Energy: Infinite Potential

Operation: Infinite Potential introduces students to leading scientists and lets them explore past, current, and future challenges of energy generation, storage, and consumption. Students will learn to analyze emerging technologies designed to meet the needs of an energy-hungry planet.

Operation: Infinite Potential includes interactive games, high-quality videos, and immersive missions that not only teach key science concepts but also ask students to make predictions, take actions to prepare, and measure the outcomes of their choices. Students will also connect with scientists from NOAA, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and National Geographic to:

• Determine whether an earthquake’s energy could transform into a tsunami
• Develop a plan for providing energy to an area struck by a natural disaster
• Propose a plan to responsibly use 400 years of stored coal
• Address a large power outage and work to restore power
• Design an energy-efficient module that will allow humans to live in outer space

Featured Game: Coaster Creator!
Coaster Creator is an incredible game designed to give students the opportunity to explore the relationship between Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, and Dispersed Energy by creating their own roller coaster. This game brings science to life while also being supported through math instruction and digital hands-on application and exploration – students (and adults) will play this for hours!

Appropriate Age Levels:
Innovatively designed to be appropriate for upper elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Rigorously aligned to national and state science standards as well as mathematics, social studies, and English language arts standards, and national curriculum standards, including NCTM, IB, and ISTE.

Students gain access to 5 unique missions, each comprising of written articles, labs, field assignments, interactive games, video, and animations.

Mission 1: Critical Current – Defining Energy
Students learn from weather meteorologist and NOAA Space Weather Physicist Dr. Janet Green, who studies the energy output from the sun and forecasts the weather in space.

Mission 2: Waves of Change
Calculating Transfers and Transformations – Leading this mission, NOAA Senior Tsunami Modeler Dr. Vasily Titov uses DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis) buoys, tide gauges, seismic sensors, and computers to monitor ocean activity in order to protect and guard our coastal shores.

Mission 3: Power to the People
The Current State of the Grid – Students join Research Group Leader Dr. Larry Shadle, who is working to develop a system to minimize the toxic compounds and greenhouse gases that are emitted into the environment every day from coal-fired power plants.

Mission 4: Energy Independence
The Quest for Sustainable Resources – Oak Ridge National Laboratory BioEnergy Science Center Director Martin Keller and his team lead this mission as they work to increase the supply of ethanol from nonfood crop sources like poplar trees and switchgrass.

Mission 5: Energy Security – Powering Our Future
Leading this mission is NASA consultant and National Geographic Emerging Explorer Constance Adams, who designs space modules and off world habitats that are energy, efficient and functional for the space crews that inhabit them.

Teacher Support Materials:

Specially prepared teacher support materials to support each of the four missions in Tectonic Fury:

• Pre and Post Tests
• Data Sheets
• Lesson Plans
• A Special Teacher’s Edition
• Web links and other tools