Sharing the planet

Sharing the Planet

An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Central Idea: Humans use resources in various ways with different consequences to people and the environment.

NGSS: Energy

Performance Expectations

1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment. 4-ESS3-
2. Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object. 4-PS3-1
3. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. 4-PS3-2
4. Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide. 4-PS3-3
5. Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another. 4-PS3-4

Books in the iCommons:

1. A bright idea : conserving energy by Tristan Boyer Binns. Summary: Discusses the depletion of fossil fuels, explains how power plants create electricity, describes alternative energy sources such as solar power and wind, and provides many suggestions for conserving energy at home and at school, presenting case studies of schools that have dramatically changed their energy use.

2. The ballad of Valentine by Alison Jackson ; illustrated by Tricia Tusa.An ardent suitor tries various means of communication, from smoke signals to Morse code to skywriting, in order to get his message to his Valentine. (Fiction)

3. Electric mischief : battery-powered gadgets kids can build written by Alan Bartholomew; Summary: Introduces the basics behind the operation of various battery-powered electrical devices and provides instructions for making some simple devices that use different kinds of circuits and switches.

4. Electricity & batteries by Michael Flaherty ; Summary: Describes how electricity is generated and used, with projects that demonstrate the basic scientific principles that are involved in electrical circuits.

5. The boy who harnessed the wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer; Summary: The author details how he ignored naysayers and was able to bring electricity and running water to his Malawian village when he built a makeshift windmill out of scrap metal and spare parts.

6. Windmill by Mark Friedman. Summary: Photographs and easy-to-follow text introduce windmills, describing what they are, how they work, different types, and where they are located.

7. Music makers & toys [project editors, Joanna Callihan; Summary: A collection of projects for children that provide easy-to-follow instructions for creating a variety of musical instruments and noisy toys.

8. Sound projects with a music lab you can build by Robert Gardner. Summary:Explores the science of sound and music, provides instructions for building a variety of simple instruments, and includes experiments appropriate for science fair projects.

9. 100 amazing make-it-yourself science fair projects by Glen Vecchione. Summary: Presents instructions for and discusses the concepts behind one hundred science fair projects involving electricity, sound, physics, chemistry, biology, and ecology.

10. Build it green [electronic resource] by Courtney Farrell. Summary: An illustrated introduction to sustainable architecture that examines the building materials and techniques used to create environmentally-friendly homes and structures, and describes how eco-homes save energy.

11. How we use plants for shelter by Sally Morgan. Summary: Examines the role of plants and plant products in making homes and other shelters, including wood, straw, bamboo, cotton, hemp, and others; looks at how an oak tree is used for building; and includes instructions for creating a model hut.

12. If I built a car by Chris Van Dusen. Summary: Jack describes the kind of car he would build--one with amazing accessories and with the capability of traveling on land, in the air, and on and under the sea. (Fiction)

13. If I built a house by Chris Van Dusen. Summary: Imaginative Jack describes the kind of house he would build--one with a racetrack, a flying room, and a gigantic slide.