Energy Demand and Scale – Starter Pack

Summary

Overview

Introduce key terminology that forms the foundation for understanding energy systems and scaling. The Starter Pack includes a vocabulary list, definitions, and a short quiz to check comprehension. Students learn how core terms connect across energy, engineering, and environmental science contexts.

Key Vocabulary Topics

  • Load, demand, and peak demand
  • Capacity factor
  • Base, intermediate, and peak load power
  • Scale, infrastructure, and generation capacity

Classroom Integration

  • Assign before the Demand Curve and Scale videos for pre-teaching.
  • Reinforce with the quiz after video viewing or group discussion.

Use terms to support the CER activity and exit ticket writing later in the lesson.

Bell Ringer

Instructions: Answer the prompt provided by your teacher.










Vocabulary (The Demand Curve)

Instructions: Watch The Demand Curve video and listen for the vocabulary words.

WordDefinitionExample
Generatornoun; a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy“Every time we turn a light on or anything else, there’s a generator turning somewhere to power it.”
Demandnoun; the amount of energy people want and are able to use at a given time“ . . . the more electricity we need, the more generators we have to turn on right at that very instant . . . to meet our demand for electricity.”
Base Loadnoun phrase; the minimum amount of electricity a power grid needs to supply at all times“When people are sleeping, there’s still electricity demand . . . We call that base load.”
Hydronoun; short for hydropower, which is energy made by using moving water to turn turbines, which often involves dams“Lots of natural gas generation comes on and some major hydro plants.”
Demand Curvenoun phrase; a graph that shows how energy demand changes over time or with price“The demand curve drives the entire electricity system.”

Quiz (The Demand Curve)

Instructions: Circle the correct answer based on what you learned in The Demand Curve video.

Q1. What is meant by the “base load” in electricity demand?

  1. the maximum amount of energy used during the day
  2. the minimum amount of electricity needed at all times
  3. the amount of electricity used only in factories
  4. the extra electricity produced by natural gas and hydro

Q2. When does electricity demand usually peak during the day? 

  1. late at night when lights are on
  2. early morning before people wake up
  3. midday, when air conditioning demand is highest
  4. after midnight, when factories start running

Q3. What happens whenever we turn on more electrical devices?

  1. More electricity has to be generated instantly.
  2. The demand curve goes back to base load.
  3. More generators are turned off.
  4. Electricity is stored for later.

Q4. Why is the demand curve important for electricity systems?

  1. It shows when people prefer to pay electric bills.
  2. It explains how to save electricity at home.
  3. It shows how power plants are built.
  4. It determines how much electricity is needed at a given time.

Vocabulary (Scale)

Instructions: Watch the Scale video and listen for the vocabulary words.

WordDefinitionExample
Scalenoun; the size or level of something, especially in comparison to others“Scale is the one energy challenge that drives all others, and we are the solution.”
Infrastructurenoun; the  systems and structures, like roads, power lines, and water pipes, needed for a society to function“The world of energy is slow to change because the scale of infrastructure is so massive.”
Industrialadjective; related to factories or large-scale production of goods and energy“ . . . taking a game-changing technology from the lab to rolling it out at the huge industrial scale where it can make a difference takes dozens of years.”
Emissionsnoun; gas or particles released into the air, especially by cars, factories, and power plants“Because the scale of energy is so huge, emissions are also often huge.”
Watt-hoursnoun; a unit of energy that is equal to one watt of power consumed for one hour of time“The global average [of energy consumption] is 20 million watt-hours per year and rising.”
Staggeringadjective; extremely large or surprising in amount or effect“Population times personal consumption. That’s the reason for the staggering scale of energy.”

Quiz (Scale)

Instructions: Circle the correct answer based on what you learned in the Scale video .

Q1. Why is energy infrastructure slow to change?

  1. because people prefer old technologies
  2. because energy systems are not widely available
  3. because facilities are massive, costly, and last for decades
  4. because governments resist innovation

Q2. How long did it take France to generate 80% of its electricity from nuclear power? 

  1. 15 years
  2. 25 years
  3. 30 years
  4. 40 years

Q3. How many people worldwide do not have electricity? 

  1. 0.5 billion
  2. 1.2 billion
  3. 1.6 billion
  4. 2.4 billion

Q4. What two factors drive the massive scale of energy demand?

  1. population and personal consumption
  2. politics and economics
  3. technology and resources
  4. efficiency and waste