Energy Architects: Engineering a More Efficient Future

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• collaboration
• communication
• creative thinking
• critical thinking
• curiosity
• digital literacy
• problem-solving
• reflection

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description: Year 9, Physical Sciences

Students learn to:

• apply the law of conservation of energy to analyse system efficiency in terms of energy inputs, outputs, transfers and transformations (AC9S9U05)
• investigate how advances in technologies enable advances in science and how science has contributed to developments in technologies and engineering (AC9S9H02).

Relevant parts of Year 9 achievement standards: Students can analyse energy conservation in simple systems and apply wave and particle models to describe energy transfer. They explain the role of publication and peer review in the development of scientific knowledge and explain the relationship between science, technologies and engineering.

NSW Syllabus outcomes:

• describes the effects of forces in everyday contexts (SC4-FOR-01)
• evaluates current and alternative energy use based on ethical and sustainability considerations (SC5-EGY-01).

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Digital Literacy,  Literacy, Personal and Social Capability

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability 

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium: facilitate class discussion, research, and group work.

UN SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

• Target 7:1 By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.

• Devices for research
• Internet access for research
• Markers, pens, and other drawing materials
• Poster paper or digital presentation tools (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides)

This lesson has been developed in partnership with the Queensland Government through Queensland's Clean Energy Workforce Roadmap. Cool.org would like to acknowledge and express our gratitude to the Clean Energy Council for the expertise and advice provided in creating these resources.

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