An average home produces twice as many emissions as an average car. Teach your class how to reduce energy consumption by replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Perform an experiment to compare the energy efficiency of each, measuring the energy wasted in the form of heat. Use this experiment to teach conservation during Earth Day, or include in a science unit on different forms of energy.

Concepts

global warming, climate change, energy conservation, energy, conservation, earth day, electricity

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Additional Tags

earth day, energy, conservation, climate change, global warming, energy efficiency, electricity, math

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Pros

• Experiment clearly demonstrates the difference between incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs
• Lesson models how to form and test scientific hypotheses
• Includes ideas for making cross-curricular connections with math and language arts

Cons

• Requires supplemental instruction on the different sources of electricity