How I used these materials/11th Grade Environmental Science
From OOGEEP
Submitted by Julie Snyder, Norton High School
Consider energy education and your curriculum. How can you incorporate what you have learned into your science curriculum? Brainstorm some ideas that would include a science concept that needs to be taught, a variety of teaching methods to address retention, and the use of graphic organizers.
Contents |
[edit] Benchmarks, Standards, Content or Concepts
11th grade Environmental Science:
14. Conclude that Earth has finite resources and explain that humans deplete some resources faster than they can be renewed. (11)
05. Investigate that all fuels (e.g., fossil, solar and nuclear) have advantages and disadvantages; therefore society must consider the trade-offs among them (e.g., economic costs and environmental impact). (11)
06. Research sources of energy beyond traditional fuels and the advantages, disadvantages and trade-offs society must consider when using alternative sources (e.g., biomass, solar, hybrid engines, wind and fuel cells). (11)
09. Explain how natural and human-induced hazards present the need for humans to assess potential danger and risk. Many changes in the environment designed by humans bring benefits to society as well as cause risks. (11)
10. Describe costs and trade-offs of various hazards - ranging from those with minor risk to a few people, to major catastrophes with major risk to many people. The scale of events and the accuracy with which scientists and engineers can (and cannot) predict events are important considerations. (11)
11. Research the role of science and technology in careers that students plan to pursue. (11)
[edit] Ways to incorporate different teaching methods
- Lecture
Students will need an overview of natural gas and crude oil specifics, where it is found in Ohio and how it is processed. I will use the powerpoint notes from the various speakers at the workshop and their notes, but will condense it for our lecture periods.
- Reading
I will incorporate the OOGEEP workshop information along with our textbook chapter on non-renewable resources. The students will complete their bookwork and chapter packet alongside the information that I introduce on the specifics of the formation, drilling, refining, and the many products that come from natural gas and oil.
- Audio-visual
Using the projector and the CD-Rom from Jeanne and Carol, I will be able to reiterate lecture by presenting images, video and audio. These clips will help explain lecture by presenting and demonstrating the “roadmap of natural gas and oil,” and lead into their own presentations of formation, trapping, exploring, drilling, refining, and researching products.
- Demonstrations
I will present the workshop demonstrations as an “opener” each day for the classes, and be able to use the individual items given to us from OOGEEP which can help to further explain the steps. This would be eye-catching and arouse curiosity.
- Discussion Groups
After the students have spent about 2 weeks on crude oil, non-renewable resources, and drilling, I could moderate a debate on where and when to drill for these resources and the pros and cons of drilling for them.
- Practice by Doing
I liked how we met in groups at our workshop and teamed up with different roles to explain the numerous stations of the “Roadmap”. I would like to utilize that same idea, but on a smaller scale for the classroom. I also have an oil spill clean-up lab that I use each year, and this upcoming year, I will use it along with information on the current Gulf oil leak and discuss the costs and trade-offs.
- Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning
This is my 9th year of teaching and I learned early on that my students love to eat. The opportunity for them to get food into their mouth immediately perks up their brain, so I am thinking that if they break up into groups and have each group explain mining and drilling though the chocolate chip cookie or M&M cookie, maybe another group could demonstrate the cupcake core sampling, or mining for blueberries in the muffins. This would allow them to cover our drilling specifics and have fun demonstrating to the class the steps and treating themselves to a reward for the day with the extra samples!
- Use of Technology
Students could make a powerpoint presentation on oil and gas formation. They can even make a “Stay smart, Play smart” video for kids. Another option would be a pamphlet on petroleum, incorporating all the steps we outlined, or a flyer introducing “their own oil drilling company” which outlines their drilling regulations and company information based on their oil companies they have researched. I am also going to make a webquest for my students to research and learn by exploring the OOGEEP.org website.
- 21st Century Skills
I believe that my students would excel at any assignment that deals with technology or the use of their phones, ipods, or computers. My thoughts would be to have them contact an oil exploration company, drilling company or petroleum engineering firm via email and ask questions regarding their jobs, and their business. They could ask for information and outline the company and present to the class. The computer graphics would make a nice demonstration of oil drilling and the possibilities of having them construct 3-D models could be an option. A possibility to have a video conference/ or skype a geology professor or petroleum class at a university. A last thought would be to have students track the stock market via their ipods with up to date information on petroleum companies. After all, there should be an “app” for that!
[edit] Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers are handy for tying all the information together in a simpler format. We will make flip charts of the “Roadmap stages of natural gas and oil” like we did in the workshop. My students like to do posters and create models, so we have many options for renewable and non-renewable graphic organizers. We currently do an Energy poster project, outlining the energy needed to create an object. We can follow the path of energy in the formation of oil, to the exploration, mining and refining and recycling. A graphic organizer for plastics could be another idea. Our school is just beginning a plastic recycling program, and the education of the different densities is important.
[edit] Field trips or Speakers
I have a guest speaker from Waste Management come into the classroom each year to discuss plastic and paper recycling. I could expand on this and have a petroleum professional like Mrs. Tipka visit and discuss the business and opportunities in the field. The students like to hear from experts in the business and we are lucky to have OOGEEP professionals not too far from us!