Course: Project week - Power for the People

Section outline

Select section Project Week

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Project Week

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Power to the People

Renewable Energy in the Community

Die Projektwoche POWER TO THE PEOPLE ist ein interdisziplinärer Lehrplan, der die Lehrpläne für Naturwissenschaften und Englisch verbindet und die neueste Ergänzung von Going Green ist. Die Schüler*innen werden gebeten, die Energieinfrastruktur in einer fiktiven Stadt zu untersuchen, die Wissenschaft hinter erneuerbaren Energien zu verstehen und ein Konzept für die zukünftige Energieversorgung ihrer Gemeinde zu entwickeln.

Warum also Wissenschaft und Fremdsprachenunterricht kombinieren? Wissenschaftssubjekte verwenden Sprache, um Inhalte zu kommunizieren – wissenschaftliche Phänomene werden beschrieben, erklärt und analysiert. In der Wissenschaft sind verschiedene Arten von multimodalen Eingaben wie Berichte, Diagramme, Graphen und Video üblich. Dieser Inhalt wird zu einem multimodalen Fremdsprachen-Input für Lernende. Sie lernen, komplexe wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse wissenschaftlich angemessen auszudrücken – sie lernen wie Wissenschaftler zu denken, zu reden und zu schreiben (vgl. Dale & Tanner 2012: 80).

Course Forum

Energy Lingo

Learner Texts

Project Journal
- Select activity Teacher announcements
  
  Teacher announcements Forum
- Select activity [fa-compass] General contents
  
  General contents
- Select activity Teaching Notes: Power to the People
  
  Teaching Notes: Power to the People Book
- Select activity Power to the People ( Project Week) - Handbook
  
  Power to the People ( Project Week) - Handbook File PDF
  
  4.7 MB
- Select activity SWAY: Course tutorial
  
  SWAY: Course tutorial URL
Select section What is renewable energy? (science focus)

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What is renewable energy? (science focus)
- Select activity What do we mean by 'renewable energy sources'? Wha...
  
  What do we mean by 'renewable energy sources'? What is the science behind this concept? What do renewable energy sources have to do with climate change – and with you? This is a science-based introduction to this project week. Complete these tasks in your science classes in the weeks leading up to the project week.
- Select activity 1. What is renewable energy?
  
  1. What is renewable energy?
- Select activity LEAD-IN: What's in a name?
  
  LEAD-IN: What's in a name? Assignment
- Select activity [fa-hand-o-down] TASK: What is 'renewable energ...
  
  TASK: What is 'renewable energy' (click on activities below)
- Select activity (a) What do we mean by 'energy' ( in German)
  
  (a) What do we mean by 'energy' ( in German) Assignment
- Select activity (b) Defining renewable energy
  
  (b) Defining renewable energy Assignment
- Select activity (c) 'Renewable energy' – history of a term
  
  (c) 'Renewable energy' – history of a term Assignment
- Select activity How Stuff Works: An Illustrated History of Energy (infographic)
  
  How Stuff Works: An Illustrated History of Energy (infographic) URL
- Select activity 2. Renewable energy technologies
  
  2. Renewable energy technologies
- Select activity TASK: Comparing Energy Technologies
  
  TASK: Comparing Energy Technologies Assignment
- Select activity FACT SHEETS: Renewable energy technologies
  
  FACT SHEETS: Renewable energy technologies File
  
  These fact sheets give you an overview of different renewable energy technologies.
  
  Uploaded 28/01/25, 14:30
- Select activity 3. Renewable energy tradeoffs: Carbon dioxi...
  
  3. Renewable energy tradeoffs: Carbon dioxide emissions
- Select activity TASK: The bathtub experiment
  
  TASK: The bathtub experiment Assignment
- Select activity [fa-hand-o-down] TASK: Analyze the experiment (...
  
