to students who require it through individualized or small group support in structured mini- lessons on the material in activities 1-5.

Next Generation Science Standards

PS3.A: Definitions of Energy

PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

5. Project Information and Draft

For the Student

Learning Intention: To start my writing project and to use the Rubric to identify what is important to include.

Project Name: Alternate Energy Sources

Description:  Explain how alternate energy is transformed by writing a detailed explanation of one of the following:

  • Wind
  • Solar
  • Agricultural waste
  • Geothermal
  • Hydroelectric
  • Landfill gas
  • Tidal energy

Negotiate a focus with your teacher.

Your explanation should focus on your scientific understanding of how your choice of alternative source of energy is harnessed. Include multimedia, sources and referencing.

Check the Work Request in your Notifications. Click on this link to open the “Untitled Work” in Creator. Then, change the title, and begin a first draft. Go to About This Work => Project => Description for further project information.

For what you need to do in order to write a good informative/explanatory text, go to Feedback => Reviews => Rubric. Keep the Rubric open and refer to it as you write.

When you are ready to submit, click “Submit Draft” below the work. This is the version of your work that will be sent to others for review.

Comment: Do you have any questions about how Scholar works? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student's question, please answer it - be sure to name the student you are replying to in your comment by starting with @Name.

Fig. 7: A drawn bow and arrow has mechanical energy in the form of elastic potential energy.

For the Teacher

Assigning the project to the students at this stage is important to set clear expectations, and also so students understand how the activities that follow will support them.

Students may begin their writing task by drawing on their prior knowledge and what they have learned in the initial activities, and then researching further.

As students begin to draft their work, encourage them to use the Structure Tool. The Structure Tool supports students to develop an initial structure for their text. As they continue to research, they add more notes, refine the elements of their text, and draft a new version, transforming their notes into well written text.

Students should also refer to the rubric as a guide as they write in Creator. If necessary, look through the rubric with students.

Project Rubric

 

 

 

CCSS Focus

W.8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

W.8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.

W.8.6: Use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing, and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

5. How to Write in Scholar

For the Student

Learning Intention: To understand the phases of draft, feedback, revision and publication in Creator in Scholar.

In Scholar, you go through the following writing phases:

1. Draft: This is where you write the first draft of your work.

2. Feedback: You will then be asked to give feedback on works that your peers have written.

3. Revision: Next, you will receive feedback from your peers on your work. This feedback will help you to improve your work when you rewrite it.

4. Publication: Finally, your teacher will review your work and may decide to publish it to your profile page in Community. Once published, other members of your class community will be able to read and comment on your work.

Now, go to Creator. Do not create a new work - make sure you write in the blank work that has been created for the class project. If you open the work from the link in your Notifications, you will be sure to be in the right work. Have a look around:

  • Mouse over the items in the toolbar to see the different things you can do.
  • Open About This Work. In the Info tab, change the title of your work to the title of what you will be writing about. You can also include a subtitle if you wish.
  • Open Feedback. Have a look at the review criteria in the Rubric - this is how the quality of your text will be measured.

You can view some short videos on how to use the Scholar workspace. These include:

Comment: Do you have any questions about how Scholar works? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student’s question, please answer it - be sure to name the student you are replying to in your comment by starting with @Name.

Fig. 8: A weightlifter lifts a barbell, transferring mechanical energy to it.

For the Teacher

For students who have not used Scholar before, this update describes the stages in the online writing process.

To see how you, as a publishing admin, can publish a creator's work, see Publishing a Creator's Work.

You can view the completed results in Analytics.

CCSS Focus

W.8.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

6. Using the Rubric and Checker

For the Student

Learning Intention: To understand how to use the Rubric and Checker in Creator as you draft your work.

Some things to do as you create the draft of your work:

  • Have a look at the Rubric to see what you are expected to include in your writing at Creator => Feedback => Reviews => Rubric. The Rubric can remain open as you write so you can continue to refer to it.
  • Use the Checker to see whether there is anything you would like to do to improve your writing. The Checker does not tell you whether you are right or wrong, but makes change suggestions. You have to decide whether these suggestions are helpful or not. (Creator => Feedback => Checker).

Scholar saves your work automatically every 15 seconds, so there is no need to save your work as you go. When you have finished, go ahead and save just to be sure you catch your last 15 seconds of work.

You can view a short video on the Checker.

When you are ready to submit your draft, view Submitting a Draft. Once you submit you cannot make any changes to the version of the work that has been sent to your peers to review.

Comment: If you have a question about how do so something in Scholar, comment on this update. Keep looking here for questions from fellow students and respond if you know the answer. Reading questions and comments might help with a question that you want to ask - the answer might already have been given!

Fig. 9: Solar energy

For the Teacher

This update is for first time users of Scholar. It supports students to use the Rubric and Checker as they draft their writing.

CCSS Focus

W.8.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

7. Internet Searches and Citing References

For the Student

Learning Intention: To understand how to search for information and to cite references correctly.

