Teaching Tips

• This activity could be used in a variety of science classes, as suggested by the authors. Teachers should consider using it alongside a similar activity about fossil fuels so that students have more context when evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of wind and solar.
• The data for energy production/usage and wind and solar power plant locations is older and, if desired, updated data can be found at the data source links. This is not required for the activity to be successful but may be interesting or good to have on hand if students ask. Similarly, teachers may want to find more up-to-date, trustworthy resources for the storage component.
• The figure on page 2 of the student handout should be carefully explained so that students understand it is showing total percentages and are not left with the impression that solar and wind can currently meet usage needs.

About the Content

• This activity provides students with a thorough overview of wind and solar energy generation and energy storage. This resource clearly presents complex issues in energy generation and storage technology.
• The data shared is appropriately targeted to the intended audience (high school). Direct links to the datasets can be found in the captions of the figures.
• In groups, students will research different types of energy use and energy storage technology. They identify an audience who needs to know about energy storage and determine how they would communicate with that audience.
• Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

• This resource uses a podcast and discussion format to teach key concepts. The activity can be completed without the podcast.
• There are no formal assessments included in the teacher guide, however there is a group activity that supports collaboration and discussion between peers after students conduct their own internet research.
• This activity engages students in the strengths and weaknesses of wind and solar energy in a clear teaching sequence that builds knowledge over the course of the activity. It is quite open-ended which would allow for quality discussions and sharing out of information.
• The teacher's guide provides a few tips to adapt this lesson for diverse learners.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

• This resource includes a complete guide in addition to teacher and student guides.
• The authors of the activity considered everything a teacher might need to implement the lesson. The layout is both teacher-friendly and student-friendly.

Related URLs These related sites were noted by our reviewers but have not been reviewed by CLEAN