Inquiry Lesson Plan Template (with Four Ways of Thinking

connection)
Teacher: Abriana Flores Content & Title: Grade Level: 5
Sustainability
Energy Lab
Standards:
PO 2. Compare possible solutions to best address an identified need or
problem.
Objectives (Explicit & Measurable):
Students will be able to design a system to generate power with renewable
energy.

Students will be able to use data to assess energy potential.

Evidence of Mastery (Measurable Assessment: formative and summative):
(formative) Students will be observed as they work independently on
their energy labs online, I will be looking for two certain criteria: the
ability to make independent decisions, the ability to pass through at
least the first level of the lab.
(summative) Students will be asked to write one paragraph
summarizing their learning from this lab, which will be evaluated by
the teacher.

Sub-objectives, SWBAT (steps that lead to completion of objective; sequence from

simple to more complex):
SWBAT follow instructions to design their system.
SWBAT work independently on their laptops.
SWBAT take thorough notes as they work.
SWBAT summarize their system and how the lab connects to real life.
Lesson Summary and Justification: (summary gives detailed information about what
students are doing. Justification why is this lesson being taught)

Students will be exploring how renewable energy can be utilized in real

cities. They will be working on their own chromebooks/laptops on levels 1
and 2 of the NOVA Energy Lab simulation, which has students adjusting size
and effiency of different energy sources for a specific citys budget. To
conclude, they will be writing a paragraph to explain what data they used to
pass through the levels.
This lesson is building on prior knowledge of renewable/non-renewable
energy, and letting the students see what goes behind managing energy
sources for different cities around the country.
Background Knowledge: (What do students need to know prior to completing this
lesson)

Students will need to know how a pie graph functions.

Students need to know what renewable energy sources are, specifically solar
and wind powered energy. They also need to know how to operate a laptop
computer.
Misconception: (what possible misleading thoughts might students have?)

A misconception would be that cities are already using a lot of renewable

energy sources.
A misconception would be that cities cannot afford to use renewable energy
sources.
Process Skills: (what skills are you introducing or reinforcing)

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Analyzing

Four Ways of Thinking connection: (Provide a complete explanation of how your
lesson plan connects to futures, system, strategic, or values thinking. Define the way of
thinking you selected and used in this lesson plan. Remember, this should be included
meaningfully in the lesson plan.)

This lesson will connect to Systems Thinking. Systems Thinking means

understanding how different systems are connected. An easier way of
explaining it is that it is a way of seeing how things influence each other in
different ways. This lesson will connect with this way of thinking in the
Energy Lab. The lab requires students to adjust either size or efficiency of a
given type of enery. There is a certain budget that the level requires, and
moving either size or efficiency directly influences the budget, and the
availability of the other factor. This shows that changing one thing in a
system has a great impact on other aspects of a system, because of their
connection.

Safety: (what safety rules and items need to be addressed?)

The class will already be aware of the internet safety rules. These are to only
go to the website the teacher provides and to only stay on the pages
required for the activity.
Inquiry Questions: (testable in the here and now.)
1. (to explore) How can we design a solar energy system to meet a citys
needs?
2. (to elaborate) How can we design a solar and wind energy system to
meet a citys needs?
Key vocabulary: (list and define) Materials: (list item and possible
1. solar energy: power obtained by quantity)
harnessing the energy of the sun's 1. paper (for all)
2. laptops (for all)
rays. 3. white boards (for all)
2. wind power: power obtained by
harnessing the energy of the wind.
3. efficiency: the ratio of the useful work
performed by a machine or in a
process to the total energy expended
or heat taken in.

Engage - In this section you should activate prior knowledge, hook student
attention, pose a question (IQ#1) based on your lesson objective that students
will seek to answer in Explore.
Teacher Will: (hook) Students Will:

To begin the lesson, I will ask the
class, What percent of energy used in
the U.S. comes from renewable
energy? This question will also be
projected on the smart board. I will
instruct the students to write their
guess on their individual white boards
and then hold their guess up for me to
see. As they write their guesses, I will
Students will guess the answer to
the question on the board, writing
their answers on their own
individual white boards.
Students will discuss if the data
surprised them and why. They will
also discuss why they chose their
guesses to share and the possible
remind them of the renewable energy reasons that the country doesnt
sources we have learned about: solar use more renewable energy
and wind powered energy. sources.

After reviewing their guesses and

making some comments, I will project
a pie graph of the actual percent of
renewable energy used in the U.S.
(10% of energy consumption is from
renewable energy sources). We will
discuss if this data is suprising or not,
and how it relates to their guesses. We
will also discuss why the U.S. doesnt
use more renewable energy sources.

