NYC students learn about renewable energy with school rooftop solar panel installations
New York City schools have a new solar technology program. Solar technology relies on solar panels. These are devices that generate electricity from sunlight.
Solar panels blanket the rooftops of 60 public schools in the city. The solar panels provide clean energy for the city. They also give students a chance to learn about renewable energy up close. Renewable energy refers to energy from resources that do not run out when used. These resources include sunlight and wind.
Thomas Edison High School in Queens is one of these schools. A new solar installation on the roof generates electricity. The solar panels produce enough electricity to meet 65 percent of the school’s energy consumption. They also provide a learning opportunity for students.
Megawatts
In 2016, the New York City officials began surveying city-owned buildings. They wanted to find spaces suitable for installing solar panels. Their goal was to produce 100 megawatts of solar energy per year by 2025. A megawatt describes the output of a power station. It is a unit of power equal to one million watts.
So far, the program has been responsible for building solar panels on 110 buildings, including 60 schools. These solar installations generate 16 megawatts of energy a year. That’s enough to power 2,600 homes.
The city partnered with the Department of Education (DOE). It began expanding its efforts to teach about renewable energy in schools.
The DOE also partnered with an organization called Solar One. They helped train teachers and started a solar energy study track for students. DOE officials said 1,350 teachers and 3,200 students have taken advantage of the solar education offerings so far.
Rooftop Field Trips
Edison High is one of the city’s largest Career and Technical Education high schools. It started its solar program in 2018. The program was a way to help students keep up with the changing job market.
“They really enjoyed the experience, working alongside the contractors,” said Anthony Cooper. He teaches about solar energy at Edison High.
Students from Edison’s solar program didn’t get to participate in the installation on their own school’s rooftop. Most of the work happened over the summer. However, the students studied the blueprints, or design plans, for the panels. They also took frequent field trips up to the roof. They are planning to help with the upkeep of the solar panels, too.
At Edison High, teachers hope the solar program will help students no matter what field they choose. “Everything we do in the solar installations really makes them more confident and employable,” Cooper said.
(Question 1) Which of the following best summarizes the author's perspective on the use of solar energy in schools?
(1 point)
Responses
Renewable energy is a really important investment, and all businesses and people should install solar panels.
Renewable energy is a really important investment, and all businesses and people should install solar panels.
Students are not directly benefitting from the installation of solar panel's on their school's rooftop.
Students are not directly benefitting from the installation of solar panel's on their school's rooftop.
Installing solar technology in schools is an unnecessary expense to the city of New York.
Installing solar technology in schools is an unnecessary expense to the city of New York.
Installing solar technology in schools is both good for the environment, but also helps to engage students in learning and provides them with important life skills.
(Question 2) Which of the following sentences from the passage support the author's claim that the installation of solar panels at schools has provided a learning opportunity for students?(1 point)
Responses
Solar technology relies on solar panels.
Solar technology relies on solar panels.
Edison High is one of the city's largest Career and Technical Education high schools.
Edison High is one of the city's largest Career and Technical Education high schools.
However, the students studied the blueprints, or design plans, for the panels closely this year.
However, the students studied the blueprints, or design plans, for the panels closely this year.
Students from Edison's solar program didn't get to directly participate in the installation on their own school's rooftop.
Students from Edison's solar program didn't get to directly participate in the installation on their own school's rooftop.
Question 3: If the author of the above passage wanted to better demonstrate the impact of installing solar technology in schools on students, which of the following mediums would be most beneficial to use?(1 point)
Responses
A video clip that shows the solar panels being installed by contractors.
A video clip that shows the solar panels being installed by contractors.
A bar graph what percentage of the school's energy consumption is produced by solar energy
A bar graph what percentage of the school's energy consumption is produced by solar energy
A video interview with students on their experiences with the solar technology
A video interview with students on their experiences with the solar technology
Photos of solar panels on school rooftops.
(Question 4): Read the sentences from the passage. What is the text structure of the sentences?
Solar panels blanket the rooftops of 60 public schools in the city. The solar panels provide clean energy for the city. They also give students a chance to learn about renewable energy up close. Renewable energy refers to energy from a resource such as water or wind that does not run out when used.
(1 point)
Responses
Cause/Effect
Cause/Effect
Description
Description
Problem/Solution
Problem/Solution
Compare/Contrast
(Question 5) Read the sentences from the passage.
