YourName:ClarissaJaucian

TitleofLesson:SustainableHomes
Grade:68

LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

STANDARDS
MSETS11:Definethecriteriaandconstraintsofadesignproblemwithsufficientprecisiontoensureasuccessful
solution,takingintoaccountrelevantscientificprinciplesandpotentialimpactsonpeopleandthenatural
environmentthatmaylimitpossiblesolutions.
RST.68.9:Compareandcontrasttheinformationgainedfromexperiments,simulations,video,ormultimedia
sourceswiththatgainedfromreadingatextonthesametopic.(MSETS12),(MSETS13).
WHST.68.1.B: Supportclaim(s)withlogicalreasoningandrelevant,accuratedataandevidencethatdemonstrate
anunderstandingofthetopicortext,usingcrediblesources.
LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW
Studentswillbedesigningasolarpoweredhomeusingknowledgethattheyacquiredduringday1,day2,
andday3oftheunitplan.Byincorporatingwhatwaslearnedabouttheimpactsofnonrenewableenergy
resources,studentswillexplainwhyitisnecessarytodesignahomethatisdifferentthanwhatiscurrently
available.Studentswillalsoexplainwhymakingchangesareimportantandhowtheirnewknowledgeabout
solarenergycanhelptodesignamoreenergyefficienthome.
OBJECTIVES
Studentswillbeabletoapplynewknowledgeofsolarenergytodesignasustainablehomebyconstructingan
argumentbaseduponpotentialimpactsonpeopleandthenaturalenvironment.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Whatmeasureswillyouusetoknowifyoustudentsmettheobjectives?
StudentswillbegradedupontheirSustainableHomeandpresentationwiththefollowingrubric.

Elementsofsolar
energy.

Studentadded3+
elementsofsolar
energytothehome
design.

Studentadded2
elementsofsolar
energytothehome
design.

Studentadded1
elementofsolar
energytothehome
design.

Studentaddedzero
element(s)ofsolar
energytothehome
design.

Justification

Studentvividly
describeswhythe
element(s)were
chosenandhowit
helpsthehometobe
moreenergy
efficient.

Studentclearly
describeswhythe
element(s)were
chosenandhowit
helpsthehometobe
moreenergy
efficient.

Studentdescribes
whytheelement(s)
werechosenand
howithelpsthe
hometobemore
energyefficient.

Studentdidnot
describewhythe
element(s)were
chosenandhowit
helpsthehometobe
moreenergy
efficient.

Presentation

Studentspokewith
confidenceduring
presentation,
indicatingthatheor
shewaspartofthe
designprocess.

Studentspokewell
duringpresentation,
indicatingthatheor
shewaspartofthe
designprocess.

Studentdidnotadd
newinformation
duringpresentation,
indicatingthatheor
shemaynothave
beenpartofthe
designprocess.

Studentdidnot
speakduring
presentation.

PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE
Studentswillbeabletodefinerenewableandnonrenewableenergy.
Studentswillbeabletoidentifytypesofrenewableandnonrenewableenergy.
Studentswillbeabletoapplytheirlearningofsolarpanelsandsolarthermaltechnology.
Studentswillbeabletoapplynewknowledgeofenergysavingsolutionstotheirdesign.

MATERIALS
Posterboard(1pergroup)
Markers
LaptopsoriPads

VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS
Renewableenergyenergythatcomesfromnaturalresourcesthatreplenishthemselves.
Nonrenewableenergyenergythatcomesfromnaturalresourcesthatwillnotreplenishthemselvesina
humantimeline.
Solarpowerpowerthatisharnessedfromsolarrays.

1.

2.

3.

4.
5.
6.

7.

TEACHINGPROCEDURES
Introduction:Wehavebeenlearningalotofinformationaboutnonrenewableenergyresourcesand
theimpactthattheyhaveontheenvironment.Knowingwhatyoudoabouttheseimpacts,Iwantyou
tothinkabouthowthisfitswithwhatwelearnedaboutrenewableenergyandhowsolarenergyis
beingusedaroundtheworld.Puttingallofourlearningtogether,wearegoingtodesignourvery
ownSolarPoweredHomes.Ingroupsoffour,youwillusetheposterboardIhaveprovidedto
design/drawyourhomes.Makingsuretolabeleveryareathatyouusedsolarpowertomakeitmore
energyefficient.
Studentssplitintogroupsoffour.Teacherwalksthroughthegroupstodetermineifstudentsareon
trackandwhoneedsadditionalhelp.StudentsneedingextraassistancecanbedirectedtotheSolar
Decathlonwebsiteforideastogetthemgoing.
Teacherwillaskguidingquestionstomakesurethatstudentsarethinkingaboutwhytheyare
incorporatingcertainelements,(i.e.Howisthermaltechnologymakingyourhomemoreenergy
efficient?).
Studentswhohavecompletedtheirhomeswilldisplaytheirposterfortheclasstosee.Theycanthen
moveontothepersuasiveessay.
ThetopicofthepersuasiveessayistoconvinceothergroupswhytheirSolarPoweredHomehasthe
bestdesign.Theessaywillbecomehomeworkonceallgroupshavecompletedtheirposters.
Presentation:Ihaveseensomegreatdesignswalkingamongstthegroups.Nowwearegoingto
presentourideasasaclass.Letskeepinmindthatasindividualsweallvaluedifferentthings,sothe
purposeofeachgroupistoexplainwhyeachcomponentisnecessaryandwhyweshouldallwantit
too!Attheendofthepresentationswewilldoasilentvotetoseewhosedesignwasthemostenergy
efficient.
Dependingonhowmuchtimeisleft,studentscancontinuetoworkontheirpersuasiveessays.
Otherwise,theessayswillbehomework.

RESOURCES
TheImportanceoftheSun:SolarEnergyIntroandOverview.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/Solar_Energy_Intro_and_Overview.pdf.

SolarDecathlon2015.(n.d.).Retrievedfromhttp://www.solardecathlon.gov/.

WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION

Students will be applying futures, strategic and values thinking in

this lesson plan. By applying their knowledge of how nonrenewable
energy impacts the Earth, students will be applying futures thinking
to their home design. Students will incorporate strategic thinking
within their groups to come up with a home design that is the most
energy efficient one in the classroom. Lastly, values thinking will be
used when each group is presenting. By understanding that
everyone values something different, students will think about the
designs through the eyes of their classmates.