The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project
A Shocking Dystopia:
STEM Adventures in The City of Ember
A Shocking Dystopia:
STEM Adventures in The City of Ember
Part 1 of 4: Blackout! Community Circuits
A 4th grade STEM lesson
Ellen Miller
BS, MAEd Diverse Learner
Date 1/8/2024
Notes for teachers
“The City of Ember” is a dystopian novel by Jeanne DuPrau that explores themes of self-sufficiency, resourcefulness, and the consequences of relying on unsustainable systems. The story is set in a city where the infrastructure is failing, leading to a potential blackout and loss of essential resources.
The concept of a blackout in this context serves as a metaphor for the breakdown of societal systems/structures and underscores the importance of resilience, innovation, and collective effort in the face of adversity.
“The City of Ember” was built as a last refuge for the human race. Over two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend, Doon, must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever!
Your students can help!
(Penguin Random House, 2004)
Notes for teachers
This lesson is PART 1 of a four lesson unit, which focuses on futures thinking, the phenomenon of electricity, closed-system agriculture, and water as a renewable energy resource.
Student investigations focus on collecting and making sense of observational data and simple measurements using the science and engineering practices. Teachers facilitate understanding of phenomena through hands-on activities, discussion, and reflection.
These lessons were facilitated in a 4th-grade self-contained gifted classroom. Alternatives and extensions have been included to ensure differentiation in learning modalities and class supplies.
The City of Ember Unit Links
Google Books-The City of Ember Preview
“In creating a link between the present and the future, science fiction invites us to consider the complex ways our choices and interactions contribute to generating the future.”
(What Is the Purpose of Science Fiction Stories? – Project Hieroglyph, 2016)
Notes for teachers
Complete List of Materials for Unit
There is a graphic novel version of this story available as well.
Lesson 1 Hands-On Activity-Circuits:
Lesson 2 Hands-On Activity-Moveable Light:
Lesson 3 Hands-On Activity-Greenhouse:
Each kit includes everything you need for the course: hardware, access to online learning content, and dedicated support. (8 students per kit)/(Order Distributor: Pitsco Education)
Lesson 4 Hands-On Activity-Waterwheel
Notes for teachers
Lesson 1: Blackout! Community Circuits
Topic:
Electrical Circuits and Energy
Phenomenon:
Energy can be moved by electricity to do useful jobs.
Engineering Challenge:
Students design, build, and test a device that transfers electrical energy into light energy in order to bring light to The City of Ember.
List of Materials
Lesson 1 Hands-On Activity-Circuits:
Physical Science Standards:
4.P4U1.2
Develop and use a model that explains how energy is moved from place to place through electric currents.
4.P4U3.4
Engage in argument from evidence on the use and impact of renewable and nonrenewable resources to generate electricity.
Cross Cutting Concepts
● patterns
● cause and effect
● structure and function
● systems and system models
● stability and change
● scale, proportion, and quantity
● energy and matter
A Framework for K-12 Science Education
Science and Engineering Practices
4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
4-PS3-4. Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
Math Standards:
4.MD.A
Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit.
Standards for Mathematical Practice
English Language Arts Standards:
4-6.RL.1: Refer to/Cite details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
4-6.RL.3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
4.W.7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
4.SL.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Unit Objective(s):
Students will be able to:
Unit Driving Question
“How do you keep a closed society from outgrowing the capacity of the systems that sustain it?”
Agenda (60 minutes)
Lesson 1: “Blackout! Community Circuits” Learning Intentions
I am learning to:
identify the role of technology in a sustainable city.
develop models to show where energy is transferred and transformed into light.
define, recognize and assemble series and parallel circuits.
explain the path of electrical charge through circuits.
Driving Question
“What is the role of technology in a sustainable city?”
Introduction: Critical Thinking Shared Inquiry Discussion Questions:
What is a sustainable city?
A sustainable city is one that incorporates environmentally friendly practices, green spaces and supporting technologies to reduce its negative impact on the planet. However, the term ‘sustainable’ goes well beyond the environmental impact. A city is truly sustainable when it offers its citizens services that improve their short and long-term wellbeing – while fostering its own resilience.
(The Technology behind the Sustainable Cities of the Future, 2022)
Opening Class Discussion:
Hands-on Activity Instructions
“BLACKOUT!”
Community Circuits
Follow the lesson slides to:
Safety notes:
Always be careful around electricity. Make sure an adult is present during experiments and demonstrations using electricity. NEVER put anything into an electrical outlet that is not meant to go there, like a plug.
How to Use Alligator Clips
TIP: If your alligator clip is not clipped to a piece of metal, or conductor, the electricity will not flow through the circuit.
What is a circuit?
A circuit is a complete circular path that electricity flows through.
Series Circuit
In a series circuit, electric current flows in the same direction along a single path.
Use a battery, two bulbs, and three alligator clips to create a series circuit with your partner.
Parallel Circuit
In a parallel circuit, an electric current flows through more than one path. These different paths are called branches.
Use a battery, two bulbs, and four alligator clips to create a parallel circuit with your partner.
Electrical Sketch
or Schematic
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
Closure Class Discussion:
Assessment
Teacher check in with students as they create a model and develop an explanation to communicate how energy is transformed into light. Students are proficient when they are able to build a device that has a complete electrical circuit and explain how energy is transferred and transformed.
EXIT TICKET:
Differentiation
Remediation
Extension/Enrichment
Citations
Arizona Science Center. (2022). Popsicle Stick LED Flashlight [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ih0x-dTwS4&ab_channel=ArizonaScienceCenter
City Of Ember ( 2008) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (2021). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/city-of-ember-2008
dpicampaigns. (2023, May 31). Take Action for the Sustainable Development Goals - United Nations Sustainable Development. United Nations Sustainable Development. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
Jeanne DuPrau, The City of Ember (New York, NY: Random House, 2003).
Next Generation Science. (2021). Bulbs Arranged in Parallel – Brightness of Bulbs [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqtEbjDHlLs&t=20s&ab_channel=NextGenerationScience
Next Generation Science. (2021). Bulbs Arranged in Series – Brightness of Bulbs [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT_sUpbGdVs&t=77s&ab_channel=NextGenerationScience
What Is The Purpose of Science Fiction Stories? – Project Hieroglyph. (2016, April 8). Asu.edu. https://hieroglyph.asu.edu/2016/04/what-is-the-purpose-of-science-fiction-stories/#:~:text=In%20creating%20a%20link%20between,contribute%20to%20generating%20the%20future.