Solar Energy In The Desert - Climate, Desert Ecosystems, & Energy Resources

In Solar Energy In The Desert, students will examine a debate unfolding in the Mojave Desert — should solar farms be installed in delicate desert ecosystems? — in order to develop an understanding of natural resources, including renewable solar energy, and the factors that influence climates. This Spark also sets the stage to investigate change and stability in ecosystems, particularly the Mojave Desert ecosystem already threatened by climate change. Learning opportunities throughout the unit are designed to build student understanding of the relevant science concepts so that they may make a well-informed decision in support of or against the development of a new solar energy project.

This Curiosity Spark is designed to launch investigations into:

• Why Are We Investing In Solar Energy? How is our energy produced? What are renewable and nonrenewable resources? How does electricity generation produce greenhouse gas emissions? How are gas and coal turned into electricity? What are the environmental impacts of fossil fuels? How can we reduce our carbon emissions? What are our energy alternatives? What are the pros and cons of different energy sources?
• Why Is The Mojave Desert In The Spotlight? Why is it “prime real estate” for solar developers? How can we describe its climate? What explains its climate? Do other places have similar climates? How does its climate affect living things there?
• How Would Solar Energy Development Impact The Mojave Desert Ecosystem? Why is it described as a “fragile ecosystem”? What things live in the desert? How is the Mojave ecosystem changing? What is causing these changes? How do changes in ecosystems impact organisms and populations?

Access the bonus file to learn more about this Curiosity Spark bundle!

This Curiosity Spark (Storyline Starter) is designed to tie to:

*Solar Energy In The Desert unit material may not fully assess every standard listed below. Please read the complete description to understand what you are purchasing or watch this video overview: https://vimeo.com/660953725/123eb13c45

• MS-LS2-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on cause and effect relationships between resources and growth of individual organisms and the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and scarce resources.]
• MS-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on recognizing patterns in data and making warranted inferences about changes in populations, and on evaluating empirical evidence supporting arguments about changes to ecosystems.]
• MS-ESS2-6 Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how patterns vary by latitude, altitude, and geographic land distribution. Emphasis of atmospheric circulation is on the sunlight-driven latitudinal banding, the Coriolis effect, and resulting prevailing winds; emphasis of ocean circulation is on the transfer of heat by the global ocean convection cycle, which is constrained by the Coriolis effect and the outlines of continents. Examples of models can be diagrams, maps and globes, or digital representations.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the dynamics of the Coriolis effect.]
• MS-ESS3-5 Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century. [Clarification Statement: Examples of factors include human activities (such as fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and agricultural activity) and natural processes (such as changes in incoming solar radiation or volcanic activity). Examples of evidence can include tables, graphs, and maps of global and regional temperatures, atmospheric levels of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and the rates of human activities. Emphasis is on the major role that human activities play in causing the rise in global temperatures.]
• MS-LS2-2 Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on predicting consistent patterns of interactions in different ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and between organisms and abiotic components of ecosystems. Examples of types of interactions could include competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial.]*
• MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence include grade-appropriate databases on human populations and the rates of consumption of food and natural resources (such as freshwater, mineral, and energy). Examples of impacts can include changes to the appearance, composition, and structure of Earth’s systems as well as the rates at which they change. The consequences of increases in human populations and consumption of natural resources are described by science, but science does not make the decisions for the actions society takes.]*
• *While this unit does not directly address these concepts, it does provide a jumping off point for further investigations into these science ideas.

What iExploreScience Curiosity Sparks Are Not

These resources are not designed to fit the mold of a traditional unit. You won’t find presentation slides, lecture notes, vocabulary cards, “warm-ups” or “exit tickets.” You won't find down-to-the-day pacing guides or a checklist of activities.

The reality is, those things are not what learning is about -- and they don't represent how learning unfolds!

What iExploreScience Curiosity Sparks Are

These resources are your starting points. They provide the guide and general roadmap. They provide an opportunity to find something happening (in your Anchor Experience) and then to investigate what happened (through learning activities).

Sparks will ask students to make observations and ask questions. They will give students (and you, as their guide!) the freedom and (supported) agency to investigate those questions… wherever you may need it to go. Spark lessons will provide exploration and discovery-based learning opportunities to uncover the targeted content, allowing your students to answer their own questions through unit activities. You and your students are fully supported as you the educator design a learning journey customized to your learners' needs.

Be prepared to launch a learning journey and follow up with high quality 3D instruction. Blend your own resources, your favorite activities, and your classroom norms with the activities provided in this bundle.

This isn't a "one size fits all" unit curriculum. This is your entry point into a more student-driven science class.

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