Name:BrayleeBenjamin

TitleofLesson:TidalPower
Grade:5thgrade

TidalEnergyLessonPlan

STANDARDS
CommonCoreStateStandard:Write opinion

pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of

view with reasons and information. (5.W.1)
Next Generation Science Standards:
3-5 ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure
points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW
Thislessonistoteachstudentsabouttidalenergyasarenewableresource.Asagrowingsocietywith
alotofneeds,mystudentsshouldunderstandthebetteralternativesformeetingourenergyneeds.But
anotherideatheymusttakeintoconsiderationistheeffectonhabitatsandecosystemsthatthesenewenergy
formscanhave.Soasmystudentslearnabouttidalpower,theywillbeexperimentingwaystopreventharm
tounderwaterhabitats.Attheendoftheirexperiment,studentswillalsowriteanopinionpieceonthe
solutionstheycameupwithandwhytheyshouldbeenacted.
OBJECTIVES
Studentswillbeabletocomeupwithsolutionstopreventfurtherdamageonunderwaterhabitatsas
aresultofharnessingtidalenergy.

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Studentswillreceiveanexitticketaftertheyhaveconcludedtheirexperimentsthatwillhavethemdiscuss
theirsolutionforpreventinghabitatdamage,andwhyitisimportantforustoprotectthesehabitatsaswetry
tobecomeamoresustainableplanet.
PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE
Studentswillreceiveapretesttoassesstheirpriorknowledgeonthefollowingtopicsthatwillbegiventhe
weekbeforetheunitistaught:
Whatahabitatis.
Howmightanunderwaterhabitatsufferfromobstructionsinthewater.
Whatrenewableresourcesare.
Whyarerenewableresourcesimportant.
Whataretidesandwhatcausesthem.
MATERIALS

Tidalenergysimulationbox/water
Powerpointontheprosandconswecameupwith/learnedabout
Videoonthenegativeeffectsoftidalpoweronmarineecosystems
Worksheettotakenotesonastheydotheirexperiment
Experimentdirections
ExitTicket
VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS

Turbineamachineforproducingcontinuouspowerinwhichawheelorrotor,typicallyfittedwithvanes,is
madetorevolvebyafastmovingflowofwater,steam,gas,air,orotherfluid.
Tidesthealternaterisingandfallingofthesea,usuallytwiceineachlunardayataparticularplace,dueto
theattractionofthemoonandsun.
MarineEcosystemsareamongthelargestofEarth'saquaticecosystems.Theyincludeoceans,saltmarshes,
intertidalzones,estuaries,lagoons,mangroves,coralreefs,thedeepsea,andtheseafloor.
TEACHINGPROCEDURES
ProceduralSteps(Stepbystepinstructionsforteachingthelesson):
TeacherWill:
StudentWill:
Iwillstartoutthelessonbyreviewingwhatwe
Studentswillreviewthematerial,answeringall
alreadywentoverthroughouttheweek.
questionsasked.
Studentswillaskanyquestionstheystillhaveon
AskingQuestionslike:
tidalpower
Whatisarenewableresource?
Whatmakestidalpowerarenewableresource?
Whataretheprosandconsofharnessingtidal
power?
Whataresomeoftheeffectsonmarine
ecosystems?
OntheboardIwillwritetheinformationthey
providefromtheiranswers.
OntheboardIwillhavethefollowinginformation
writteninsomeform/inapowerpoint.
Effectsoftidalenergyonmarineecosystems:
animalscangetsuckedintotheturbines
plantscangetpulledintoturbines
sedimentiscausedtomovearoundeitherbeing
forcedtotheoceanfloor,orspeedalongwiththe
movingtide
Themodeloceanwiththeturbinesinitwillthenbe
presented.Wewilldiscussthedifferentaspectsof
themodel:theanimals,plants,oceanfloor,and
turbines.
Thestudentswillthenbeaskedtopredict,based
offtheirpriorknowledgefromtheweek,whatwill
happentotheplants,animals,water,andground
whenwestartoursimulation.
Eachgroupwillhavetheirownsimulationsattheir
tabletoreallyanalyzewhatmighthappen.
Asaclasswewillstartthetidalsimulationby
tiltingthemodelsbackandforthslowlyand
observingwhathappens.

Studentswillthenhavetocomeupwith
predictionsastowhatwillhappenwhenwestart
thesimulation.

Studentswillwritedownresultsoftheirsimulation
aswellasinferencesastowhatelsewouldbe
happeninginreallife.

Afterdiscussingtheresults,studentswillhaveto
comeupwithsolutionsthatwouldpreventthe
marineecosystemsfromgettingharmed.

Usingtheirmodel,theywillcreatesolutionsthat
wouldhelpreducethenegativeimpactsonmarine
life.

Oncethestudentshavecomeupwiththeir
solutions,wewillsharethemoutasaclassand
discusshow/whythesolutionswouldworkorwould
notwork.
Lastly,thestudentswillwriteashortopinionpiece
onwhytheirsolutionorapeerssolutionshouldbe
implementedintoplacesthatharnesstidalpower.

RESOURCES

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State
School Officers. (2010). Common Core Writing Standards. National
Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State
School Officers, Washington D.C.
NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States
WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION

Throughout the lesson, futures thinking should be incorporated

throughout the lesson. Ensuring students are looking at the future of the
habitat and how, if we dont think about these impacts, the habitat may suffer, which in
turn may cause the people who, lets say, eat the fish, suffer when the fish die.