Lesson summary
Students explore the concepts of thermal energy, electromagnetic radiation (infrared and visible light), and their connection to climate change and energy-efficient building design. Students engage in activities to understand how various materials interact with heat and light, aiming to design houses that stay cool while considering real-world implications.
Learning intentions:
Students will...
- recognise the significance of electromagnetic radiation in the form of infrared and visible light and understand how they impact the Earth's energy balance.
- investigate the relationship between material properties, specifically colour and reflectivity, and their role in designing energy-efficient buildings, with a focus on climate change mitigation.
Success criteria:
Students can...
- recall that visible light and infrared radiation are a part of the electromagnetic spectrum and travel as waves
- describe how radiation interacts with the Earth's surface and contributes to climate change.
- outline how different materials interact with radiation according to their properties
- apply their knowledge of infrared radiation to design an energy efficient house using appropriate materials
Lesson guides and printables
Lesson details
Skills
This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:
- critical thinking
- collaboration
- communication
- global citizenship
- problem-solving
Curriculum Mapping
Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description: Year 9 Physics
- Apply the law of conservation of energy to analyse system efficiency in terms of energy inputs, outputs, transfers and transformations AC9S9U05
- Use wave and particle models to describe energy transfer through different mediums and examine the usefulness of each model for explaining phenomena AC9S9U04
General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability
Syllabus outcomes: Stage 5: PW3
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability
Relevant parts of Year 9 Physics achievement standards: Students can analyse energy conservation in simple systems and apply wave and particle models to describe energy transfer and analyse the different ways in which science and society are interconnected.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
UN SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
- 7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
- 7.3 By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
- 7.A By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology.
Resources Required
- Device capable of presenting audiovisual material
- Student devices for research
- Paper
- Cardboard
- Aluminium foil
- Polystyrene
- Clear plastic sheets
- Fabric or cotton
- Paint
- Sponges
- Heat lamps
- Thermometers
- Stopwatches
Additional Info
This unit of lessons, along with the other units in the Skills and Jobs For a Transitioned Economy package aim to teach students how to be climate solution entrepreneurs. These lessons will equip students with the relevant skills and knowledge of jobs and career pathways that will be able to sustain our economy once it has transitioned away from fossil fuels. Cool.org thanks our philanthropic partners, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and Boundless Earth, for their generous contributions in helping us to create these resources.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – Some explicit teaching required, facilitation of research and discussion.
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