Science Semester

“Powerpoint” organizers for Spring 2004

Investigation 1: Energy


Some important notes:


Not all of the overheads which were shown are in this particular web page. Some were shown by the geology teacher (John Madsen) or by the biology teachers (Deb Allen and Richard Donham). Most of these are available on webCT.


Some of the handwritten overheads which were used during class minilectures are also not here. I have transcribed those which I consider to be important. However I am not guaranteeing that every topic that might come up in a complete answer to a test question is mentioned somewhere here.

 


 

 

UNIV 110- 2004

Science Semester

 

First class:

 

         Introduction and welcome

 

         Interdisciplinary nature of this class

Example 1: Energy includes geology and biology

Example 2: Teaching motion through a UD research vessel

 

         Interactive nature of this class

                     Example 1: pre-assessments now

                     Example 2: Group projects

 

         Intense nature of this class (15 credits!!)

- at least one assignment due every day

                     -group projects


Some important details (see the full syllabus on WebCT)

 

         This Friday: session in the Library Conference room at 1 PM.

 

         This Friday/weekend: first group report (25 points) due on Monday; group needs to meet

 

         Field experiences (see UD calendar)

 

         Check UD e-mail (not aol, yahoo, etc... forwarding is unreliable) every day.

 

         Check WebCT frequently.

 

         Sororities/Fraternities.

 

 

 

Science Semester instructors:

 

Life Science:

          Deborah Allen and Richard Donham

Science Methods:

          Zoubeida Dagher

Earth Science:

          John Madsen

Physical Science:

          Harry Shipman

 

Others who may be involved:

          Steve Fifield and Liz Bates (researchers)

          Your lab TA’s from the three science content areas

          Other visitors

          The National Science Foundation, for providing us with a grant to support this course.

           


Science Semester                       2/11/04

 

         Introduction to Investigation 1:

          - Scenario

          - What you will have to do

 

         Physics pre-test

 

         Investigation 1, stage 1: distribute and have groups work on it.

 

         (if there’s time) report out \

 

 

 


 

 

 

Some important details:

 

PBL session meeting TOMORROW begins at 1PM, not 12:30. Groups ___ to ___ meet in Gore 114; the remainder meet here. (Groups 1-4 were filled in as a result of drawing a playing card.)

 

The “discussion section” listed for GEOL 113 on Tuesday/Thursday morning does not exist.

 


 

 

SCEN 102 conceptual ideas (extracts from WebCT syllabus)

 

Topics: Sources of energy; electricity; environmental consequences of energy use; energy in chemical reactions; energy transformations

 

Conceptual Themes:

 

         Change, constancy and measurement

         Energy and matter

         Systems, order & organization

         Evidence, models, explanation & ways of knowing

 


SCEN 102 important ideas continued...

 

 

Some inquiry learning goals:

 •         How to reason critically and creatively

 •         How to pose questions that aid in self-directed learning

         How to piece information together into a coherent and cohesive framework

         Gaining the self-confidence necessary to use thinking and communication skills in a public setting

 


 

 

GRADES FOR SCEN 102 (other courses will be similar but not necessarily identical)

 

End of investigation                   200 pts         40 %

Exams

 

          (About 150 pts on March 2; exactly 140 pts; rest on later exams)

 

Investigation project                  100 pts         20 %

          25 pts stage 1+3; 15

          pts stage 2+4; 20 pts

          stage 5)

 

Lab                                                75 pts          15 %

 

Group Evaluation                         25 pts           5 %

 

Daily Assignments and              100 pts         20 %

          Group reports


Group Work 2/11/04

 

On your group report form write down the following:

 

1. The question your group is going to answer for item 5 of the problem.

 

2. A plan for doing the research for items 1-4, which progress should be made on by tomorrow.

 

3. Any open questions that you have regarding these issues. The course staff can give minilectures in response to questions.

 

Write these questions on your group report form. Hand in the top copy (for which you earn 5 participation points)

 

ASSIGNMENT DUE TOMORROW. Each person should bring in TWO COPIES of their library research on the questions which are asked in stage 1. Hand in one and keep the other to discuss with your group.