Here are some tips for researching information.

1. Decide on your search engine. Some popular search engines are Bing, Blekko, Dogpile, DuckDuckGo, Live, Google and Yahoo.

2. Use unique terms that are specific to the topic you are searching. If you are researching Abraham Lincoln's famous speeches and you type in 'Abraham Lincoln', you will get many pages. 'Lincoln speeches' would be more specific and would narrow the search. 'Gettysburg Address' would be even more specific.

3. Leave out words such as 'the' and 'a'. Also leave out commas and periods.

4. Use quotation marks around exact words if you are looking for a particular text.

5. Use the Advanced Search button to refine your search by date, country, amount, language, or other criteria.

6. Bookmark any sites that you might need later.

Then search through the list of web pages to open the most relevant ones. If you can't find what you need, try another search engine.

As you research information about your topic, make sure you record the references for all the sources you use. Check that the website is reliable and credible. Who wrote it and when was it written or last updated? Is the website trying to sell you something? From what you already know about the topic as well as other sites that you visit, check that the information is accurate. Is it biased?

Refer to examples of how to cite references according to the MLA format.

Comment: Post any questions you have about searching for information or citing references. Post a response if you think you can answer another student’s question.

Fig. 10: Atomic energy

For the Teacher

In this activity students use internet search skills to find more information about their topic. Encourage students to check the reliability of the link they have found by finding out the author and the date it was written, and cross referencing it with other sites and their prior knowledge of the topic. Support individual students to locate and evaluate the information.

CCSS Focus

SL.8.1c: Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

W.8.6: Use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing, and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

W.8.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

8. Structure of Informative/Explanatory texts

For the Student

Learning Intention: To analyze the structure of the text about Catapults in order to find out if it is an effective informative/explanatory text.

Look at Catapults. This is an explanation of energy transformation in catapults. Also refer to the review criteria for this Scholar project – Go to Feedback=>Reviews=>Rubric. Then complete the table by finding examples for each feature.

Catapults
Feature Examples Definition
Introductory Point Sentence Introduces the topic with a short overarching statement, stating the main idea about the topic and engaging the reader
Definition Clarifies what the topic is about and defines the main concept
Preview Outlines the main ideas that will be covered in the work, without giving all the details. These ideas are organized into broad categories and the paragraphs that follow should focus on these categories – perhaps one paragraph per category
Concepts Includes the main ideas that will be elaborated and supported with evidence
Paragraph Point Sentence Starts each paragraph by stating the topic of the paragraph; it is followed by supporting evidence
Evidence: Facts and Details Is information that is claimed to be true or something that is real or actually happened
Evidence: Statistic Are number facts that help to describe more than one thing
Evidence Quotation Are words that someone has said or written, taken from a book, speech, interview, poem, play, the internet, etc
Evidence: Examples Is one of a number of things, or a part of something, that helps to illustrate an idea or concept
Opinion Is a person's perspective
Conclusion Summarizes the main points
Concluding Statement Comments about the importance of the topic, or poses a question, looks to the future, or includes a call to action or a personal or widely-held opinion about the topic
Analyzing Informative/Explanatory Text Structure Chart

You can also refer to Transition Words. Transition words help you to create cohesion in your writing. Cohesion means that the text is unified, has a logical sequence and there are links between and within paragraphs. Try inserting some of the examples in Catapults With a peer, read the paragraphs again with your insertions, and discuss if they are effective. Are they subtle or obvious transitions? Try using some subtle transitions to create cohesion in your writing.

Transition Words

Comment: Do you think that the author of Catapults has written an effective explanation? Why or why not? Post one idea you have and comment on the posts of other students.

Fig. 11: Catapult

For the Teacher

In this activity, students deepen their understanding of the structure of an explanation by finding examples in a model text. They also refer to the Rubric in Creator and information on transition words, in order to learn about choices they can make when they write their own texts.

Students can insert transition words in the Catapults text, writing in their suggestions, or with a partner, rereading paragraphs with their suggested transition words. The completed charts may be referred to as students write or submitted to the teacher in "Submissions" in Community.

The structure of an informative/explanatory text helps to achieve its purpose by:

  • Clearly stating an idea through the topic sentence.
  • Including elaboration supported by evidence in the form of relevant facts, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
  • Ensuring the writer does not go off on tangents which are not relevant to the topic.

CCSS Focus

W.8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

W.8.2a: Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

W.8.2b:Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions,concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

W.8.2c: Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

W.8.2f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

9. Give Feedback and Revise

For the Student

Learning Intention: To give feedback on other students’ works and then revise my own.

Check your Notifications for Feedback Requests: You have received a Feedback Request. Click on this link to take you to the work you have been assigned to review. Go to Feedback => Reviews => Review Work. Rate the work on each criterion and explain why you gave the work that rating. Make in-text comments at Feedback => Annotations. Make an overall recommendation at Feedback => Recommendation.

