Monday, March 31, 2008 - 11:50 AM
Hydrogen Technology and Energy Curriculum (HyTEC) for High School Science
Abstract:
Over the past three years, Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) at UC Berkeley and the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) at Humboldt State University have developed and tested a two-week curriculum on hydrogen and fuel cells. The curriculum is set in a context of alternative energy for transportation and is designed to fit seamlessly into a high school chemistry or environmental science course. The educational mission of the curriculum is to prepare students with the science background and skills they will need to make informed decisions about important energy issues.
The instructional activities include student pages, teacher support documentation, and equipment and supplies for hands-on laboratories. In the laboratory activities, students work directly with electrolyzers to produce hydrogen from water and then use the hydrogen they produce to run fuel cells that either lift a weight or drive a fan motor. The experiment kit allows quantitative measurement of hydrogen consumed and work produced so students can calculate real-life efficiencies. A final role-play activity asks students to apply what they have learned as decision makers in a possible fuel cell bus program for their community. The activity sequence addresses high school science content included in both National and California Science Education Standards. The project has also produced a video teaser and video field trip to accompany the activity sequence and is developing an interactive website with video clips and further information.
Classrooms in Berkeley, Emeryville, and Arcata, California, have participated in pilot testing of the activities. Pre- and post-tests have been used to assess student achievement. A teacher workshop has been held to inform teachers about the curriculum, gather their feedback, and prepare them to work with the curriculum in their classrooms. Based on the results of these activities, the curriculum has been refined and is now ready for broader distribution. Future activities will include: further testing in schools, additional teacher workshops, modification of the laboratory equipment so that it can be produced cheaply and in large quantities, website development, and outreach efforts to disseminate the curriculum nationally.
This paper will include a description of the curriculum, including student and teacher materials. The experimental equipment will be described and the experimental procedure detailed. Results of our experiences in the classroom and in the teacher workshop will be included. We will also describe our plan for national dissemination using a network of science teachers already established by LHS.
Over the past three years, Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) at UC Berkeley and the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) at Humboldt State University have developed and tested a two-week curriculum on hydrogen and fuel cells. The curriculum is set in a context of alternative energy for transportation and is designed to fit seamlessly into a high school chemistry or environmental science course. The educational mission of the curriculum is to prepare students with the science background and skills they will need to make informed decisions about important energy issues.
The instructional activities include student pages, teacher support documentation, and equipment and supplies for hands-on laboratories. In the laboratory activities, students work directly with electrolyzers to produce hydrogen from water and then use the hydrogen they produce to run fuel cells that either lift a weight or drive a fan motor. The experiment kit allows quantitative measurement of hydrogen consumed and work produced so students can calculate real-life efficiencies. A final role-play activity asks students to apply what they have learned as decision makers in a possible fuel cell bus program for their community. The activity sequence addresses high school science content included in both National and California Science Education Standards. The project has also produced a video teaser and video field trip to accompany the activity sequence and is developing an interactive website with video clips and further information.
Classrooms in Berkeley, Emeryville, and Arcata, California, have participated in pilot testing of the activities. Pre- and post-tests have been used to assess student achievement. A teacher workshop has been held to inform teachers about the curriculum, gather their feedback, and prepare them to work with the curriculum in their classrooms. Based on the results of these activities, the curriculum has been refined and is now ready for broader distribution. Future activities will include: further testing in schools, additional teacher workshops, modification of the laboratory equipment so that it can be produced cheaply and in large quantities, website development, and outreach efforts to disseminate the curriculum nationally.
This paper will include a description of the curriculum, including student and teacher materials. The experimental equipment will be described and the experimental procedure detailed. Results of our experiences in the classroom and in the teacher workshop will be included. We will also describe our plan for national dissemination using a network of science teachers already established by LHS.
Presentation