  TASK: Analyze the experiment (click on activities below)
  
  Before you begin this task, make sure you have completed and discussed your observations from the TASK: The bathtub experiment.
- Select activity (a) Fill in the blanks
  
  (a) Fill in the blanks H5P
- Select activity (b) Describe the model
  
  (b) Describe the model H5P
- Select activity (c) An analogy of the earth's climate system
  
  (c) An analogy of the earth's climate system H5P
- Select activity TASK: Interpret the experiment
  
  TASK: Interpret the experiment Assignment
- Select activity 4. Climate change impacts
  
  4. Climate change impacts
- Select activity Warm-up: Climate change impacts
  
  Warm-up: Climate change impacts Database
- Select activity Lead-in: Words and actions
  
  Lead-in: Words and actions Forum
- Select activity Option 1
  
  Option 1
- Select activity TASK: Exploring global climate impacts
  
  TASK: Exploring global climate impacts Assignment
- Select activity Option 2
  
  Option 2
- Select activity TASK: Exploring climate change impacts in your neighborhood
  
  TASK: Exploring climate change impacts in your neighborhood Assignment
Select section Day 1

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Day 1
- Select activity TASK: Think like a community energy planner
  
  TASK: Think like a community energy planner Assignment
- Select activity TASK: Solve Leinwig's energy challenge
  
  TASK: Solve Leinwig's energy challenge Assignment
- Select activity Letter from Mayor Johannsen
  
  Letter from Mayor Johannsen Page
- Select activity FILE: Leinwig community portfolio
  
  FILE: Leinwig community portfolio PDF
  
  280.7 KB
- Select activity FILE: Leinwig climate data
  
  FILE: Leinwig climate data PDF
  
  239.4 KB
- Select activity FILE: Leinwig energy portfolio
  
  FILE: Leinwig energy portfolio PDF
  
  246.4 KB
- Select activity FILE: Leinwig county utility map
  
  FILE: Leinwig county utility map PDF
  
  369.1 KB
- Select activity TASK: Define the problem
  
  TASK: Define the problem Assignment
- Select activity FORUM: Defining a problem
  
  FORUM: Defining a problem
- Select activity EXTRA: Renewable energy technologies fact sheets
  
  EXTRA: Renewable energy technologies fact sheets File
  
  These fact sheets give you an overview of different renewable energy technologies.
  
  Uploaded 28/01/25, 14:46
Select section Day 2

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Day 2
- Select activity TASK: Develop a vision – your mission statement
  
  TASK: Develop a vision – your mission statement Assignment
- Select activity TASK: Review best practices
  
  TASK: Review best practices Assignment
- Select activity End this day by deciding on different work units o...
  
  End this day by deciding on different work units or work packages that will be part of your final pitch. Form small groups that will focus one of these packages: The following could be possible work units: Renewables in Leinwig, replacing carbon-based energy sources, transportation in Leinwig, PR and educating the public about our plan, jobs and economic issues, etc.
- Select activity Project plan template (online)
  
  Project plan template (online) Database
- Select activity Project plan template (paper-and-pencil)
  
  Project plan template (paper-and-pencil) File PDF
  
  74.0 KB
- Select activity [fa-info-circle] Fill out the template in your wor...
  
  Fill out the template in your work groups to plan the remainder of the project week. (You can fill out the online template and have others comment on it, or the paper-and-pencil version / PDF. If you choose the PDF, you can take a photo and upload it to the Project Journal or the Course Forum.
Select section Day 3

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Day 3
- Select activity TASK: Do a SWOT analysis
  
  TASK: Do a SWOT analysis Assignment
- Select activity Label
- Select activity EXTRA: Renewable energy tradeoffs and impacts
  
  EXTRA: Renewable energy tradeoffs and impacts URL
  
  This is an external link.
Select section Day 4

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Day 4
- Select activity TASK: Make a pitch for a community energy plan
  
  TASK: Make a pitch for a community energy plan Assignment
- Select activity TASK: Create a video and participate in the school competition
  
  TASK: Create a video and participate in the school competition Assignment
Select section Day 5

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Day 5
- Select activity Finish both tasks from day 4 (TASK: Make a pitch f...
  
  Finish both tasks from day 4 (TASK: Make a pitch for a community energy plan and TASK: Create a video and participate in the school competition).
  
