Water to Watt
Lesson Plans
Grades4, 5, 6Engineering
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Cool.org
What it is
- This lesson explores hydropower as a renewable energy source.
- Students build and test a model water wheel as an engineering challenge, consider the drawbacks and benefits of hydropower, and design a labelled poster of a hydropower station that includes a related STEM career over the roughly 60-minute lesson.
- Though this lesson was made for students in Australia, teachers worldwide can implement this lesson by substituting their own national data.
Teaching tips
Preparation:
- A free cool.org account is required to access the full lesson and its companion materials.
Prerequisites:
- Ensure students are familiar with renewable energy concepts and the term kinetic energy.
- Though this is the third lesson in the unit, students do not necessarily need to have completed the preceding lessons.
- Consider introducing students to different kinds of circuits before teaching this lesson.
Materials:
- A small ball of plasticine or modeling clay
- 6 icy-pole (popsicle) sticks
- 1 skewer
- Thin card
- Sticky tape
- Scissors
Extensions:
- Have students investigate a local or regional hydropower facility and identify one environmental benefit and one environmental challenge of hydropower.
Sustainable Development Goals Connections:
- Connect this resource to SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, and SDG 13, Climate Action.
Scientist's Note:
- This resource counters one-sided claims about hydropower by featuring a balanced analysis of the benefits and potential environmental impacts of hydropower generation.
Ready to use it?
Hosted on cool.org
Want this to fit your class?
Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.
