I think that my inquiry-based lesson on electric rates in California will be very useful.  I put a lot of thought into it because I wanted to make a lesson that would be relevant to my students’ everyday life and at the same time cover a solid scientific topic.  This lesson encourages the students to think about where our electricity comes from and why it is priced the way it is.

 My 8th grade Physical Science students will be studying electricity, and, in addition to having them learn the mechanics behind it, I want them to see how it affects them and their families.  Our electric rates in San Diego have risen sharply recently, and I would like my students to explore the reasons behind our “electricity crisis”.  This is also a good opportunity for a class discussion about alternative energy sources.  I assign a monthly Current Event essay and this would make an excellent topic.

 I included this lesson in my portfolio because I think it integrates technology (the spreadsheet and graphs) with traditional classroom teaching methods (finding the rates and analyzing the price trends).  Use this link to view my example.