Implementation and integration notes: "Energy and the Environment"

These notes will help educators implement the activities for this phase and theme. They are included to provide an idea of the scope of the activities.

The notes included below are grouped by grade level.

Division I (grades K - 3) | Division II (grades 4 - 6)
Division III (grades 7 - 9) | Division IV (grades 10 - 12)

DIVISION I

A. Learner outcomes

Students will:

• Apply knowledge of conductors, circuits and switches. (learned in Phase 3)
• Design, troubleshoot and evaluate a method of wiring a model house.

B. General Information:
In this activity, students conduct research to determine typical styles of housing in Nepal, use a cardboard box to model this type of house, and wire the house in a manner that maximizes the efficiency of three light bulbs.

C. On-line Opportunities:
E-mail Dave's team to determine the housing styles and lighting needs of people in Nepal.

D. Preview of activities:

Phase 4 Challenge: How Could You Wire a House?

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DIVISION II

A. Learner Outcomes

Students will:

• Understand the effect of resistors on the current in a circuit. (see Electricity Background, Ohm's Law)
• Construct parallel and series circuits. (see Electricity Background, Electric Circuits)
• Use LEDs in a simple circuit by incorporating the appropriate resistors. (see Electricity Background, Sources of Light)
• Design and construct a headlamp that uses LEDs as the light source.

B. General information

The end result of this phase is the construction of a headlamp that relies on LEDs as the light source. This challenge follows the Phase 3 challenge, where students were expected to construct a headlamp using an ordinary, incandescent bulb.

In this phase the students will learn about resistors and the effect they have on the current flowing through a circuit. They will need knowledge of resistors if they are going to successfully incorporate LEDs in a circuit using a battery as a power source.

Students will also examine the two basic structures of circuits (parallel and series) and look more closely at what an LED is before they construct their headlamps.

C. On-line opportunities
Students may, once they have gained a good knowledge of circuits, resistors and LEDs, develop an on-line tutorial of what they have learned.

Students may also want to share the designs for their headlamps with other students in Canada.

D. Preview of activities

1. Resistors
2. Series and Parallel Circuits
3. Light Emitting Diodes
Challenge: Design a headlamp using an LED

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DIVISION III and IV

A. Learner Outcomes

Students will:

• Understand the effect of different resistors on the current in a circuit.
• Construct parallel and series circuits.
• Use LEDs in a simple circuit by incorporating the appropriate resistors.
• Design and construct a headlamp that uses LEDs as the light source.

B. General information

The end result of this phase is the construction of a headlamp that relies on LEDs as the light source. This challenge follows the Phase 3 challenge, where students were expected to construct a headlamp using an ordinary, incandescent bulb.

In this phase the students will learn about resistors and the effect that they have on the current flowing through a circuit. They will need knowledge of resistors if they are going to successfully incorporate LEDs in a circuit using a battery as a power source. Students will also examine the two basic structures of circuits (parallel and series) and look more closely at what an LED is before they construct their headlamps.

C. On-line opportunities

Students may, once they have gained a good knowledge of circuits, resistors and LEDs, develop an on-line tutorial of what they have learned.

Students may also want to share the designs for their headlamps with other students in Canada.

D. Preview of activities

Div III
1. Resistors
2. Series and Parallel Circuits
3. Light Emitting Diodes
Challenge: Design a headlamp using an LED

Div IV
1. Resistors - Series Resistance and Parallel Resistance
Challenge: Design a headlamp using an LED

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