Babel - Bringing Teachers Together

In this webquest, students will investigate the amount of electricity used by different appliances in their house, and will develop a plan to reduce the amount of electricity consumed.

When you flip a switch in your house to turn on a light, have you ever thought about what is really happening? You are closing a circuit that runs from the light bulb, through the wires the run through your walls to the light switch, to the wires that go to the circuit breaker in your house, and all the way through the power lines to the power plant miles from your house. At this power plant, some sort of fuel is being converted into electrical energy. The fuels source may be renewable, like solar or wind, or it may be a fossil fuel, like coal or natural gas, or it may even be nuclear. Each of these source has its downsides, so we should make every effort to reduce the amount of electricity we use.

Everyday, we depend on electricity to power the lights, televisions, computers, dishwashers, air conditioners, etc in our house. Some of us use electricity to power our oven, stove, and clothes drier. We take for granted the cost of that electricity, both in dollars, and pollutants that are put into the air at the power plant. In this webquest, you will investigate the sources of fuel that are used to create the electricity that powers your house, and the impact those fuels have on the environment. Then you will analyze the power usage of different appliances you have in your house, and develop a plan to reduce the amount of electricity you consume.

STEP 1. Investigate the sources of fuel used to power homes in our area. Why are these fuels used? What are the disadvantages of these fuel sources? After viewing the following websites, and any other ones you can find, in Microsoft Word, write a page describing the fuels sources and the concerns you may have about using these fuels.

Energy Information Administrationhttp://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epa_sum.html

LIPAhttp://www.lipower.org

Cleaner Greenerhttp://www.cleanerandgreener.org/programs/schools/pollution.htm

STEP 2. Make a list of the appliances you use on a daily basis at home. Estimate the number of hours you use this appliance per month. Don't forget about appliances that run continuously, like the refrigerator. The use the following website, your knowledge of electrical energy and the formulaCOST = Power(in kW) x time (in hrs) x cost per kWhr (we will assume 16 cents for LIPA). In Microsoft Excel, create a spreadsheet that contains the following columns: Appliance, # of hours used per month, energy consumption, cost.

LIPA Electric Energy Appliance Guidehttp://www.lipower.org/pdfs/company/pubs/brochures/energyguide.pdf

STEP 3. Make a plan for how you can reduce your energy consumption. In a page types in Microsoft Word, describe your plan, and how much electricity you think it will save.

Print out your two pages and your spreadsheet. Hand them in for grading. You will receive a grade based on the following criteria: 25 % for your description of the fuel sources and their environmental impact, 25% for your spreadsheet of appliances and their electrical cost, 25% for your action plan, and 25% for a timely submission of your work. GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY WEBQUESTING!

Saving electricity is an issue we all are responsible for. It is the little things that will make a difference and keep our world green. I hope that next time you flip the light switch on in your house, you will think about what is really going on, and how you can help to conserve.