From OOGEEP

Submitted by D. Vargo, Science/Biology/Anatomy teacher, Columbiana High School

Consider energy education and your curriculum. How can you incorporate what you have learned into your science curriculum?

Use this planning sheet to 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.

Considering the benchmarks/standards that you are required to teach what science concept or content will you plan to teach:

The OOGEEP workshop content may conform to several ninth grade content standards including: • Explain that many processes occur in patterns within the Earth’s system. (The unit lessons on formation will apply here) • Explain the 4.5 billion-year-history of Earth and the 4 billion-year-history of life on Earth based on observable scientific evidence in the geologic record (The unit lessons on formation will apply here) • Describe the finite nature of Earth’s resources and those human activities that can conserve or deplete Earth’s recourses ( the products section with emphasis on recycling applies here) • Explain the processes that move and shape Earth’s surface ( formation migration and trapping lessons apply here) • Summarize the historical development of scientific theories and ideas and describe emerging issues in the study of Earth and space science (Drilling and production, refining, and products apply here)

[edit] Ways to incorporate different teaching methods

• Lecture
  

Lecture will be limited to introduction of material, vocabulary, and general information linking content standards to several classroom activities, demonstrations, videos, and experiments on the OOGEEP energy education program.

• Reading
  

One to two page reading assignments may augment lecture or prepare students with background information to perform the experiments. The website and the resource booklet have an abundance brief of passages.

• Audio-visual
  

Students will really like the videos from the wiki on formation, migration, and trapping and drilling and production. The website has a number of links to videos. In addition, the DVD video “Get Smart, Stay Smart, Play Smart’ and “Fuel Less” will augment my lessons or can be used as introduction to the unit.

• Demonstration
  

Any of the experiments from the wiki could easily be modified into a demonstration. The distillation experiment, for example, would work well as a demonstration since I presently do not have enough equipment to do this as a lab. (The materials for six demonstrators are also provided with the Make It Take It box that was provided during the workshop.)

• Discussion Group
  

Many concepts about the oil and gas mining process can be learned in small group discussion or better yet by sorting students into small groups with a task to complete from the six OOGEEP units. For example, one group may research the refining process and preparing a 10-20 minute lesson complete with explanation, demonstration, video, pictures, and classroom discussion.

• Practice by Doing
  

We call this lab day. The red teacher workshop notebook contains a number of experiments for each of the six units. These and several more experiments are easily downloaded from the website.

• Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning
  

As described in the discussion group section above, teaching others is one of the best methods for understanding and information retention. The six unit content can be divided into six to twelve groups with a task assigned. This method has worked well fro me as long as the requirements and expectations are clearly presented.

• Use of Technology
  

Videos and computer animations are available as links on the website. PowerPoint presentations during the”teaching others “section is also a useful tool. Students often know much more about technology than I do so just making this requirement an open ended part of their assignment may produce some very interesting outcomes.

[edit] Ways to incorporate graphic organizers and/or retain learning

• The content standard “Explain that many processes occur in patterns within the Earth’s systems” emphasizes the earth is dynamic throughout its history. A lesson on this standard can easily incorporate several graphic organizers including pictures and maps of Ohio located south of the Equator two million years ago. This could lead to a discussion on the changing biotic environment in a tropical landscape (with pictures) and how this resulted in the formation of coal, oil, and natural gas deposits more than 1 mile deep.
• The content standard “Describe the finite nature e of Earth’s resources and those human activities that can conserve or deplete Earth’s resources” can easily show a graph and models of human population compared to consumption of raw materials including fossil fuels. The exponential human population growth post - industrial revolution will correspond with exponential demand for energy. This can ultimately lead to class discussion on ways students can reduce their carbon footprint or what mode of transportation do they envision using in 2050.

[edit] Ways to use field trips or make real-life industry connections

A field trip would be an excellent way to make a real-life industry connection. The Ergon Plant in Newell W.V. is approximately 40 minutes from Columbiana High School. I have been by the plant numerous times but until now never thought about trying to arrange a field trip. Guest speakers from the oil and gas industry would also nicely augment my lessons.