Group Report for PBL Sessions Feb 12, 2004

 

Answer two questions on your form:

 

1. What did your group do today to accomplish two objectives?

 

         turn in a good Stage 1 report on Monday

 

         have EACH GROUP member well enough prepared on all topics that they can handle the “site visit,” which is Stage 2 of this problem.

 

2. What can we give minilectures on in tomorrow’s class to help you accomplish these two objectives? So far, we don’t have much.......

 

Be specific.

 


 

 

Science Semester 2004              2/13/04

 

         Reactions to yesterday

                     bouquets

                     taking it to the next level.

 

         Procedural questions.

 

Minilectures:

 

         biomass: what it is and how it's used.

         how different forms of energy, or energy sources, are tied together

         Long minilecture on the geological reasons that the Middle East is so special (John Madsen)


 

Micro-lectures (less than 5 mins).

Photosynthesis and respiration (there will be LOTS more on this on Feb 19 and 20)

The US "domestic needs" for oil

(When I cross out something, it means we didn’t do it).

why conserving energy is important

 

 

 

 

Use of biomass by Emu Ridge Farms, Kangaroo Island, Australia, as an example of using biomass for energy:

 

Sunlight becomes Eucalpytus plants becomes Eucalyptus oil (commercial product)

                                                 becomes Wood, Sticks (biomass) becomes steam becomes electricity becomes steam powered

                                                                                                                                    computer

 

also known as, how to drive the world’s only steam powered computer.

 

Note: This distinct font is used to illustrate the hand written overheads which were part of a mini- or micro-lecture.

 


 

 

Sunlight

 

Photosynthesis: CO2 + energy becomes carbohydrates + O2 (highly simplified)

 

Stores energy in plankton and creatures.

 

Respiration: carbohydrates + O2 becomes CO2 + energy required for plants and creatures to exist

 

chemical energy in food (Calories) becomes muscle action becomes kinetic energy (energy of motion)

 

WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS KINETIC ENERGY?


Taking questions to the next level:

 

Bloom taxonomy level 1: KNOWLEDGE

 

possible verbs: describe, define, how much, what, .......

 

Bloom taxonomy level 2: COMPREHENSION

 

verbs: classify, show, tell, translate, explain what is happening......

 

Bloom taxonomy levels 3-6: HIGHER ORDER THINKING

 

verbs: predict, analyze, what ideas justify conclusion, create, plan, design, criticize.

 

 

Science Semester 2/17/04

 

         How groups can work, and sometimes don’t

 

         Role-play

 

         De-brief role-play

 

Ground rules are due at the beginning of class Monday 2/23. Stage 3 is due Tuesday 2/24, also at the beginning of class.

 

         Literacy Circles on Tillery chapter 7 (break apart into separate rooms)

 

         Report out on literacy circles.

 

Group report on literacy circles:

 

TURN IN one overhead which responds to the following questions:

 

1. Give in bulleted form two MAIN IDEAS from this chapter which are most relevant to your curriculum development institute on energy. One phrase per idea should be sufficient.

 

2. List no more than two KEY TERMS, FIGURES, OR EQUATIONS which are most relevant.

 

Also turn in a 1/3-sheet of paper with your group number and names of people who contributed to this report.


Science Semester 2/18/04

 

         Where does energy go?

 

         The big picture of electric circuits.

 

         Bottle Biology Introduction:

          - levels of organization of life

          - ecosystems and interactions

          - food webs and energy pyramids

 

         Introduction to record-keeping for stage 4.

