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Energy Audit
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Introduction
Each year, the U.S. uses more energy per capita than any
other nation. All this energy consumption adds up to thousands
of pounds of pollutants in the air. Reducing our energy use
will enable us to slow the depletion of natural resources,
keep the Earth cleaner, and save money.
In this project, students will find out whether they are
wasting energy in their daily lives by conducting an energy
audit, and discover simple, cost-saving measures to conserve
energy. Once they gain this information, they will see what
it takes to get their community to start its own energy-saving
campaign!
This project incorporates elements of the scientific
method.
Grade level
Middle school, but can be adapted to suit other grades
Time allotment
Up to 1 semester
Subject matter
Main focus on environmental science, with language arts and
social studies connections
Learning objectives
Students will:
- Gain an understanding of elements of the scientific method
and use the scientific method to conduct all steps of the
project.
- Investigate the level of energy usage on a national and
local level.
- Learn how over-consumption of energy negatively affects
the environment.
- Discover a variety of ways to conserve energy in their
daily lives.
- Conduct an energy audit of their school and/or homes.
- Implement energy-saving measures and calculate the total amount of energy saved.
- Implement an energy-conservation campaign in their community.
- Work cooperatively using technology.
Standards
- North American Association for Environmental Education
(NAAEE)
Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning
http://naaee.org/npeee/learner_guidelines.html
Strand 1—Questioning and Analysis Skills (Guidelines A,
B, C, D, E); Strand 2.1—The Earth as a Physical System (C);
Strand 2.3—Humans and Their Societies (C, D, E); Strand
2.4—Environment and Society (A, B, C, D, E); Strand 3.1—Skills
for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues (A,
B, C, D); Strand 3.2—Decision-Making and Citizenship Skills
(A, B, C, D); Strand 4—Personal and Civic Responsibility
(A, B, C, D).
- National Education Technology Standards
http://www.iste.org/standards
Standard 1: Basic operations and concepts; Standard 2: Social,
ethical, and human issues; Standard 3: Technology productivity
tools; Standard 4: Technology communications tools; Standard
5: Technology research tools; Standard 6: Technology problem-solving
and decision-making tools.
Assessment
Students will conduct an energy audit of their school to determine where the most common areas of energy waste are and how they can reduce this waste. They then create a list of energy-conserving tips and communicate what they've learned through a Web site, promotional e-mails, and/or flyers. Finally, they create a Web site or write an article describing their project, reflecting on what worked and what didn't, and sharing how it felt to be involved in an environmental effort. Students notify local newspapers and officials of their project and communicate their concern for conserving energy.
Computer resources
- Modem: 56.6 Kbps or faster
- Browser: Netscape Navigator 4.0 or above or Internet Explorer
4.0 or above
- Macintosh computer: System 8.1 or above and at least 32
MB of RAM
- Personal computer (Pentium II 350 MHz or Celeron 600 MHz)
running Windows® 95 or higher and at least 32 MB of RAM
- RealPlayer plug-in. Download for free at http://www.real.com
Materials needed
- WHAT'S UP IN THE ENVIRONMENT video (optional)
- Surveys - if you chose not to do it online: paper and
access to a copier machine
- Charts - if you chose not to do it in Excel use large
chart paper and markers
- Energy flyers - if you chose not to create a Web page:
paper, markers, photographs, glue, scissors, OR software
as simple as Paint or PowerPoint
- Excel (optional)
- PowerPoint (optional)
- Free energy audit kit - for a free CD Rom that takes you
through the required steps for conducting an energy audit,
write to:
The U.S. Dept. of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs
Attn: Mail Code EE-42,
1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, D.C., 20585-0121
Online resources
Teacher tool Web sites
Bookmark these Web sites for student
research
Tools for students
- Ask a Department of Energy Expert
http://www.eren.doe.gov/askanenergyexpert/
This site allows you to ask a question of a DOE expert.
It does ask for personal information, so teachers may want
to type in the questions themselves.
- National Wildlife Federation: Take Action
http://www.nwf.org/action/howtos/
This site gives great advice on how to write to local media,
write press releases, plan campaigns, and more. You may
want to have your students consult this site for advice
on how to write their tip sheet.
- Web Page Building Sites
www.homestead.com
http://build.tripod.com/classroom/demo/
www.myschoolonline.com
If you chose to create a Web-based fact sheet but your students
have limited knowledge of html, you may want to have them
use these free, Web templates that allow them to input their
images and text without writing any code.
Energy audit information
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