Submit your feedback once it is finished at About This Work => Project => Status. You will not be able to submit your review until all requirements set by you teacher have been met. These may include a Review, Annotations, and/or a Publication Recommendation.

Revision

The next stage of the writing process is to revise your own work.

Check your Notifications for a Revision Request: You have received a Revision Request. Click on this link to take you to the most recent version of your work. Then go to Feedback => Reviews => Results to see the reviews and Feedback => Annotations to see in-text comments. Once you have incorporated all of the feedback (Reviews/Annotations) from your peers, click “Submit Revision” below the work.

You can also write a self-review, explaining how you have taken on board the feedback you received.

Comment: Do you have any more questions about Scholar at this stage? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student's question, please answer it - be sure to name the student you are replying to in your comment by starting with @Name.

Fig. 12: Energy Transformation

For the Teacher

This update covers two stages of the writing process in Scholar: Review and Revision.

The following Overt Instruction Updates from The Writer's Toolkit: Straegies for Writing in the New Media may be useful to add to Community.They may be used with first time users or it may be appropriate to introduce them in a second writing project so students learn about the features of Scholar over time.

  • Constructive Feedback: Annotations - this guides students in how to provide specific feedback through Annotations.
  • Revision Phase - this focuses on how to use the feedback students receive to improve their writing, and includes writing a self review.

Refer to the Analytics to monitor how students are progressing with their writing and reviews.

CCSS Focus

W.8.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

W.8.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

L.8.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing.

L.8.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing.

10. Constructive Feedback: Reviews

For the Student

Learning Intention: To identify what is helpful or constructive feedback when writing reviews.

There are three kinds feedback you can give, but only one kind is really helpful:

1. Unhelpful: Critical feedback, which says things are wrong with a work but the person giving the feedback does not suggest how the work might be improved. This feedback may even be hurtful if it uses language that is harsh.

2. Unhelpful: ‘Cheerleader’ feedback, which says things like ‘wow this is great’ or ‘great job’, but doesn’t explain how or why the reviewer thinks it’s great, or make additional suggestions so the writer can improve their text.

3. Helpful: Constructive feedback, which explains the reasons for a judgment and suggests changes that the creator might make to improve their work. You can refer to the rubric for specific suggestions to include in your feedback.

Find out more about reviewing a work in Scholar at Reviewing a Work and Submitting a Review and Annotations.

Comment: Do you have any questions or comments about how Scholar works at this stage? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student’s question, please answer it - be sure to name the student you are replying to in your comment by including @Name.

Fig. 13: A spring in tension is an example of potential energy.

For the Teacher

Scholar is a collaborative writing environment, where students learn to give and respond to each other’s work. This update provides some advice on giving constructive feedback. Emphasize the importance of using the Rubric to give specific feedback. It is prospective and formative rather then restrospective and summative. It provides suggestions and language that the students can use in their feedback to their peers.

CCSS Focus

W.8.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

SL.8.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one ... ) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

11. Publish and Reflect

For the Student

Learning Intention: To identify what is successful writing.

Check Notifications to see if your work has been published and whether works that you provided feedback on have been selected for publication. Published works may be viewed on your and any collaborators' individual profiles in Community.

Comment: Read two - three other people’s published informative/explanatory texts. Write a comment about the most interesting thing you learned from reading them. This might be ideas you hadn’t thought of or interesting evidence such as facts that you didn’t know. Also comment about one thing you have learned about writing informative/explanatory texts. Mention the creator and title of the work, and make a link to that page so the person reading your comment can jump to the page quickly.

Fig. 14: Energy Ball

For the Teacher

Notifications of publication are provided to the creator and all reviewers.

This reflection activity promotes student metacognition about what makes quality writing by reading and reflecting on other students’ writing. Ask students to look over other people’s published works - have them read at least two or three works. Ask them to comment on something interesting they learned from reading other students’ work. 

CCSS Focus

W.8.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

12. Acknowledgements

Title: Energy Ball (Source: Photograph by Brenda Clarke); Fig.1: Boy on Bicycle (Source: Photograph by Chad Heininger); Fig. 2: Lights (Source: Photograph by Phillip Kalantzis-Cope); Fig. 3: Roller Coaster (Source: Photograph by Spencer Wright); Fig. 4: Newton's Cradle (Source); Fig. 5: Electrical Circuit (Source); Fig. 6: Bowling Ball (Source); Fig. 7: Bow and Arrow (Source); Fig. 8: Barbell (Source); Fig. 9: Solar Energy (Source); Fig. 10: Atomic Energy (Source); Fig. 11: Catapult (Source); Fig. 12: Transformation of Energy Diagram (Source); Fig. 13: Springs (Source); Fig. 14: Energy Ball (Source: Photograph by Brenda Clarke).

 Catapults Text: Fig.1: Catapult (Source); Fig 2: Aircraft Catapult (Source).