Energy Inequality in the World STEM Integrated Project
How does energy inequality affect the world today and what can be done to mitigate its impact?
That is the essential question students seek to answer in this multi-disciplinary cross curricular unit.
In the CTE Course (Intro to Energy) lesson sequence, students study current and future energy sources, resources and policy. Students learn about energy inequality, how it affects the daily lives of people around the world and what actions they can take to publicize this problem and explore potential solutions. They use knowledge and skills developed in both their ELA and World History courses in conjunction with the CTE course.
In the World History lesson sequence, students map global energy and resource distribution and make connections between energy inequality and issues in the developing world. Students conduct a Case Study of the African country of Malawi, home of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Having gained a thorough understanding of the human toll wrought by inequality, students are motivated to look for solutions, especially those that are within their own reach. They will conduct research and craft presentations on innovators/inventors and their inventions that have potential to mitigate the consequences of inequality, in order to understand how human ingenuity can overcome obstacles and improve people’s lives.
In the English Language Arts lesson sequence, students examine a condensed version of teen Malawian native William Kamkwambi's autobiographical novel, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, exploring the true life tale of one young person who experienced the challenge of energy poverty and famine and came up with a creative solution. Additionally, students examine how the three persuasive appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos bring to life his story, through the lens of children's literature. Skill development in these lessons focuses on annotation, analysis, and synthesis. Critical-thinking activities focus on aspects of social injustice and how global inequality has inspired humans to self-actualize their personal potentials.
This unit is brought to you by David Yeroshek (CTE), LeeAnn Rupley (History), and Patricia Barrett (ELA) with support from the CTE Online curriculum leadership team and detailed coordination provided by the Course Team Lead Mina Greas.
