How much energy does it take to light a room? Class members calculate the total wattage it takes to light the classroom. Through calculations, responsible scientists determine the cost of energy for the year, then figure out how much could be saved simply by turning off the lights when the room is not in use.

Concepts

electrical energy, energy, watts, technology resources

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Use the activity to practice operating with multi-digit numbers
• Instead of conducting the survey in the school, consider using data from the pupils' houses

Classroom Considerations

• Determine the wattage of the lamps that are not accessible

Pros

• Contains a graphic organizer to organize the computations needed
• The vocabulary section provides all the vocabulary needed for the activity

Cons

• If there is only one type of lighting in the classroom, there is not much to the activity
• With the way much of the lighting is done in schools, it may be difficult to determine wattage and numbers due to the fixture being covered

Common Core

6.NS.B.3