The city partnered with the Department of Education (DOE) and began expanding its efforts to teach about renewable energy and climate change in schools. The department partnered with an organization called Solar One. They helped train teachers and started a solar energy study track for students that now operates in 14 schools. DOE officials said 1,350 teachers and 3,200 students have taken advantage of the solar education offerings so far.
Which piece of evidence would further strengthen the argument that the Solar One training is meaningful for students and staff?
(1 point)
Responses
Most of the teachers who have completed the training have left the school district to work elsewhere.
Most of the teachers who have completed the training have left the school district to work elsewhere.
Next year, an additional 2,000 students are registered for training.
Next year, an additional 2,000 students are registered for training.
Solar energy is a very interesting and growing industry.
Solar energy is a very interesting and growing industry.
The school is unlikely to ever been entirely dependent on solar energy.
Question 6: Another author has written an article about the solar installation program in New York Schools, but had a different interpretation of the facts than the original author.
Read the two statements from the different articles below:
Original article: At Thomas Edison High School in Queens, a new solar installation generates electricity. In fact, it produces enough electricity to meet 65 percent of the school's energy consumption.
Second article: The solar installation project at Thomas Edison High School in Queens isn't as effective as it could be. In fact, 35 percent of the school's energy consumption isn't supported by the solar panels at all.
What is the key difference in how the two texts interpret the facts differently?
(1 point)
Responses
The original article uses more emotional language to explain the impact of solar energy.
The original article uses more emotional language to explain the impact of solar energy.
The original article has a less favorable explanation of how solar energy is benefitting the school system
The original article has a less favorable explanation of how solar energy is benefitting the school system
The second article has a less favorable explanation of how solar energy is benefitting the school system
The second article has a less favorable explanation of how solar energy is benefitting the school system
The second article is more objective.
are these correct bot gpt 3.5?
The key difference in how the two texts interpret the facts differently is that the original article emphasizes the effectiveness and benefits of the solar installation at Thomas Edison High School, while the second article suggests that the solar panels are not fully supporting the school's energy consumption.
Answer question 1
The author's perspective on the use of solar energy in schools is that installing solar technology in schools is both good for the environment and helps to engage students in learning, providing them with important life skills.
answer question 2 bot gpt 3.5
The sentence that supports the author's claim that the installation of solar panels at schools has provided a learning opportunity for students is: "However, the students studied the blueprints, or design plans, for the panels closely this year."
answer question 3 bot gpt 3.5
A video interview with students on their experiences with the solar technology would be the most beneficial medium to demonstrate the impact of installing solar technology in schools on students.
(Question 1) The best response for the first question is: Installing solar technology in schools is both good for the environment, but also helps to engage students in learning and provides them with important life skills.
To find the answer to this question, we need to analyze the passage and understand the author's perspective. The passage mentions that solar panels in schools provide clean energy for the city and give students the opportunity to learn about renewable energy up close. This implies that the installation of solar technology in schools has a positive impact on both the environment and students' education.
(Question 2) The sentences that support the claim that the installation of solar panels at schools has provided a learning opportunity for students are:
- "However, the students studied the blueprints, or design plans, for the panels closely this year."
- "Students from Edison's solar program didn't get to directly participate in the installation on their own school's rooftop."
These sentences indicate that students were involved in studying the blueprints and closely observing the panels, which suggests they had the opportunity to learn about the technology.
(Question 3) The most beneficial medium to demonstrate the impact of installing solar technology in schools on students would be:
- "A video interview with students on their experiences with the solar technology"
This option would allow students to express their firsthand experiences and provide personal insights into how the solar technology has affected them.
(Question 4) The text structure of the sentences is:
- Description
The passage aims to describe the use of solar panels in schools and their positive impact on the environment and students' learning.
(Question 5) To strengthen the argument that the Solar One training is meaningful for students and staff, the evidence that would be most impactful is:
- "Next year, an additional 2,000 students are registered for training."
This evidence indicates that more students are interested in and taking advantage of the solar education offerings, further demonstrating the meaningfulness of the training program.
(Question 6) The key difference in how the two texts interpret the facts differently is:
- The second article has a less favorable explanation of how solar energy is benefitting the school system
While the first article highlights the positive impact of the solar installation at Thomas Edison High School, stating that it generates enough electricity to meet 65 percent of the school's energy consumption, the second article presents a less favorable explanation, claiming that 35 percent of the energy consumption is not supported by the solar panels. This difference in interpretation shows a contrasting perspective on the effectiveness of the solar installation.