WOW! The Kilowatt Challenge
Program Overview
The Story
Problem: how does one get middle school students excited
about learning the ins and outs of renewable resources?
Solution: turn it into a game.
Watts on Wheels is a live, interactive multi-media program
designed to educate students about renewable resources:
how they work and why we should use them. It begins with
written curriculum intended to give students a quick but
thorough introduction to the different types of renewable
resources and how they work. Once they've read that, the
real fun begins. Three actors convert the science classroom
into a game show, complete with podiums, buzzers, and
on-screen questions. Students are divided into four teams
and supplied with team names. Armed with their new-found
knowledge, students are ready to compete in "The
Kilowatt Challenge," a series of rapid-fire questions
about renewable and non-renewable resources. Once completed,
students run the "Resource Race," a highly competitive
race to find out which teams know the most about energy
resources. Afterwards, students enter the "Showdown,"
where they wager earned points on one final question to
determine the winning team.
Watts on Wheels then continues with the second part of
the written curriculum, reinforcing these concepts by
engaging students in hands-on experiments and activities.
The Players
Mark: A quick-witted game show host type that keeps
the game rolling along. He's cool, fun and sure of himself.
Pam: One of the referees of the game, she is one
of the people who tracks the action and cheers the teams
on. She also explains how different types of renewable
resources work.
Ricky: The other referee of our game who explains
resources and makes sure all the players stay on the up
and up.
Educational Content
• Supply and demand with regard to energy resources
• Concept of scarcity
• Understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of
each renewable energy
resource for production of electricity
• Understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of
each non-renewable
energy resource for production of electricity
