Apple Energy

Category: Lesson Plan: learning cycle

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will evaluate the energy associated with the production of five different forms of apple products (home-grown apples, homemade applesauce, store-bought apples, store-bought jars of applesauce, and applesauce in "snack packs") and will define such energy as "embodied energy."
2. Students will develop a poster to advertise one of the five apple products to the class.
   
3. Students will provide additional examples of consumer products which demonstrate varying amounts of embodied energy.

Materials:

• Five forms of apple products to serve as visual aids:
  1. home-grown apple
     
  2. jar of homemade applesauce
     
  3. store-bought apple
     
  4. jar of store-bought applesauce
     
  5. store-bought applesauce in "snack packs"
• Student worksheet
• Writing utensil
• Posterboard
• Markers, Crayons, and/or Colored Pencils
• Optional: other art supplies such as construction paper, scissors, glue, old magazines, etc.

Sequence and Duration of Each Part of Lesson:
Exploration: 10 to 15 Minutes
Divide students into 5 groups and assign each group a different apple product. Ask students which apple product is "the best" in terms of energy required to produce the product. Tell them that they will investigate these questions through participating in the following activity. Hand out the student worksheet and have students complete Step A. The worksheet instructs students to list the energy associated with the production of their apple product.

Concept Invention: 15 to 20 Minutes
As a class, discuss the forms of energy associated with each product. The teacher should begin with the home-grown apple group and end with the snack pack group so that students may understand the increasing amount of energy from one product to the next. Develop the idea that there is energy associated with the production of any good or service. Explain that this type of energy is termed "embodied energy." Once students understand that home-grown apples are much better than "snack packs" in terms of embodied energy, ask why consumers purchase "snack packs." This question should lead to a brief discussion about cost, taste, convenience, and variables other than energy.

Extension: 15 to 20 Minutes
Students should complete Step B on the worksheet which instructs them to create a poster advertising their apple product for the class. They are encouraged to stress the energy in their product and the benefits of their product when compared with the other four.

Finally, students should complete Step C, which asks them to name other products which contain varying amounts of embodied energy. Wheat and bread or different forms of sugar and candy are just a couple of examples to consider.

As a variation for Step C, students may be asked to write a commercial advertising their product and act it out for the class. Another option would be to stage a debate in which each group is asked to defend their product.

Evaluation:
A teacher may determine whether or not the student objectives have been met by examining completed student worksheets and by observing their posters and/or presentations. In addition to checking the finished products, a truly responsible teacher will oversee the creative process, listening to group discussions and offering suggestions for both the worksheet and poster.

Apple Energy

Step A In the space below, list a minimum of 10 forms of energy involved in the production of your apple product. It may help to trace the path of the apple from a seed to your mouth.

1.	6.
2.	7.
3.	8.
4.	9.
5.	10.

Step B With your group members, create a poster advertising your apple product in terms of energy use. Be sure you emphasize the benefits of your product when compared to others. You may be asked to present your poster to the class. BE CREATIVE!

Step C Name another set of products (besides apples and applesauce) which demonstrates varying amounts of embodied energy. State at least three different forms the product may take and then list at least ten examples of embodied energy associated with the set of products.

Product forms:

1.

2.

3.

Embodied Energy:

1.	6.
2.	7.
3.	8.
4.	9.
5.	10.

Apple Energy

Step A In the space below, list a minimum of 10 forms of energy involved in the production of your apple product. It may help to trace the path of the apple from a seed to your mouth.

1. sunlight to grow apples	6. energy to cook apples and other ingredients
2. energy to water trees	7. energy to grow/purchase other ingredients
3. human energy to pick apples	8. energy involved in making jars/ canning supplies
4. energy to apply fertilizers/ pesticides	9. energy to combine ingredients
5. energy to wash, peel, cut, mash apples	10. energy to lift spoon to mouth

Step B With your group members, create a poster advertising your apple product in terms of energy use. Be sure you emphasize the benefits of your product when compared to others. You may be asked to present your poster to the class. BE CREATIVE!

Step C Name another set of products (besides apples and applesauce) which demonstrates varying amounts of embodied energy. State at least three different forms the product may take and then list at least ten examples of embodied energy associated with the set of products.

Product forms: 1. wheat in fields 2. wheat flour 3. wheat bread

Embodied Energy:

1. sun energy to grow crop	6. energy to grind wheat
2. energy to run tractors	7. energy to take wheat to factory
3. energy to grow yeast	8. energy to bake bread
4. energy to knead dough	9. energy to slice bread
5. energy to sift wheat	10. energy to eat bread