Electricity Use At Home Curriculum Activity

Suitable for Secondary (Years 7-10)

Victorian Curriculum Links:

Mathematics
7-8: (VCMSP268);(VCMNA248)
9-10:(VCMSP324)

Science
9-10: (VCSSU130)

Activity Description

The Electricity Use at Home activity develops students’ auditing skills and raises awareness around energy consumption at home. The exercise enables students to learn where electricity is used at home, investigate how much is used and the frequency of use over time. Students are then able to readily identify where electricity use is highest and develop recommendations for energy saving opportunities.

Key Concepts

Energy Use, Electricity, Conversions

Key Learning Intentions

1. Students will be able to identify where electricity is used at home
2. Students will be able to calculate electricity use of various appliances over time
3. Students will be able to order where electricity use is highest and develop recommendations for energy saving opportunities

Suggestions for Assessment

Formative
1. Participation in the Electricity Use At Home survey
2. Participation in the Discussion questions below

Instructions

1. Describe your home
Describe your home. Consider information about the building material, its size, number of rooms, the building’s age and how many people live there. Identify if your heating and cooking is electric or gas.

2. Electricity Use at Home Survey
Read through the student worksheet for the ‘Electricity Use at Home’ survey. Look through the table of electric appliances and calculate how much electricity you use per item monthly, estimating first how many hours you use each item per week. Where is your electricity use the highest and/or lowest? Does anything surprise you?

3. Discussion
1. What five appliances use the most electric energy at home? Why?
2. Where do you see opportunities to save electricity? How?
3. Compare your data with someone else from your class.
a) How did your electricity use compare to your classmate’s? What was similar or different?
b) What external factors (such as building size, material, number of inhabitants, etc.) may affect electricity consumption between your two homes?
c) What other behavioural factors affect electric energy consumption in the home?

Suggested ResourceSmart Schools Module Links

Undertaking the activity as described above links to the ResourceSmart Schools Energy Module – actions B1.2, B1.3

Below is a list of extension activities that link to additional actions of the Energy module:

Develop an action plan to implement energy saving actions and systems at home based on your recommendations. Survey parents on their attitudes to energy saving at home (ResourceSmart Schools Energy Module – actions B1.1, B1.3, C3.4)
Construct a pie or bar graph to present and compare your data. Present your findings and energy saving recommendations in a school newsletter or at assembly (ResourceSmart Schools Energy Module – actions B1.3, B1.4, C1.1, C1.3 )
Investigate energy efficient strategies for the home and then include Energy Saving Tips in your school newsletter for families. You can explore Sustainability Victoria’s site on Energy Saving At Home for ideas (ResourceSmart Schools Energy Module – actions C1.1, C1.3, B1.3)
Extend investigation to audit electricity use in the school classroom and develop a recommendation report to present to school leadership or council (ResourceSmart Schools Energy Module – action B1.3)
Invite a local indigenous group to share their traditional perspectives on the seasons, as well as different forms of energy used to meet their needs for comfort and everyday tasks (ResourceSmart Schools Energy Module – actions B1.5, B1.6)
Engage with students from other school(s) interstate or overseas to compare their energy use at school and home, to your own. Reflect on how different places and people adapt their behaviours, including their use of electricity, or the ways different cultures dress, in response to the weather and seasons (ResourceSmart Schools Energy Module – action C3.7)