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Itaipu Dam and Power Plant (Brazil and Paraguay)
Learners study South America's Itaipu Dam and Power Plant in order to gain an understanding that hydroelectric power is a major means of generating electricity throughout the world. They also look into the environmental impacts that...
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US Energy Geography
The maps display the statistics for energy consumption and power production, state by state. They are tremendous visual aids for your natural resources unit. Consider having your class compare energy consumption versus production, or...
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Radio Program Disc 1, Track 6
Students place the Ohio river in its historical and geographical context. They listen to the radio stories, and are asked what postive and negative influences does the Ohio River have on nearby communities>
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GENERATE YOUR OWN HYDROPOWER
High schoolers build a water wheel, a simple galvanometer, and a simple hydropower generator, plus detect the electricity generated.
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Salmon Vs. Dams: the Dam Removal Debate on the Elwha River
Students role-play a meeting of the Elwha River council in which they present opposing views to council members on hydroelectric power and salmon fisheries resources. They brainstorm possible conflicts between various people in land-use...
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Water Power
Young scholars observe a model of a waterwheel to investigate the transformations of energy involved in turning the blades of a hydro-turbine into work. They work as engineers to create a model for a new waterwheel while considering...
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Falling Water
Students drop water from different heights to demonstrate the conversion of water's potential energy to kinetic energy. They see how varying the height from which water is dropped affects the splash size. In seeing how falling water can...
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Generating Power
Young scholars construct a working model of a turbine and explain how water generates power. By the end of the instructional activity, they list the effects of Kingsley Dam on people, plans, and animals -- both positive and negative.
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Scavenger Hunt
Students summarize the "Tri-County Project" section of the nebraskastudies.org web site using a scavenger hunt.
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Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Power
Middle schoolers develop arguments for and against the construction of hydroelectric power plants. Poll the groups to determine which view dominates in the class and students write a summary of their conclusions.