Fusion Energy and Climate Change Educator Guide

This Guide for Educators was developed by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative as an extension of our TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate) podcast, to make it easier for you to teach climate change, earth science, and energy topics in the classroom. It is an extension of the TILclimate episode "TIL about fusion energy."

Browse all TILclimate guides for educators.

Description

Fusion energy has great potential to be an almost-limitless low-carbon energy source. However, scientists haven't yet been able to harness its power. Through a model, a virtual tour, and a research project, students investigate the question: what is the potential of fusion energy, and what part could it play in our future?

Download the Guide as a PDF

SWBAT:

• Explain the basics of how fusion creates energy.

• Understand that industries use energy in different ways which have implications for converting to low-carbon energy sources.

Skills:

• Research

• Modeling

Standards:

• HS-PS1-8 Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

• HS-ETS1-3 Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem.

Disciplinary core ideas:

• ESS2.D Weather and Climate

• ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems

• ESS3.D Global Climate Change

   

What is included in this Educator Guide

1. How to use TILclimate Educator Guides (Download)
    
2. Full Educator Guide (Download)
   • Includes both Teacher and Student pages
      
3. Teacher pages (Download)
   • Includes materials, discussion questions, background resources, and adaptation suggestions for science, social science, and ELA teachers
      
4. Student pages (Download)

   • Fusion Reaction Model

   • Virtual Tour: Inside a Fusion Chamber

   • Industrial Energy Use Investigation

Listen to the episode

Browse all TILclimate guides for educators