This CNNfyi.com lesson plan is supplemented with material from

Lesson plan: Power crisis in California

January 24, 2001
Web posted at: 4:31 PM EST (2131 GMT)

Editor's note: If you are planning to use the news story that this lesson plan is based on for a homework assignment, please write the URL on the board and have your students copy it. CNNfyi.com updates the site in the early evening, so students may have difficulty finding it without the URL. You can find the lesson plan by going to the Subject Areas page and clicking PREVIOUS in the square for Today's Lesson Plan.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Explain the power crisis in California.
• Calculate the monthly cost of running household appliances.
• Develop a list of alternative methods of energy sources. (Challenge)

Standards

Benchmarks On-Line

High school students should know that technological problems often create a demand for new scientific knowledge, and new technologies make it possible for scientists to extend their research in new ways or to undertake entirely new lines of research. The availability of new technology itself may spark scientific advances.

National Council for Teachers of Mathematics
Connections standard for grades nine-12

High school students should recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.

Materials

CNNfyi.com article, "Feds keep California juiced for two more weeks"
Internet access

Suggested time

One class period

Procedure

1. Have students read the CNNfyi.com article "Feds keep California juiced for two more weeks" and ask the following:

• Why did California receive an extension of a two-week emergency order requiring energy suppliers to provide natural gas and electricity to the state's cash-strapped utilities? Do you think this extension will help?
• Why are California's utility companies in danger of bankruptcy? Do you think it is appropriate for the federal government to intervene? What are some ways that U.S. Energy Secretary Spence Abraham suggests for a solution? What is California Assemblyman Fred Keeley's plan? What is hydroelectric power?
• How did California avert rolling blackouts? What are some factors that have worsened the power shortages, according to the California Independent System Operator, which maintains the state's power grid?

Assessment

1. List the following power ratings of household appliances on the board: clothes dryer, 4,000 watts; toaster, 1,100 watts, hair dryer, 1,000 watts; refrigerator/freezer, 600 watts; color television, 200 watts; radio, 100 watts; and clock, 3 watts. Have students select two appliances from the list and calculate how much it would cost to run the appliances for one month. Have students follow these steps: Multiply the hours of daily use by 30 to get the number of hours used per month. Multiply the average number of watts used (from the above list) by the monthly usage to get the monthly watt-hours. Divide the monthly watt-hours by 1,000 to get the monthly kilowatt-hours. Multiply the monthly kilowatt-hours for each appliance by 9 cents (or find the actual charge in your area) to get an approximate charge of the running the appliance.

2. Brainstorm with the class to find ways to reduce the amount of energy used. Have a student list these on the board.

Accommodation

Students create a flow chart illustrating the steps that energy takes to get to a household appliance.

Challenge

To teach students more about electric circuits and the physics behind them, use Riverdeep's information for junior and senior high school students.

Energy.gov
California Energy Commission
EnergyOnline
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
California Public Utilities Commission
Dynegy
PG&E Corp.
SoCal Edison
California Power Exchange
System Conditions: California Independent System Operator
California Utilities Emergency Association

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