Topic: Household energy usage

Target group

8th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

General requirements

V. Reasoning and applying the acquired knowledge to solving biological problems. Student:

1. interprets information and explains causal relationships between phenomena, formulates conclusions;

2. presents opinions and arguments related to the discussed biological issues.

General aim of education

You will learn how to reduce energy consumption in the household

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• estimate the amount of energy consumed in the household;

• plan ways to save electricity.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion;

  • brainstorming.

• exposing

  • exposition.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Students get acquainted with the content of the abstract. They prepare to work on the lesson in such a way to be able to summarize the material read in their own words and solve the tasks themselves.

• The instructor recommends that the students write written tasks from these lessons..

Introduction

• The teacher explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

• Then he writes the subject of the lesson on the blackboard or interactive whiteboard. Students write it in notebooks..

• Students interpret the cover illustration, indicating its relationship with the subject and goals of the lesson.

Realization

• The host asks two or three volunteers to present home‑made calculations of electricity consumption per day in their households and an estimate of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the process of converting hard coal into electricity..

• the students present the results of the calculations and compare them with each other. The teacher asks students to provide additional information such as the number of people in the household and their habits related to the use of electricity. The whole class jointly conducts a study of the presented cases, indicating factors that have the greatest impact on energy consumption in individual households.

• The teacher initiates brainstorming on how to reduce electricity consumption in the presented cases.

• The instructor asks further volunteers (also 2‑3 people) to present estimates of the amount of money that can be saved if the electricity consumption of their households is reduced by 10%.

• Teacher initiates an open discussion on electricity consumption in households, ways of saving electricity and the negative effects of excessive energy consumption (financial consequences, effects related to environmental pollution).

• The teacher presents an interactive illustration titled „Types of bulbs”. Students answer what they know about each of the bulbs shown. They exchange their advantages and disadvantages..

Summary

• The teacher carries out a summary part of the lesson using the trash and suitcase method. The teacher hands out small pieces of paper in two different colours (e.g. green and yellow). On the green pieces of paper the students write down the useful knowledge and skills they acquired during the class. The yellow pieces of paper are used to write down things the students did not find useful or interesting. The teacher reads students’ reflections.

• The teacher asks students to carry out the recommended interactive exercise themselves.

Homework

Estimate your carbon footprint using the website www.ziemianarozdrozu.pl/kalkulator.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Household energy usage

Electricity demand is dependent on the number of family members, the number of electrical appliances, how long they last and how much energy they consume. At present, the aim is to use up as little energy as possible, while still achieving the same results. Old appliances are generally energy‑consuming, for example a refrigerator bought 10 years ago uses 3 times more energy than a new one with similar properties.

Electrical equipment is divided into different energy classes and has to have an energy label. Energy class G devices are the least efficient and most energy‑intensive. The least energy is consumed by class A devices, especially by the most efficient ones – A+++. The energy label also indicates how much energy the appliances consume per year. These are estimates and are given in kWh.

The average annual electricity consumption in Poland is ca. 1900 kWh in a household where four people live. The electric heating and a refrigerator consume most of the energy.

Saving electricity means less energy consumption and less environmental damage. It also allows you to reduce your household expenses. The simplest way to achieve this is to switch on your electrical appliances only when they are needed, and when they are old and worn out, to replace them with new, more energy‑efficient alternatives (this also applies to the light bulbs).

It is worth remembering that many electrical devices, left in the so‑called standby mode (stand‑by), just like a TV controlled using a remote, also consume electricity. This can be up to 30% of the energy consumed during operation.

Thanks to the information on the rating plates it is possible to determine, which electrical appliances consume the most electricity. One of them is a fridge, which works around the clock. A high power device is also an electric kettle. To save energy, you need to pour just as much water as you need. Similarly with the washing machine and dishwasher – they should be switched on when they are full. Do not leave the TV or the light on in rooms that are not used by anyone. It is also worth replacing traditional bulbs with LEDs, which consume about 20 times less energy.

• Saving electricity in a household has an impact on the Earth's atmosphere, environmental resources and the household budget.

• Energy saving means using efficient electrical equipment and using it rationally.