Trade-in or Trade-off: Energy Alternatives - Grade 11
Ohio Standards
Connection:
Science and
Technology
Benchmark A
Predict how human
choices today will
determine the quality
and quantity of life on
Earth.
Indicator 6
Research sources of
energy beyond
traditional fuels and the
advantages,
disadvantages and tradeoffs society must
consider when using
alternative sources (e.g.,
biomass, solar, hybrid
engines, wind and fuel
cells).
Lesson Summary:
In this lesson the students will review non-renewable
(traditional) and renewable (alternative) energy resources
and examine the trade-offs associated with each type. In
groups of two or three, they will select and research an
alternative resource, an application of that resource, and
then present their findings to the class in an oral
presentation using a visual (poster).
Estimated Duration: Two hours
Commentary:
Students will develop an understanding of the availability of
their alternative energy source, how it works, the
environmental and societal impact, and its application in the
real world. They will also critically examine issues having
to do with their particular energy production or usage and
formulate an approach to making decisions about their
future energy usage and consumption. Upon completion of
all of the presentations, posters will be prominently
displayed so that the connectedness of their products can be
viewed and examined. As a final step, each student will
write a reflective essay and complete a self-evaluation of
their performance.
Pre-Assessment:
 Print questions found in Attachment A, PreAssessment, and distribute to students.
 Direct students to answer the questions provided.
Scoring Guidelines:
See Attachment B, Pre-Assessment Scoring Guidelines, to
assess student responses.
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Trade-in or Trade-off: Energy Alternatives - Grade 11
Post-Assessment:
 Evaluate students based on their initial journal writing responses, thoughtful participation
in class discussions, thorough and accurate research and presentation of information
about their topic, creation of a research-based poster, and completion of a reflective essay
describing how their selected resource findings affected them personally. OR
 Evaluate each student’s reflective essay based on EITHER:
a. The law of conservation of energy: OR
b. The following quote by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov:
"The law of conservation of energy tells us that we can't get something for nothing but
we refuse to believe it."
Scoring Guidelines:
See Attachment C, Post-Assessment Scoring Guidelines, to assess student responses.
Instructional Procedures:
1. Have the students reflect in their journal ways they use different energy sources to
produce electricity in a typical day.
2. Have them identify those activities that are dependent upon non-renewable resources
(i.e., fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil).
3. Have students select one of these daily activities and suggest how they would use an
alternative resource such as solar power, wind, etc., instead of a fossil fuel.
4. After the students have completed their journal writing, have some students share their
suggestions with the class.
5. Follow up by a class/group discussion of the following questions:
 Where does each non-renewable energy source originate?
 Are public lands impacted by these resources?
 What are some examples of alternative renewable energy resources?
 Speculate how renewable energy resources can be used instead of fossil fuels.
 Why are we largely dependent on fossil fuel energy sources despite the feasibility of
renewable energy sources?
 What prevents or discourages consumers from using alternative energy sources?
6. Divide the class into small groups of two or three students. Assign each group one type of
alternative energy power source.
7. Distribute copies of Attachment D, Research Guidelines.
8. Give students time in and out of class to gather information about their energy source.
Instructional Tip:
As students gain and comprehend this new knowledge, try to have them recognize any biases
in their own thinking or on the part of the authors they have read.
9. Have groups give a 10-15 minute oral presentation using a poster as a visual. After all the
presentations are completed the students are to make a prediction about what will be the
world's major source of energy a hundred years from now. Evidence should be shown
that their alternative energy source could offer a viable alternative to the more hazardous
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Trade-in or Trade-off: Energy Alternatives - Grade 11
and/or less plentiful sources.
Instructional Tip:
If time does not permit group presentations, do a gallery walk instead. Display all posters and
allow students to learn from each other’s work.
10. Using the criteria in the evaluation rubric, have students assess their own performance.
Ask students to provide details in support of their personal assessment.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs, to help all learners either meet the
intent of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the
specified indicator(s).
 Provide students with a copy of their summative assessment tasks.
 Provide students with a concept map to organize and keep track of important terms and
definitions.
 Provide students with research strategies and a list of sample topic suggestions.
Extensions:
 Conduct a similar research project investigating what methods people used in the past in
order to meet their energy needs.
 Investigate significant changes in the availability of renewable resources due to global
warming.
 Design a cost/benefits and maintenance/disposal analysis of a resource application (e.g.
windmill farms).
Homework Options and Home Connections:
Have students ask family and friends about their daily energy usage. This information could
be used as a consideration in their predictions about energy usage in the future.
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of
its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does
not endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main
page, therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information
required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes
over time, therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related
to a given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For the teacher:
Textbooks and reference materials such as government reports and
scientific journals, and the Internet.
For the students: Poster board, markers, pens.
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Trade-in or Trade-off: Energy Alternatives - Grade 11
Key Vocabulary:
 alternative energy
 bio-fuel
 biomass
 ecological impact
 energy production
 energy reserves
 fossil fuel
 geothermal energy
 hydroelectric energy
 nonrenewable resource
 renewable resource
 resource allocation
 sustainability
 technology
 trade-off
 traditional fuels
Technology Connections:
Conduct Internet research on alternative energy resources.
