National
Science Standards
Science
as Inquiry: Content Standard A:
As
a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop:
- Abilities
necessary to do scientific inquiry
- Recognize
and analyze alternative explanations and models. This aspect of
the standard emphasizes the critical abilities of analyzing an argument
by reviewing current scientific understanding, weighing the evidence,
and examining the logic so as to decide which explanations and models
are best. In other words, although there may be several plausible
explanations, they do not all have equal weight. Students should
be able to use scientific criteria to find the preferred explanations.
- Understandings
about scientific inquiry
- Scientists
conduct investigations for a wide variety of reasons. For example,
they may wish to discover new aspects of the natural world, explain
recently observed phenomena, or test the conclusions of prior investigations
or the predictions of current theories.
-
Mathematics is essential in scientific inquiry. Mathematical tools
and models guide and improve the posing of questions, gathering
data, constructing explanations and communicating results.
-
Scientific explanations must adhere to criteria such as: a proposed
explanation must be logically consistent; it must abide by the rules
of evidence; it must be open to questions and possible modification;
and it must be based on historical and current scientific knowledge.
-
Results of scientific inquiry--new knowledge and methods--emerge
from different types of investigations and public communication
among scientists. In communicating and defending the results of
scientific inquiry, arguments must be logical and demonstrate connections
between natural phenomena, investigations, and the historical body
of scientific knowledge. In addition, the methods and procedures
that scientists used to obtain evidence must be clearly reported
to enhance opportunities for further investigation.
Science
and Technology: Content Standard E:
As
a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop:
- Understanding
about Science and Technology
- Technological
knowledge is often not made public because of patents and the financial
potential of the idea or invention. Scientific knowledge is made
public through presentations at professional meetings and publications
in scientific journals.
Science
in Personal and Social Perspectives:
Content Standard F:
As
a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding
of:
- Environmental
quality
- Many
factors influence environmental quality. Factors that students might
investigate include population growth, resource use, population
distribution, overconsumption, the capacity of technology to solve
problems, poverty, the role of economic, political, and religious
views, and different ways humans view the earth.
History
and Nature of Science: Content Standard G:
As a result of activities in understanding of grades 9-12, all students
should develop:
- Science
as a human endeavor
- Scientists
are influenced by societal, cultural, and personal beliefs and ways
of viewing the world. Science is not separate from society but rather
science is a part of society.
Learning
Objectives
Each student
will:
- Write
a school lighting audit action plan that includes recommendations derived
from the analysis of data.
- Develop
the presentation materials (e.g. PowerPoint presentations, handouts,
and other visual media) that show the data analysis results and recommendations
using graphs, tables, etc.
- Present
the action plan to classmates and/or administrators.
Background
Information, Vocabulary and Materials
Background Information
Material learned
from Lessons 6-8.
Vocabulary
Terms from
Lesson 6.
Materials
Lesson
Procedures
Presenting
the Information
- Instruct
students to design an action plan with their team (or as a class) based
on analysis of data from the school energy audit and calculations. Have
students take two or more days to:
- Select
appropriate audience
- Select
appropriate vehicle to deliver information (PowerPoint presentation,
video, etc.)
- Design
a presentation that includes the appropriate information from the
lighting audit as well as background knowledge from Building Performance
Matters. Give the School
Lighting Action Plan Checklist to each team. This checklist provides
the components that should be included in their presentations.
- Present
Action Plan to class as practice for presentation to selected audience
(or actually to selected audience if possible).
Student
Practice / Activity
- Students
design an action plan with their team (or as a class) as described above.
- Present
Action Plan to class as practice or to selected audience.
Feedback
Review
action plans with students, providing feedback for improvements.
Handouts
and Worksheets
School Lighting Audit
Action Plan checklist
Critierion-Referenced
Test
This
material part of final test. See Testing
Blueprint in Teacher's Guide for details.
Unit
Summary
Use the Advance
Organizer, slides 1-6, as a summary of the complete unit. As each
slide is shown, ask students what they have learned about this aspect
of building performance and clarify any misconceptions. This will help
prepare the students for the unit test.
Individual pages from this web site may be printed
and duplicated for
student classroom use
provided that proper credit is given to
the Florida Solar
Energy Center (FSEC).