YourName:DamarisTalamantes

TitleofLesson:SolarPanels
Grade:4thgrade

ReadingStandards:

LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

STANDARDS

KeyIdeasandDetails:
1.)Refertodetailsandexamplesinatextwhenexplainingwhatthetextsaysexplicitlyandwhendrawing
inferencesfromthetext.
SocialStudiesStandard:
Strand4:Geography
PO3.Describetheimpactofhumanmodifications(e.g.,dams,mining,airconditioning,irrigation,
agricultural)onthephysicalenvironmentandecosystems.
LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW
Thislessonhelpsstudentsunderstandtheimpactthatfossilfuelshasontheearthandsomepossiblesolutions
forit.Studentswillcomparefossilfuelswithsolarpanels,anddeterminetheprosandconsforeach.They
willunderstandthateverythinghasitsgoodanditsbad,butsometimesthebadoutweighsthebad,aswellas
theotherwayaround.Theywillthendeterminewhichoneisbesttohaveontheearthasfastasusingitasa
wayforenergy.Thiswillbebasedontheiropinionaswellasdetailsfrominformationaltextsupportingtheir
opinion.Iselectedthistobemylessonbecauseithelpsthestudentsanalyzeinformationgiventothemandbe
abletodeterminewhatisbestfortheearthaccordingtothemandwhattheyfoundoutinthevideosaswell
astheinformationaltext.Thisisrelevantforaunitonsustainabilitybecauseitisaunderstandingofthe
worldandwheretheylivein,aswellashowtomaketheworldbetterandlastlonger.
OBJECTIVES
Studentswillbeabletocomparesolarpanelsandfossilfuelsinaninformativeessaybyreferringtodetails
andexamplesininformationaltext,aswellasunderstandingtheimpactthesolarpanelsandfossilfuelshas
onthephysicalenvironment.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Whatmeasureswillyouusetoknowifyoustudentsmettheobjectives?
Formative:Studentsparticipationduringsmallgroupactivityanddiscussionsaswell.Theevidenceof
masteryisshownifthestudentsareontaskandparticipating.
Summative:Studentswillturninanessay,whichwillcomparebothsolarpanels,andfossilfuels.Theywill
include3prosandconsforeachofthefossilfuelsandsolarpanels.Theymustalsoincludewhichenergy
sourceisbettertouse,andwhyitisbettertouse,inwhichwillcauselessharmtotheearth.Theymusthave4
supportingdetailsforthat.Allofitmustbecompletedinordertoreceivefullcredit.80%accuracytoshow
evidenceofmastery.
PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE
Whatwillstudentsneedtoknowpriortocompletingthislessonandhowwillyouaccesstheirprior
knowledge?

Studentswillneedtoknowwhatrenewableenergyisandthedifferenttypesofrenewableenergy.Inthepast
lessons,Ihaveincludedadaytogooverthedifferenttypesofenergy,andtheimpactitdoestotheearth.I
willmakequestionslike,Doyourememberwhenwewentoverrenewableenergyacoupleofdaysago?or,
Canyoutellmewhatsolarpanelsare?
MATERIALS
Listofrequiredmaterials.
Paper
PosterPaper
Markers
Cleanenergyvs.Fossilfuel:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoIX1ohX7jc
Fossilfuels:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6VCTh1iWdM
InformationalText:http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=solar_homebasics
http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/energy/ecostats/

Listofkeyvocabularyterms.

VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS

FossilFuelsanaturalfuelsuchascoalorgas,formedinthegeologicalpastfromtheremainsofliving
organisms.
SolarPanelsapaneldesignedtoabsorbthesun'sraysasasourceofenergyforgeneratingelectricityor
heating.
RenewableEnergyenergyfromasourcethatisnotdepletedwhenused,suchaswindorsolarpower.
Coalacombustibleblackordarkbrownrockconsistingmainlyofcarbonizedplantmatter,foundmainlyin
undergrounddepositsandwidelyusedasfuel.
Oilaviscousliquidderivedfrompetroleum,especiallyforuseasafuelorlubricant.
NaturalGasflammablegas,consistinglargelyofmethaneandotherhydrocarbons,occurringnaturally
underground(ofteninassociationwithpetroleum)andusedasfuel.
TEACHINGPROCEDURES
ProceduralSteps(Stepbystepinstructionsforteachingthelesson):
1.)Teacherwillgatherthestudentsattentionandwillaskthestudents,Doyourememberwhenwetalked
aboutrenewableenergy?Theteacherwilltellthestudentstogetwiththeirshoulderpartneranddiscuss
whattheyknowaboutrenewableenergy.
2.)Apaperwillbehandedouttothestudents,whichwillbeaconceptmap,sothestudentscanwritetheir
responsesastheydiscussthecomparisonsasaclass.Theteacherwillthenshowavideoaboutsolarpanelsvs.
fossilfuels.Afterthevideo,theteacherwillaskthestudentstonamesomeoftheprosandconstheyheardin
thevideo.Theywilldiscussthisasaclass,whiletheteacherwritestheirresponsesontheboardandthe
studentswriteitontheirconceptmap.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoIX1ohX7jc
3.)Afterthediscussion,theteacherwillputanothervideothatisallaboutfossilfuels.Afterthevideo,the
studentswillhaveaclassdiscussionaboutwhattheyheardaboutfossilfuelsandlistsomeotherprosand
consaboutit.Whiletheteacherwritesitontheboard,thestudentswillwriteitontheirconceptmap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6VCTh1iWdM
4.)Theteacherwillthenputthestudentsingroupsof4andgivetheminformationtextaboutfossilfuels,and
solarpanels.Thestudentswillmakeoneposterpergroupdescribingtheprosandconsofbothfossilfuels
andsolarpanelsusingtheinformationthattheyfoundinthetextandvideos.
5.)Oncethestudentsaredonewiththeirposter,theywillpresenttotheclassofwhattheyfound.
6.)Theteacherwilltellthestudentstogobacktotheirownseatsandwillexplainthenextassignment.The
studentswillhavetowriteanessayaboutprosandconsofthesolarpanelsandfossilfuels,withsupporting
detailsfromthetextandvideo,aswellaswhichonetheythinkisbettertouse,andcauseslessharmtothe
earth,aswellaswhy.
7.)Oncestudentsarefinishedtheymayturnintheiressay,andiffinishedearly,theymayreadabook.
RESOURCES
Listanyreferencesyouusedtocreatethislesson.Ifyouborrowedideasfromanylessonplanspleasenote
themhere.UseAPAformat.
AlternativeEnergyvs.FossilFuels.(n.d.).RetrievedApril12,2015,fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=VoIX1ohX7jc
FossilFuels:History,Environment,andFuture.(n.d.).RetrievedApril12,2015,from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6VCTh1iWdM
FossilFuelsWhatarethey?Findoutmoreaboutcoal,oil,naturalgasandfossilfuels.(n.d.).Retrieved
April12,2015,fromhttp://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/energy/ecostats/
Solar.(n.d.).RetrievedApril12,2015,fromhttp://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=solar_homebasics

WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION
Provideacompleteexplanationofhowyourlessonplanconnectstofutures,system,strategic,orvalues
thinking.Definethewayofthinkingyouselectedandusedinthislessonplan.Remember,thisshouldbe
includedmeaningfullyinthelessonplan.

For this lesson, there are many ways of thinking that are being
addresses in this lesson plan. For futures thinking, it connects to it
because the students are thinking to see what will be better for the
earth or the people in the future. The reason for that is because,
they are analyzing the way that energy is mostly being formed by
right now and what is a possible solution to a better way to get
energy from.
Another type of thinking that is being addressed in this lesson
plan, is values thinking. The reason for that is because the students
were asked to write about their opinion on the essay about what
they think is best to use on this earth for energy. They are

incorporating what they believe in the essay and what they most
value.
Lastly, another type of thinking that is being addressed is
systems. The reason for that is because systems thinking is about
producing a variety of principles and tools for analyzing and
changing systems, and the students are thinking of a way to help
people view the structures of fossil fuels and solar power of how it
produces energy. The students are able to understand and want to
change how energy is produced by providing details of why fossil
fuels or solar power is better to have or use on this earth for
energy.