LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

Your Name: Haley Altizer

Title of Lesson: Our Future with Solar Powered Energy
Grade: 6
STANDARDS
NOTE: Please list at least two complete standards your lesson plan
covers. [Common Core State Standards (math and language arts),
Next Generation Science Standards (science), Arizona State Social
Studies Standards (social studies)].
PO 1. Identify various ways in which electrical energy is generated using
renewable and nonrenewable resources
(68.WHST.9)Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
LESSON SUMMARY/OVERVIEW
Provide an overview/synopsis of the lesson and the topics that it will
cover. Make sure to provide a reason why you selected this to be
relevant for a unit on sustainability?
Student will learn basic knowledge on solar energy, futures thinking,
and Ethos, Pathos, Logos. After learning what solar energy, futures
thinking, and Ethos, Pathos, Logos are, students will begin to conduct
research in order to find ways to persuade their parents whether or not
they should switch to solar energy. Students will need to find three
specific sources. Students will have the opportunity to explore TED talks,
informational articles, and personal stories from people who have gone
solar. They can also feel free to include an industry perspective. In doing
so, students need to keep in mind these companies will more than likely
be biased towards their product. Once, students have found their three
key sources, they will begin analyzing the chosen sources and taking key
components and facts to steer others towards the use of solar energy or
not using solar energy. Students will connect futures thinking by providing
others with the knowledge of how big of a difference switching to solar
energy could make. Students will fill out a graphic organizer once they
have picked three specific key ideas to discuss, and organize them
according to the graphic organizer. Once they key points have been
organized and supported with details, students will begin writing their
persuasive letter to the desired person.
OBJECTIVES
Describe what you want students to know/be able to do as a result
of the lesson.

For example, Students will be able to

Students will be able to identify various ways in which electrical energy is
generated using renewable and nonrenewable resources. Specifically
students will become familiar will solar energy. Using the information learned
the student will be able to write a persuasive in order to persuade others
either toward the use of solar energy or away from the use of solar energy. In
the persuasive letter students will talk about how it will affect the future in
order to relate he topic to futures thinking.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
What measures will you use to know if you students met the
objectives?
To measure whether the student met the objectives or not I will be using a
standard writing rubric. I will grade the persuasive letter based off whether
or not students followed the correct format, they used credible sources, and
their reasons are backed up.
PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE
What will students need to know prior to completing this lesson and
how will you access their prior knowledge?
Prior to the lesson student will need to know how to write a persuasive letter.
Also, the will need to know how to tell the difference between a credible
source and an unreliable source. To make sure students are informed on
these important pieces of information I will do a review lesson on the art of
persuasion. Prior to the lesson I have the expectation that students will have
an idea of solar energy but I do not expect them to have full knowledge. This
will be fully covered in the lesson.
MATERIALS
List of required materials.

Computer with internet access

Paper
Pencil
Storyboard template
Graphic organizer

VOCABULARY/KEY WORDS
List of key vocabulary terms.

photovoltaic cells
Solar power

solar energy
solar panel
renewable

TEACHING PROCEDURES
Procedural Steps (Step by step instructions for teaching the lesson):
1. Explain to students what solar energy is and how it relates to futures
thinking.
2. Go more into depth on how solar energy works and have students
watch a short video
3. Begin talking about the art of persuasion
4. Teach students the rhetorical devices; ethos, pathos, logos
5. Have students create a storyboard based on ethos, pathos, logos
6. Explain to students the difference between credible sources and bad
sources
7. Have students begin finding information on solar energy
8. Organize the information into a graphic organizer
9. Use the information gathered to write a persuasive letter either
promoting or going against solar powered energy.
RESOURCES
List any references you used to create this lesson. If you borrowed
ideas from any lesson plans please note them here. Use APA format.
Docimo, K. (2015). Teaching rhetoric and ethos, pathos, logos with storyboards!
Retrieved from http://www.storyboardthat.com/articles/education/writing/ethospathos-logos
Energy Kids, Energy Information Administration. (2015). Solar Basics. Retrieved
from http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=solar_home-basics#top-container
Jones, Van. Super-charge the Solar Power Boom. (2015). CNN Articles. Retrieved
from http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/17/opinions/jones-solar-power-boom/
McManus, John F. Wind and Solar Power Not the Answer. (2015). The New
American Articles. Retrieved
from http://www.thenewamerican.com/reviews/opinion/item/20593-wind-and-solarpower-not-the-answer
Millikin University. (1998). Ethos, pathos, logos. Retrieved
from http://courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
Scholastic. (n.d.). Business letter format. Retrieved
from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/sites/default/files/asset/file/format.pdf

Solar Pros Inc. (2015). Solar energy facts & terms. Retrieved
from http://www.solarprosinc.com/solar-energy-facts-terms/
Solar Pros Inc. (2015). Why buy solar panels for your home? Retrieved
from http://www.solarprosinc.com/solar-panels-for-your-home/
Study Zone. (2001-2011). Writing a persuasive letter. Retrieved
from http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/h/persuasivel2.cfm
Sustainability Science Education Project. (2015). Ways of thinking: futures
thinking. Retrieved from http://sse.asu.edu/ways-of-thinking/
U.S. Energy Information Administration. (n.d.) Energy activity: energy from the
sun. Retrieved
from http://www.eia.gov/kids/resources/teachers/pdfs/Activitybook_web.pdf
YouTube. (2014). How to identify ethos, logos, and pathos by shmoop. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf81d0YS58E
YouTube. (2015). A Future Powered by Solar Energy. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjBk2A6fdO4
Images
{Image} Solar energy. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.hollins.edu/news/hollinsenters-cooperative-agreement-pave-way-solar-energy-campus/
{Image} How solar energy works. (2014). Retrieved
from http://www.greenenergynetwork.org/the-elements-of-solar-energy/
{Image} Super-charge the solar power boom. (2015). Retrieved
from http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/17/opinions/jones-solar-power-boom/

WAYS OF THINKING CONNECTION

Provide a complete explanation of how your lesson plan connects to
futures, system, strategic, or values thinking. Define the way of
thinking you selected and used in this lesson plan. Remember, this
should be included meaningfully in the lesson plan.
In this lesson, I will be infusing futures thinking. Students will be finding
information to back up their reasons on why or why not switching to solar
powered energy would affect our future. This lesson will engage students on
bettering the future by learning about the decline in fossils fuels due to the
switch to solar power. If more people switch to solar panels, this would also
call for more solar installers, providing more job opportunities.