Alternative Energy Video Project

Grades: 8-12

Rationale: Students read or hear about alternative energy regularly but rarely make the connection to their focus of study in science. A unit on renewables and/or alternatively powered cars can be used to teach basic scientific principles: the sun as the source of Earth’s energy, conversion of energy from one form to another, chemical/nuclear reactions or electricity generation.

Students are completely engaged when presented with the challenge of creating a video that is both entertaining and informative. Digital media presentations require students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize a large amount of information. In order to write the script or create text slides, they must really understand what they are talking about. By using digital media, students have opportunity to create a product for which they have real ownership.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills: Energy sources and transformations, chemical/nuclear reactions, research skills, working collaboratively

Activities:

In groups of 3, students choose a topic ranging from the Nissan Leaf to solar powered homes. They decide what they would like to know about the topic and write 2 research questions for investigation. They also must research how the technology works, the advantages and disadvantages, the energy transformations, and the chemical/nuclear reaction.

Groups then decide to make a documentary or a commercial about their topic. In addition to presenting their research in an engaging way, they must interview adults and peers and determine how to best incorporate these interviews into the video. Interviews must provide information from an “expert”, demonstrate public awareness or summarize public opinion.

During video production, students edit film, add appropriate still images, add narration, music and transitions to tell the story of their alternative energy topic in a visually engaging format.

Scoring with a rubric (provided upon request)