 

         Generator demonstration

 

         Write-up of Generator Demonstration, Higher-order thinking, and Bloom’s Taxonomy

 

         (if time) research on stage 3

 

 

The Big Picture of Electrical Circuits

 

                                                              Sun

 

                                                 Indirectly produces energy in a variety of forms:

 

 

Coal    Oil       Natural Gas                                                                Nuclear

 

Wind                                                                                                     Tidal power

 

Hydropower                                                                                                    Geothermal

 

Solar-electric

 

with varying efficiencies (which you put in in your stage 3 write-ups), these various fuels mostly feed

 

                                                 Electric generators                          becomes HEAT

 

 

Science Semester 2/23/04

 

         Stage 3 news

         Collect ground rules

         Stage 4 questions

         “work” minilecture

         Bloom activity

         Transmission Lines minilecture

         Batteries and bulbs activity

 

 

 

Science Semester                       2/24/04

 

         Hand back yesterday’s writeup with nice comments

         Hand out stages 4/5, questions?

         News about literacy circles; request for comments

 

         Power, Volts, and Amps Demonstrations

 

------- less than 20 min. for the above-------

 

         You work in groups on stage 3

 

 

Science Semester              where we’re going

 

2/25 tomorrow: reflections on “Round and Round we go,” activity on electricity flow in a circuit, access the spreadsheet . Bring in your record of stage 4 (2 copies) and a disk which can hold 200 K on it.

 

2/26 Thursday: Two activities on energy chains in small groups, time to work on stages 4 and possibly 5

 

2/27 Friday: Why did the West Grow Rich? Lecturette and activity (on technology); The Plate Tectonics Lab, Mini-debate on when will the oil run out? STAGE 4 DUE

 

3/1 Monday: Concept map activity to organize the course, summary of energy part of the course, possibly a story to place it in context

 

3/2 Tuesday: Exam on Investigation 1

 


 

 

 

Science Semester 2/25/04

 

         Investigation on Electric Circuits

 

         Discussion of “Round and Round we Go”

 

         Working on Groups on Stage 4.

 

 

 

Stage 4 instructions:

 

Get a laptop from the cabinet. Be sure that the battery power is 100 %.

 

Turn the laptop on. It will take a while.

 

USE INTERNET EXPLORER to access the internet. Netscape is sloooowwww.

 

You can (preferably) search for this case yourself by Googling “Buffalo Case Studies” or some such or using the URL below. When you get to Buffalo Case Studies, look for “ Watch Your Step:

Understanding the Impact of Your Personal Consumption on the Environment”

 

Scroll down to find the green box and download “footprint.xls” to your laptop.

 

Put in the numbers from your group.

 

When you’re done or when it is 11:00, save your spreadsheet file to the floppy disk.

 


Key points from the Buffalo Case Study page:

 

Ecological footprint is measured in hectares of land. 1 hectare is 2.47 acres.

North Green* area is 0.72 hectares.

Most land categories should be clear:

 

         arable land (land that can be farmed), the sea, and pasture land are required to grow food,

         built-up land is required for houses, roads, universities, shopping malls, and so on

         forests for paper and wood.

 

But the big category of “fossil energy land” requires some explanation, which will be provided.

 

*North Green aka North Mall, is the open land area between Main Street, Memorial Hall, and the rows of buildings on either side. There was not time to cover this in class, so I sent out an email message with similar content.


Science Semester            Thurs 2/26/04

 

         Energy Chains and Matter Chains for “Plants growing in rocks,” group activity

 

         (if time) Two flashlights: one with batteries, one without. Draw simple energy chains for each. Don’t carry it back to the sun, but do follow the energy all the way to the end.

 

----------no more than 30 min. should be spent on the above activities ----------

 

         Time for you to work on stage 4 and maybe on stage 5

 

Science Semester 2/27/04

 

This is what actually happened.

 

         Energy Concept map

 

 

         Wisdom Walk

 

         What did you learn?

 

         Biology and trophic levels

 

         Geology and plate tectonics

 

 

Science Semester 3/1/04

 

ENERGY: THE REALLY BIG PICTURE

 

         Where circuit labs and Tillery chapter 7 fits in

 

         Sharing your results from Stage 4

 

         Why did the West Grow Rich? A minilecture

 

         (if time) Two flashlights: one with batteries, one without. Draw simple energy chains for each. Don’t carry it back to the sun, but do follow the energy all the way to the end.

 

         Answers to your questions