Energy

Do we have the power to live on Mars?

Students use their understanding of energy production on Earth to decide which form of energy would be the most viable for generating electricity on Mars.

Grade

Duration

40 mins

Type

Group work

Overview

By making decisions about the viability of energy production technologies on Mars, students deepen their understanding of energy-related technologies used on Earth and practice their abilities to make scientific evidence-based decisions.

Instructions

What you'll need

"Do we have the power to live on Mars?" worksheet, one for each student
"Assessing energy technologies" worksheet, one for each group
"Comparing energy technologies" handout, one for each group
"How does Mars compare to Earth?" handout, one for each group

1. Organize your students into small groups (2-4 students) and provide each student with a copy of the "Do we have the power to live on Mars?" worksheet. Ask groups to suggest which form of energy used on Earth would be the best for providing electricity for a human settlement on Mars.

2. Invite groups to share their decisions and thinking with the class. As groups share, use their ideas to co-develop or present the criteria for viability. Criteria for a viable technology would include:

Usability: To what degree could the technology be used and survive the conditions on Mars?
Effectiveness: To what degree could the technology efficiently and reliably generate the same amount of electricity as it does on Earth?

Be sure students understand the criteria before proceeding to the next step in the activity.

3. Provide each group with a copy of the "Assessing energy technologies" worksheet and the "Comparing energy technologies" and "How does Mars compare to Earth?" handouts. Assign each group one form energy production technology (solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity, geothermal power, nuclear power, and fossil fuel power).

4. Ask each group to assess the viability of their assigned form of energy, reminding them to note their ratings and scientific evidence on the worksheet.

5. Encourage groups to share their final rating of their assigned technology with the class.

6. Ask your students to compare their final assessments of each technology to their initial decisions. Encourage them to add to or revise their initial predictions and justifications.

Modify or extend this activity

Ask students to determine if a community made up of a given number of people on Mars would consume more or less energy than a community of the same number of people on Earth.

Curriculum Fit

Science for Citizens 11

Big idea

Scientific understanding enables humans to respond and adapt to changes locally and globally

Content

Evidence-based decision making through science
Impact of technologies
Beneficial scientific innovations

Curricular competencies

Questioning and predicting

Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal, local, or global interest
Formulate multiple hypothesis and predict multiple outcomes

Processing and analyzing data and information

Seek and analyze patterns, trends, and connections in data, including describing relationships between variables, performing calculations, and identifying inconsistencies
Use knowledge of scientific concepts to draw conclusions that are consistent with evidence
Analyze cause-and-effect relationships

Evaluating

Consider social, ethical, and environmental implications of the findings from their own and others’ investigations
Assess risks in the context of personal safety and social responsibility

Applying and innovating

Contribute to care for self, others, community, and world through individual or collaborative approaches
Contribute to finding solutions to problems at a local and/or global level through inquiry
Implement multiple strategies to solve problems in real-life, applied, and conceptual situations
Consider the role of scientists in innovation

Communicating

Communicate scientific ideas and information, and perhaps a suggested course of action, for a specific purpose and audience, constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions, and representations

Teaching Notes

Energy in B.C.

This activity gets students thinking about how natural resources and geography play a part in how energy is generated in a specific region.

In British Columbia, the abundance of mountains, hills, lakes, rivers and streams make it an ideal province for hydroelectricity. 98% of the electricity in B.C. is clean energy generated by hydroelectric dams.

Assessment

Throughout the activity consider how well students:

Apply their understanding of the mechanisms, requirements, advantages and disadvantages of various sources of energy to consider the viability of scientific innovations.
Apply their understanding of how the conditions on another planet would impact the effectiveness of various technologies
Make decisions using criteria and justify their decisions by using evidence