Hydroelectricity and water use

Science 2 

Big Ideas

• Water is essential to all living things, and it cycles through the environment.
• Individuals have rights and responsibilities as global citizens.

Content

• Water conservation
• The water cycle
• Rights and responsibilities of individuals regionally and globally. 
• Responsibility to the environment

Curricular Competencies

 Questioning and Predicting

• Demonstrate curiosity about the natural world

 Processing and analyzing data and information

• Experience and interpret the local environment
• Recognize the causes and consequences of events, decisions, or developments
• Sort and classify data and information using drawings, pictographs and provided tables

 Evaluating

• Compare observations with those of others
• Ask questions, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the content and features of different types of sources.

 Applying and innovating

• Take part in caring for self, family, classroom and school through personal approaches

 Communicating

• Communicate observations and ideas using oral or written language, drawing, or role-play

Applied Design, Skills & Technologies 2

Big Ideas

• Skills can be developed through play.

Curricular competencies

• Ideating, making and sharing

The following information is included in each activity to help inform the facts and conversations which will come up while working on the unit with your class.

Drought

What is drought

Drought is a recurrent feature of climate involving a deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time, resulting in a water shortage. Drought may be caused by combinations of insufficient snow accumulation, hot and dry weather, or a delay in rainfall.

Effects of drought

Drought impacts communities and agricultural production. Severe drought conditions pose significant risks to people and communities, leading to reduced water availability for households and businesses, reducing crop growth and quality, and affecting wildlife.

Water saving tips from BC Hydro
B.C. experienced a record drought in 2023, and we continue to monitor unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change. It's more important than ever to manage water carefully, both for household consumption and for energy generation.

Here are a few water-saving tips you can incorporate at home:

• Fill your dishwasher full instead of handwashing dishes
• Let that lawn go brown in the summer, or rewild your yard
• Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators
• Get a rain barrel in your yard or schoolground
• Take shorter showers
• Fix leaky taps
• Don't leave water running when not in use

Current drought conditions in BC

The B.C. Drought Information Portal provides a real-time map showing current drought conditions in all regions of B.C. We recommend checking this before your discussion about drought so that you can explain whether or not your region is experiencing drought.

Consider following up the lesson by telling students when conditions have changed. For example, if you cover the lesson during a period without drought, let the students know if the region has entered a period of drought; remind them of the activity you did and ask them to recall the water-saving tips that were discussed.

How hydroelectric power is generated

BC Hydro generates power by harnessing the power of moving or falling water to produce mechanical/electrical energy. BC Hydro generates over 43,000 gigawatt hours of electricity annually to supply more than 1.6 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. This power is delivered using an interconnected system of over 73,000 kilometres of transmission and distribution lines.

So how do we generate this power? The process begins before electricity even reaches customers. The steps to generating electricity from a dam and how it is transported are outlined below.

1. Hydroelectric dam
   There is potential energy stored in a water reservoir behind a dam. It is converted to kinetic energy when the water starts flowing down the penstock, from the dam. This kinetic energy is used to turn a turbine.
   
   
2. Generator
   The falling water strikes a series of blades attached around a shaft which converts kinetic energy to mechanical energy and causes the turbine to rotate. The shaft is attached to a generator, so that when the turbine turns, the generator is driven. The generator converts the turbine's mechanical energy into electric energy.
   
   
3. Step-up transformer
    Voltage is the pressure that makes electricity flow. Generators usually produce electricity with a low voltage. In order for the transmission lines to carry the electricity efficiently over long distances, the low generator voltage is increased to a higher transmission voltage by a step-up transformer.
   
   
4. Grid high voltage transmission lines
   Grid transmission lines, usually supported by tall metal towers, carry high voltage electricity over long distances.
   
   
5. Terminal Station
   Terminal stations control power flow on grid transmission lines and reduce the grid voltage to subtransmission voltage.
   
   
6. Subtransmission lines
   Subtransmission lines supply power from terminal stations to large industrial customers or distribution substations.
   
   
7. How it is used by the customer
    Electric energy can be sold at transmission voltage to users of large amounts who own and operate their own substations. Most customers, however, are unable to accept energy at transmission voltage, and require that it be stepped down in a transformer.
   
   
8. Distribution substation
    A distribution substation is a system of transformers, meters, and control and protective devices. At a substation, transmission voltage is reduced to lower voltages for distribution to residential, commercial, and small and medium industrial customers.

Ways we use electricity

Take a moment for the class to think about all the different ways we use electricity in our lives.

• Transportation: Trains, buses, EVs, scooters, and e-bikes
• Heating and cooling: Heat pumps, baseboard heaters, radiators, and air conditioning
• Lighting: Street lights, lamps, light bulbs, and holiday lights
• Kitchen appliances: Refrigerator, stove and oven, dishwasher, toasters, and kettles
• Electronics: Phones, computers, TVs, printers, and projectors
• Laundry: Washing machines and dryers.

BC Hydro Electricity saving tips

Check out this link to learn about saving electricity in your home but staying comfortable. Some strategies include:

Heating and cooling:

• Set your thermostat lower at night and when not at home.
• Draft proof your windows and doors and seal gaps and cracks.
• Use fans instead of air conditioning when you can.

Electronics and kitchen:

• Unplug items not being used, because they still use energy when plugged in. 
• Consider using small cooking appliances like toaster ovens and slow cookers rather than turning on the oven.

Laundry:

• Make sure clothes need to be washed before putting them in the laundry.
• Wash with cold water. This saves water and also helps reduce plastic fibres from clothing washing down the drain. 
• Hang laundry to dry. 
• Clean the lint trap so that the dryer works better.

Lighting:

• Switch to LED light bulbs. They are 75% more efficient than traditional light bulbs. 
• Turn off unused lights. 
• Consider using sensors, dimmers, or smart switches to control lights.

Staying cool in summer 

• Avoid being outside in the hottest part of the day.
• Seek shade to stay cool when it's sunny out.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat lighter meals and use the oven less often.
• Limit physical activity to cooler parts of the day.
• Keep your home cool by closing blinds in the morning for east facing windows and evening for west facing windows.
• Find a cool places to hangout on hot days, like the library.