Welcome to TechKNOW Associates' The Energy Effect page. This project was developed through a partnership between TechKNOW Associates and JDL Technologies. To download a copy of the project, you will need a userid and password. Please go to the Terms of Use page for more information.

TechKNOW Associates Corporation can provide expert, onsite staff development to insure that teachers and children fully implement this and other projects at a reasonable cost. We will train teachers in the classroom with their students, model lessons, and help them integrate technology into their curriculum through a project-based approach.

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Energy is everywhere, but it can be difficult to understand. You may be able to see what energy does, but you cannot see energy itself. Without energy, plants, animals, and humans would not able to live.

The Energy Effect is a multi-disciplinary project with a strong focus on math in the content areas. Each activity has a real-world math component. Students will learn how mathematical skills and concepts are integrated into all subjects.

The Energy Effect provides students with multiple opportunities to experiment with energy, its sources, and its uses. As students explore the world from the perspective of energy, previously unrelated topics become intertwined. Students will recognize the connections among natural resources, politics, economics, science, technology, history, and culture.

Through the activities in The Energy Effect, students will examine different forms of energy and understand the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy resources. They will explore the effect the world’s current energy use is having on the environment.

The Energy Effect is driven by the national standards of several disciplines, including mathematics, science, social studies, technology, and English language arts. The project includes three distinct, content driven units of study. Each unit builds on the skill and knowledge of the previous unit. Together, the three units provide a holistic view of energy and how it relates to our world and our lives.

The three units are:

• Unit 1: Turn On to Energy! This is an introduction to the forms and uses of energy. Students will begin to see connections between energy use and its impact on the environment. The activities in this unit help students build prior knowledge and math skills they will need to successfully complete the project.

• Unit 2: I’ve Got the Power! In this unit, students will examine different forms of energy, how energy use is calculated, and ways we use energy. They will collect and use data to develop an understanding of the relationship between energy consumption and energy production.

• Unit 3: Power Positive! In this unit, students will evaluate what impact the world’s current energy use has on the environment. Students will discover how an understanding of mathematics can be used to solve real-world energy problems.

The project will culminate with an Energy Extravaganza. This event will be an opportunity for students to present what they have learned and display the products they created to invited guests.

To download a copy of this project, you will need a userid and password. Please go to the Terms of Use page for more information. If you have a userid and password, click here.