Next, I will introduce the problem.

How can we design a solar energy
system to meet a citys needs?
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

For ELLs, all of the questions/problems will be projected in writing on the

smart board with pictures that relate. This will better help them understand
what is being discussed.
Explore - In this section students should take the lead and actively use materials
to discover information that will help them answer the question posed in
Engage. Teachers may choose to give steps to follow, especially for younger students,
but the goal is for students to discover some or all of the sub-objectives of the lesson.
Teacher Will: (pose IQ #1) Students Will: (list all steps)

After introducing the problem, I will
show the energy lab on the smart
board. I will model how they will reach
the website (which will be written on
the white board) and which level (1:
Tuscon) they should begin.
I will give a brief overview of how the
lab works, while modeling the process,
and answer any technology related
questions.
Students will watch me model the
energy lab and ask questions.
Students will collect their laptops
and log in to the energy lab website
on pbs.
Students will work independently to
pass level one of the energy lab.

Next, I will explain that they will be

taking notes as they work so they can
remember what data let them pass the
level. I will write the data labels that
they will need on the white board.

Then, I will have the students collect

their laptops and begin the lab!

As they work, I will monitor the class

and make observational notes on who
is struggling/exceeding in their work.
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

After each section of modeling, I will do a check for understanding by having

them turn and talk about the steps I demonstrated and then choosing one
person to share them.
Explain In this section students share what they discovered, teacher connects
student discoveries to correct content terms/explanations, students
articulate/demonstrate a clear and correct understanding of the lesson sub-objectives
by answering the question from Engage before moving on.
Teacher Will: Students Will:

I will bring the class back together Students will shut their computers.
with a call out & response strategy. I They will then discuss their
will have everyone close, but not shut experiences with table mates.
off, their computers. First, I will let
them talk to their partners/table mates Students will provide struggles and
about their experiences. positives of designing a solar
energy system.
Then, I will ask the question, What
was the most challenging part of the Students will discuss with their
lab? I will write their responses on tables.
the white board under Struggles.
Then, I will ask, What are the benefits
of a program like this? I will write
their responses under Positives.

I will then repeat the main question,

How did we design a solar energy
system to meet a citys needs? They
will answer this by discussing their
data with their tables.
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

I will make sure that everyone has at least one other person to discuss their
experiences with, especially for ELLs to have more opportunities for
conversation in a comfortable setting.
Elaborate In this section students take the basic learning gained from Explore and
clarified in Explain and apply it to a new circumstance or explore a particular aspect of
this learning at a deeper level. Students should be using higher order thinking in this
stage. A common practice in this section is to ask a What If? question. IQ #2
Teacher Will: (pose IQ #2) Students Will:

I will tell the students to flip their Students will watch me model the
notetaking paper over for the next next level of the lab.
version of the lab. I will model the next
level of the energy lab on the Smart Students will work independently to
board. I will remind the students of try to pass level two of the energy
how the system works and what their lab.
goal is. I will explain that this level
includes solar power and wind power
and that their job is to now design a
system using both of these resources. I
will pose the second question, How
can we design a solar and wind energy
system to meet a citys needs? This
will be written on the white board.

Then, students will be instructed to

open their laptops and begin level 2 of
the energy lab!
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes

Once again, all of the questions/problems will be written on the board for
better understanding.
Evaluate In this section every student demonstrates mastery of the lesson
objective (though perhaps not mastery of the elaborate content). Because this also
serves as a closing, students should also have a chance to summarize the big
concepts they learned outside of the assessment.
Teacher Will: Students Will:

I will get everyones attention and Students will discuss their

instruct them to shut off their experiences with their tables.
laptops. Then, I will ask the students
to share their experiences of level 2 Students will add struggles/positives
with their peers and explain some of to the white board.
the differences from level 1.
Students will write a paragraph
I will ask if anyone has a struggle or summarizing their learning.
positive that they want to add to the
white board about the experience of
designing an energy system.

After, the students will be tasked

with writing one paragraph that
includes three topics:
- Any struggles they faced
- The data they came up
with
- The benefits of a
renewable energy system

Closure: (revisit objective, IQs and make real world connections)

To conclude, I will show the class a graph of the energy sources used in
Arizona. We will discuss any surprises and what the data means. I will ask
them if they have any ideas on how Arizona could design an energy system
using renewable energy resources and to add them to the bottom of their
paragraph/worksheet.
**Best Practices List the Best Teaching Practices you will use to enhance
the learning outcomes. In each section where prompted, list the best
practice, how the practices will be used and the purpose.