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Greetings course participants!

During this online course we will explore energy concepts and activities through online readings and discussions.

It might help to share with you our course design objectives. We decided to have "Energy Through Our Lives" be the first unit to provide people with an awareness of how energy relates to their lives.

After this awareness, we thought we'd hit them with the science of energy. ("What is Energy", anyway?)

Finally, we present the natural laws that rule energy (and how "Energy Rules" us!). Ideally, it is this final unit that pulls it all together and provides the foundation for appreciating our energy resources.

A significant portion of the course will involve each of you posting messages on discussion boards. To enter a discussion board, click on Discussions in the gray toolbar above in D2L. There will be separate discussion boards for different topics. While in the discussion area, click on a discussion and reply to a discussion thread (click on the title of the thread, read the contents, and hit reply). Also, post a new article (click Add Message) which others may reply to.

In addition to making an initial posting in each discussion, please also respond to at least one other person in each discussion (5 pts total).

Visit the discussion boards often and keep the dialogue going!

Please complete all readings, activities, and assignments during the week which they are scheduled. These assignments are identified by:

Readings
Discussions
Surveys/Quiz/Evaluation
Activities

Go to:

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Week 1 (January 6-15)

(This week is a couple days longer to allow you time to log in and resolve any computer issues that you may have. It will also allow you time to acclimate yourself to the online platform.)

Activate Your UWSP Account and Email (5 pts)

Assignment: 2 parts:

1)      Activate your UWSP Account (if you have already successfully logged into D2L than you have already done this first part). If you need to do this, go to: www.uwsp.edu/it/ulam/fdactivate.htm and follow the directions to Activate Your Account. (2 pts)

 You must provide the following information to Activate Your Account:

            a) Student ID Number (you should have received this in an email from UWSP Continuing Education. Check your SPAM filter.)

            b) Social Security Number

            c) Birth Date

 2)      Now send an email from your UWSP email account to energy@uwsp.edu with the subject line: "My UWSP Email" demonstrating that you have accessed it successfully. (3 pts)

Discussion 1: Why Study Energy? and Introduction (10 pts)

Discussion: 2 parts:

1) Click on the discussion link above (in Desire2Learn) and post a reply to the question: Why Study Energy? (6 pts)

2) Introduce yourself to the class! Make sure you read the other replies to meet the other class members. (4 pts)

Energy Quiz: Pre-assessment of Energy Conceptions (5 pts) Complete Pre-Assessment Quiz

Click on this link, take and submit the pre-assessment quiz. This quiz will be used for discussion purposes only and will not be graded. Good luck!

Discussion 2: Energy Quiz Results (6 pts) 

Join the discussion for the quiz! Click on the discussion link above (in Desire2Learn) and reply with your thoughts about the quiz. If you have not taken the quiz, please take it prior to participating in this discussion.

Link to answers and analysis of quiz questions

(This link will be activated after everyone's results are in)

Unit: Energy Through Our Lives 

Read the following sections of the unit "Energy Through Our Lives"
Section A. Introduction
Section B.1. Energy Use in Ecosystems

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Week 2 (January 16-22)

Unit: Energy Through Our Lives (continued)

Read the remainder of the unit "Energy Through Our Lives" by starting with:
Section B.2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change
Section B.3. Home Energy Use
     a. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Tips

Appliance Survey (5 pts) 

Submit the Appliance Survey that is contained in the "Energy Through Our Lives" unit. You can proceed directly to the Appliance Survey by clicking here. The survey will be sent to our email address and not seen online. Please let us know if you have problems with the program. You can always download a copy on MS Word or Adobe PDF and email it as an attachment, or fax it in: 715.346.4698.

Discussion 3: Appliance Survey Results (6 pts)

Let's talk about the Appliance Survey! Click on the above discussion link (in Desire2Learn), read through the posted discussions, and reply with your thoughts to the questions we ask. If you have not completed the Appliance Survey, please do so prior to participating in this discussion.

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Week 3 (January 23-29)

Unit: What is Energy?

Read through the unit "What is Energy?" In this unit, you discover that energy can be measure and quantified. Then the consumer has to pay for it!

Energy Bill (5 pts) 

Your assignment is to test out the online Energy Bill. You can find it in this Unit by clicking here.

Discussion 4: Energy Bill Results (6 pts) 

Click on the above discussion link (in Desire2Learn) and reply to the Energy Bill discussion.

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Week 4 (January 30-February 5)

Unit: Energy Rules!

Read through the unit "Energy Rules!" Then, consider the following nursery rhyme:

               Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

               Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

               All the Kings' horses and all the kings' men

               Couldn't put Humpty back together again!

Discussion 5: Humpty Dumpty (6 pts) 

What does this have to do with energy? Click on the above discussion link (in Desire2Learn), answer the questions in the Humpty Dumpty Discussion, and post your answers.

Discussion 6: Course Closure (6 pts)

Now it is time to start wrapping things up! For this discussion, please respond to at least two of the five questions contained in the Closing Discussion.

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Final Course Assignment: Due March 5, 2010 (35 pts)

It is our hope that this course will help you integrate energy into your classroom. Your final assignment is to design a one-day lesson to be used in your classroom that incorporates some of the concepts you have learned here. Please go to this link to find a suggested lesson format.

You can email your lesson plan to energy@uwsp.edu or mail it to us at: NRES 733 Energy Lesson Plan; KEEP, WCEE, CNR; University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; 411 Learning Resources Center; Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481.

You can check back with the discussion boards over the next few weeks to refresh your memory about the course as you develop your lesson plan.

Do you have more to say? Below is a course evaluation for you to complete. Your observations can help us make this course even stronger. Thank you all for an excellent four weeks!

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Please fill out this course evaluation. Your comments can help us make this course even better. Thank you all for an excellent session!

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To return to the Course Overview page.