Research Connections:
Marzano, R., Pickering, D., Pollock, J. (2001).Classroom Instruction that Works: ResearchBased Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, Va.,: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Cues, questions and advanced organizers help students retrieve what they already know
about a topic. Activating prior knowledge is critical to learning new concepts.
Rezba, Richard J., et al. Learning and Assessing Science Process Skills. Dubuque, Iowa:
Kendall/Hunt, 1995.
Prompts (cues) for journal entries allow for inference and prediction.
Attachments:
Attachment A, Pre-Assessment
Attachment B, Pre-Assessment Scoring Guide
Attachment C, Post-Assessment Scoring Guide
Attachment D, Research Guidelines
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Trade-in or Trade-off: Energy Alternatives - Grade 11
Attachment A
Pre-Assessment
1. List, as a group, the six most common alternative (renewable) energy sources:
2. In your science journals rank order your personal knowledge of the energy sources with
number one being the most knowledgeable and number six the least.
a. Define each alternative energy source.
b. Speculate how these renewable resources can be used instead of fossil fuels.
c. Predict what will be the major source of energy in the year 2103 and provide a
rationale.
3. Using the vocabulary list below and the skeletal grid of the concept map, complete to
show the relationship of the terms.
Biomass
Coal
Fossil fuels
Geothermal
Oil
Hydroelectric
Natural gas
Nonrenewable resource
Nuclear
Renewable resource
Solar
Tidal
Wind
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Trade-in or Trade-off: Energy Alternatives - Grade 11
Attachment B
Pre-Assessment Scoring Guide
The concept map provided is based on current scientific knowledge. Nuclear energy used
today is considered nonrenewable. However, breeder reactors are a renewable resource
because non-fissionable fuel is turned into fissionable fuel. In other words, more fuel is
produced than consumed.
Assessment Activity
Journal entry and
concept map
Level 4
Scientific
knowledge
about resource
uses and
implications
are accurate
and
thoughtfully
explained.
Level 3
Scientific
knowledge
about
resource uses
and
implications
are accurate.
Prediction
Provides
major
objective
reasons and
significant
justification
and evidence.
Provides
objective
reasons and
supporting
evidence.
Level 2
Scientific
knowledge
about resource
uses and
implications
have
occasional
inaccuracies
or are
simplified.
Provides some
objective
reasons and
some
supportive
evidence.
Level 1
Scientific
knowledge
about resource
uses and
implications
have major
inaccuracies
or are overly
simplified.
Provides
subjective,
irrelevant,
inaccurate
and/or
unsupportive
evidence.
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Trade-in or Trade-off: Energy Alternatives - Grade 11
Attachment C
Post-Assessment Scoring Guideline
Assessment Activity
Journal entry
Level 4
Scientific
knowledge
about resource
uses and
implications
are accurate,
and
thoughtfully
explained.
Level 3
Scientific
knowledge
about
resource uses
and
implications
are accurate.
Use of resources
Extensive
Web sites and
many useful
resources.
Adequate
Web sites and
good
resources.
Exceptional
Completion of
project/presentation quantity of
work and
quality of
evidence;
coordinates
the entire
team.
Reflective essay
Provides
major
objective
reasons and
significant
justification
and evidence.
Level 2
Scientific
knowledge
about resource
uses and
implications
have
occasional
inaccuracies
or are
simplified.
Some Web
sites and
resources are
recorded.
Level 1
Scientific
knowledge
about resource
uses and
implications
have major
inaccuracies
or are overly
simplified.
Work is high
quality;
facilitates the
work of the
team.
Work shows
some evidence
of error, but
doesn’t
interfere with
others’ work.
Does not
hinder
progress of the
team.
Provides
objective
reasons and
supporting
evidence.
Provides some
objective
reasons and
some
supportive
evidence.
Provides
subjective,
irrelevant,
inaccurate
and/or
unsupportive
evidence.
Provides
minimal
resources.
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Trade-in or Trade-off: Energy Alternatives - Grade 11
Attachment D
Research Guidelines
1. Select an energy source
Suggested Topics
 Wind energy
 Hydroelectric energy
 Geothermal energy
 Biomass energy
 Tidal energy
 Solar energy
 Hybrid systems
 Other
2. Provide the following information for your energy source or application:
 a definition and one comparison to a traditional fuel;
 three examples of how the source is used;
 three advantages and three disadvantages of using the source discussion of
controversies surrounding energy sources such as societal costs and benefits,
developmental problems, efficiencies and limitations, potential safety and
environmental impacts and policy implications;
 accurate, numerical data on the quantities of energy able to be produced;
 examples of usage in this country and around the world;
 discussion of its suitability in Ohio;
 end notes with citation of sources.
3. Use resource books, government reports, magazine and newspaper articles, scientific
journals and credible Web sites.
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