Renew-a-Bead Game
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Provided by: Teach Engineering|Published on: July 9, 2024
Activity - Classroom
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Synopsis
- In this activity, students will use simple materials to simulate the distribution and use of renewable and non-renewable energy resources.
- Students will compare the energy use of other countries, calculate percentages, and discuss ways to encourage renewable energy investment.

Subjects: Mathematics, Engineering
Authors: Teach Engineering
Region: Asia, Europe, United States
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This activity is an excellent introduction to models.
- Teachers can easily complete this activity in one class period or extend it to deepen student understanding.
Prerequisites
- Students should know the term renewable energy and be able to identify some sources of renewable energy.
- Students should know how to multiply and divide, and they may benefit from prior experience calculating percentages.
- Before doing the activity, teachers will need to print the worksheet and gather paper bags and black and white beads.
- The suggested prerequisite lesson for this activity is called Energy Resources and Systems.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students interested in the engineering aspect of the activity would enjoy exploring green careers in the engineering field, such as energy engineer.
- After the activity, students can choose one renewable source of energy to research and write a speech or essay about.
- To help remind students of what the bag represents, teachers may want to label the bag "country" or the name of a specific country.
- Teachers and students can discuss the environmental and climate change implications from burning fossil fuels.
Students explore renewable and non-renewable sources of energy and how they could be managed in a sustainable manner via this game. We recommend this resource for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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