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Proportional Reasoning With Green Energy
This is a 3 Act Math Task that focuses on “Green Energy” proportional reasoning questions related to solar panels in order to address proportions both visually using area models and proportions written as equivalent fractions. Special thanks goes to Dave Raney from CPE Inc. for allowing us to use his video and photos as well as Kathleen Quenneville, Energy & Environmental Officer at GECDSB for her feedback to create problems around solar energy.
Act 1: Introduce the Task
Show students the act 1 video.
Then ask students to do a rapid write of what they notice and what they wonder.
Students will then share out their noticings and wonderings while I jot their ideas down on the whiteboard.
While we may explore some other wonderings, the first question I intend to address is:
How many solar panels are there?
I’ll flash this image on the screen and then ask students to make a prediction.
I’ll give students some time to think independently, then chat with a neighbour to discuss their predictions while encouraging them to share their thinking. Then, we share out to the whole group and jot down predictions.
When students have shared out their predictions, we will show students the blue prints for the solar panel system with the total number of modules (582).
Now that students have invested some thinking into this context, we are going to extend our thinking to this question which may or may not have come up in the notice/wonder rapid write:
How much greenhouse gas emissions can the solar panels offset?
Act 2: Reveal Some Information
Show students this image showing the carbon dioxide from 4,848 km of driving a passenger car that is offset for every 5 solar panels that are in service on the roof of the school.
Act 3: Reveal the Solution
Show students the act 3 animated solution video showing three different representations for solving this problem.
Double Number Line
Double Area Model
Proportion of Two Equivalent Fractions
Extension
Consider asking students the following extension question:
How many homes can all 582 solar panel modules power?
Show students this image that states 4 solar panels provide 1,576 kWh of power per year and the average home consumes 9,000 kWh of power each year.
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About Kyle Pearce
I’m Kyle Pearce and I am a former high school math teacher. I’m now the K-12 Mathematics Consultant with the Greater Essex County District School Board, where I uncover creative ways to spark curiosity and fuel sense making in mathematics. Read more.
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Grade 3 [3.B1.5, 3.B2.1, 3.B2.3, 3.B2.7, Measurement - M1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3]
Grade 4 [4.B2.1, 4.B2.4, 4.E2.5, 4.E2.6, Measurement - M1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 5 [5.B1.7, 5.B2.9, 5.D1.3, 5.D1.6, 5.E2.6, 5.F1.2, 5.F1.5, Measurement - M1, Measurement - M2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 6 [6.B2.12, 6.B2.9, Data Management and Probability - DP3, Measurement - M1, Measurement - M2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA1, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 7 [7.B1.3, 7.B1.4, 7.B1.7, 7.B2.2, 7.B2.3, 7.C1.1, 7.C1.2, 7.C1.3, 7.C1.4, 7.D1.6, Data Management and Probability - DP3, Geometry and Spatial Sense - GS1, Measurement - M1, Measurement - M2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA1, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 8 [8.B1.4, 8.B2.5, 8.C1.1, 8.C1.2, 8.C1.3, 8.C1.4, Data Management and Probability - DP1, Data Management and Probability - DP3, Geometry and Spatial Sense - GS2, Measurement - M1, Measurement - M2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA1, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 9 [9.B3.5, 9.C3.1, 9.C3.2, 9.C3.3]
Kindergarten [k.15.1, k.15.10, k.15.2]
MAP4C [Mathematical Models - MM1, Mathematical Models - MM2, Mathematical Models - MM3]
MAT1LMAT2LMBF3C [Data Management - DM1, Data Management - DM2, Geometry and Trigonometry - GT1, Geometry and Trigonometry - GT2, Mathematical Models - MM1, Mathematical Models - MM2, Mathematical Models - MM3]
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MCT4C [Exponential Functions - EF1, Trigonometric Functions - TF3]
MCV4U [Derivatives and Their Applications - DA2]
MDM4U [Counting and Probability - CP2, Organization of Data For Analysis - DA2, Probability Distributions - PD1, Statistical Analysis - SA1, Statistical Analysis - SA2]
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Grade 1 [1.NBT.4, 1.OA.1, 1.OA.6, 1.OA.A.1, 1.OA.B.3, 1.OA.B.4, 1.OA.C.5, 1.OA.C.6]
Grade 2 [2.NBT.5, 2.NBT.B.5, 2.NBT.B.8, 2.NBT.B.9, 2.OA.2, 2.OA.A.1, 2.OA.B.2]
Grade 3 [3.MD.C.5, 3.NBT.2, 3.NF.1, 3.NF.2, 3.NF.3, 3.NF.A.1, 3.OA.1, 3.OA.5, 3.OA.9]
Grade 4 [4-MD.3, 4.MD.1, 4.MD.2, 4.NBT.6, 4.NF.3, 4.NF.5, 4.NF.6, 4.OA.1, 4.OA.5]
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Loving the 3 Act Maths – thanks for sharing!