  Your teacher will inform you about the exact structure of the 'expert commission meeting' where you will pitch your solution (or you will decide this together with your teacher).
Select section Tips, resources, and tools

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Tips, resources, and tools
- Select activity [fa-files-o] TIPS
  
  TIPS
- Select activity TIP: Conducting research
  
  TIP: Conducting research File PDF
  
  141.4 KB
- Select activity TIP: Doing project work
  
  TIP: Doing project work File PDF
  
  184.8 KB
- Select activity TIP: Giving presentations
  
  TIP: Giving presentations File PDF
  
  159.2 KB
- Select activity TIP: Linking ideas and sentences (vocabulary)
  
  TIP: Linking ideas and sentences (vocabulary) File PDF
  
  88.0 KB
- Select activity TIP: Solving a mediation task
  
  TIP: Solving a mediation task File PDF
  
  112.7 KB
- Select activity TIP: Writing an article
  
  TIP: Writing an article File PDF
  
  151.9 KB
- Select activity TIP: Analysing visual texts (charts and tables)
  
  TIP: Analysing visual texts (charts and tables) File PDF
  
  962.1 KB
- Select activity TIP: Materialien zum selbständigen, standardorientierten Lernen - interaktive Version
  
  TIP: Materialien zum selbständigen, standardorientierten Lernen - interaktive Version URL
- Select activity [fa-files-o] RESOURCES
  
  RESOURCES
- Select activity RESOURCE: A Research Guide for Students and Teachers
  
  RESOURCE: A Research Guide for Students and Teachers URL
- Select activity RESOURCE: Lexikon der Nachhaltigkeit
  
  RESOURCE: Lexikon der Nachhaltigkeit URL
  
  Take a look at this German glossary on sustainability by the Aachen Foundation Kathy Beys.
- Select activity [fa-wrench] TOOLS
  
  TOOLS
- Select activity The Virtual Town Hall has a section with practical...
  
  The Virtual Town Hall has a section with practical resources on creating videos, finding stock photos and music online, and further digital apps.
Select section About this course

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About this course
- Select activity AcknowledgementsThis project week is a truly c...
  
  Acknowledgements
  
  This project week is a truly collaborative effort and was co-developed by English and Science scholars at Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany, and the Teach About US Team from LIFE e.V. in Berlin. We are particularly grateful for the invaluable contributions by Prof. Dr. Simone Abels (Professor of Science Education), Sybille Hüfner (researcher and PhD candidate), and especially their assistants Heike Janz and Sarah Hoffmann. Together they developed the introductory science modules and contributed to the project week curriculum. We are also indebted to the many teachers who participated in the project week workshop at the U.S. Embassy Teacher Academy 2017 in Nürnberg and offered their expertise on an early prototype of this course. We are also grateful for the methodological and scientific advice by Adalbert Pakura of the Leuphana Freshmen Week team, and advice on the community and climate data offered by the Klimaschutzleitstelle für Hansestadt und Landkreis Lüneburg.
  
  The following partners gave permission to use portions of their work in this course. We would like to thank:
  
  The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Potsdam, Germany / section PIKee for designing and maintaining the platform KlimafolgenOnline and providing the research workshops used in the TASK: Exploring climate change impacts in your neighborhood
  
  The Gelfand Center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and their SUCCEED program for the permission to adapt the FACT SHEETS: Renewable energy technologies. These materials were produced with support from the Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making (SES-0949710), through a cooperative agreement between the National Science Foundation and Carnegie Mellon University.
  
  Dr. Kai Niebert Niebert (Professor for Science and Sustainability Education, University of Zurich, Switzerland) and Friedrich Verlag for the permission to adapt the task cycle TASK: The bathtub experiment from the publication: Niebert, K. (2017). Den Klimawandel bremsen lernen. In U. Kattmann (Ed.), Biologie unterrichten mit Alltagsvorstellungen – Didaktische Rekonstruktion in Unterrichtseinheiten (pp. 92–105). Seelze: Friedrich Verlag.
  
  LEIFI Physik (www.leifiphysik.de/) and the Joachim Hertz Stiftung for permission to use the Text "Energiebegriff" in the TASK (a) What do we mean by 'energy' ( in German)
  
  The Leuphana University Opening Week for their permission to adapt their worksheet for the TASK: Define the problem.

Section outline

Power to the People

Renewable Energy in the Community

Energy Lingo

General contents

1. What is renewable energy?

2. Renewable energy technologies

3. Renewable energy tradeoffs: Carbon dioxide emissions

4. Climate change impacts

Option 1

Option 2

TIPS

RESOURCES

TOOLS

Acknowledgements