Category: Global Systems Science
Online curriculum books for high school science pertinent to key societal issues
EU10. Our Energy Future
Chapter 10 { Energy Use Contents } Since the discovery of fire, as early as 400,000 years ago, the development of energy technologies has made people’s lives more comfortable. But the flip side of the coin has nearly always been a loss to the environment. By 1950, world population had passed the three billion mark. […]
EU9. Energy for Transportation
Chapter 9 { Energy Use Contents } There’s an old song from the early days of automobiling. “Come away with me Lucille. In my merry Oldsmobile.” You don’t know that one? How about this? “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?” No? Well you probably know some car song. After all, people in […]
EU8. Energy for Heating and Cooling
Chapter 8 { Energy Use Contents } I. Controlling the Flow of Heat Keeping comfortable, or simply staying alive, requires a temperature that’s not too hot and not too cold. As warm-blooded creatures, we have a built-in system for heat control. As intelligent humans, we augment our built-in systems with technologies—clothing, housing, and fire—that enable […]
EU7.1. Comparing Light Sources
{ Energy Use Contents } { All GSS Books } Many types of lights can be found in a hardware store. There are energy-saver incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, long-life bulbs, low-cost light bulbs, LED lights and specialty lights of all kinds. Work with a team to examine a collection of light bulbs. Find the wattage printed […]
EU7. Energy for Lighting
Chapter 7 { Energy Use Contents } The continental United States viewed from space at night reveals the tremendous amount of energy we use for lighting. Where is your hometown? An astronomical observatory near Tucson, Arizona, found the quality of its observing conditions seriously impaired by the street lights of a small neighboring community. The […]
EU6. Energy in Society
Chapter 6 { Energy Use Contents } I. The Big Picture The flow chart above may look complicated, but it’s really not difficult to interpret. It provides THE BIG PICTURE of how the United States uses its energy resources. The boxes on the left side of the chart show the major primary sources that humans […]
EU5.1. Energy and Power
{ Energy Use Contents } { All GSS Books } You are browsing in a store to buy a light bulb to replace a burnt-out bulb. Will a 60-watt bulb be bright enough? Were you satisfied with its brightness? How about a 75-watt bulb? Why not a 100-watt bulb? What is a watt anyway? Watts […]
EU5. America Plugged In
Chapter 5 { Energy Use Contents } In Thomas Edison’s view, persistence was a key to success: “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” In his endeavor to build a better storage battery, he made 8,000 attempts. “Well, at least we know 8,000 things that don’t work,” he is reported to have said. Returning to […]
EU4. Field Trip To a Power Plant
Chapter 4 { Energy Use Contents } Electricity, from your toaster to the power plant Marty Hunt told us the power plant would be on the right, when we turn onto Tenth Street, and we couldn’t miss it. There is no question we are headed in the right direction. Steel towers loom over the countryside […]
EU3. Fossil Fuels
Chapter 3 { Energy Use Contents } Next time you look at a blade of grass, think about this: without green plants none of us would survive. In some cases, we eat plants directly to get the energy that is stored in them. In other cases, cows or pigs eat the plants, store the energy […]