Unit 3: Energy Production and Use
‘The power is right’ activity guide and worksheet
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Unit 3: Energy Production and Use
The Power is Right Activity Guide and Handout
Estimated duration: 20 minutes
Aim •
To estimate the power consumption of different electrical appliances
Outcome By the end of this session, students will be able to: • understand the power use of different electrical items
Resources • • • • • •
Whiteboard markers or large cut‐outs of the cards Blue tack Scissors Adhesive Student handout for round 1 and 2 (included below) White board
Activity Description This game is modelled on the TV show “The Price is Right”. Each team is given a copy of round 1 student handout. A delegate from each team is chosen as a “contestant” to come to the front of the class. Student teams use the handout to try to match each appliance with its correct power rating. They advise the two student delegates at the board which correct sequence to “lock in”. The team who gets the best match wins the round. 1. Divide students into teams. Depending on the size of the group, you may want two or four teams per class. There are two rounds. Two teams compete with each other each round. 2. Students cut out the appliances and the power rating cards. When they are cut out they attempt to match them, moving them around until they can get agreement with other group members. While they are doing this, write each of the possible wattages on the whiteboard, from highest to lowest. 4. Student delegates for each team stand at the front of the class in front of the whiteboard. They listen for group instructions to match each appliance to a wattage, and either stick up a picture of the appliance or write their answers on the white board. The teacher asks each group “Are you locked in?” If they both say “yes”, the teacher checks each team’s list. Page 2 of 6
5. The teacher then erases/removes the incorrect power matches and gives each team a second chance to place them in their correct places. 6. The winning team gets a prize. 7. Repeat the sequence for round 2, using the round 2 handout. If there are 4 teams, teams 3 and 4 compete. Alternatively, repeat the process with teams 1 and 2 but using different team delegates at the front of the class. This game can be played on several occasions by mixing the teams up.
Answers Energy use – appliances Round One Energy watts when in use (average) Kettle 2100 Microwave 1400 Toaster 1020 Washing machine 900 Lamp 58 Amplifier 6 Radio 2.5 Round Two Energy watts when in use (average) Hairdryer 1730 Iron 1020 Computer 180 TV 12.6 Fridge 12.4 (32 when the door is open) DVD 11.5 Stereo 7.7 Mobile phone charger 3.2 Note: that the figures used are average figures and can differ depending on the make and size of the appliance. The key message from these figures is that anything that involves heating up an element or cooking something uses lots of power. Next comes machines that use a motor to operate something like the washing machine. But that’s not to say saving energy on small items is not important, because lots of small energy users add up across the state to a large amount of power use.
Student Roles and Responsibilities Participate in agreed tasks Contribute to class discussions Page 3 of 6
Work cooperatively with others Seek teacher assistance and support when needed
Level of Teacher Support Facilitate discussion Organise materials and equipment Provide encouragement Introduce tasks and activities Provide assistance when requested
Assessment To use this learning activity as an assessment task, collect evidence such as: Teacher checklist and observation
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Unit 3: Energy Production and Use Student Worksheet
The Power is Right ‐ Round 1 Cut out the cards. In your teams, match the correct power ratings to each appliance (note that the order below is not the right order).
Round 1: Appliances
Washing machine Lamp Microwave Amplifier Kettle Toaster Radio
Power Rating (W)
2100 W 6 W 1020 W 900 W 2.5 W 58 W 1400 W
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Unit 3: Energy Production and Use Student Handout:
The Power is Right ‐ Round 2 Cut out the cards. In your teams, match the correct power ratings.
Round 2: Appliances
Hairdryer
Mobile phone charger
Iron Computer Fridge TV DVD Stereo
Power Rating (W)
180 W 12.6 W 2.5 W 7.7 W 1730 W 12.4 W 11.5 W 1020 W
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