Energy Demand and Scale

Understanding How Energy Systems Balance Demand and Supply

The Energy Demand and Scale  lesson introduces students to how electricity systems operate to keep supply and demand in constant balance. Energy cannot easily be stored at scale, so utilities must adjust generation every moment to meet consumption. Through this lesson, students explore how daily behaviors, technology, and weather influence power use, and how scaling new energy sources takes time and investment.

Lesson Components and Activities

This comprehensive lesson includes multimedia learning, vocabulary reinforcement, data analysis, and a structured reasoning task. Activities can be taught sequentially or adapted for independent learning.

Lesson Components:

• Bell Ringer: Spark discussion with prompts about daily electricity use and what affects power demand.
• Key Videos:
  • The Demand Curve – Explains base, intermediate, and peak load concepts.
  • Scale – Illustrates how energy systems expand over time and why large-scale change requires decades.
• Vocabulary + Quiz: Reinforce essential terms like load curve, peak demand, and capacity factor  with guided definitions and comprehension checks.
• Data Analysis Activity: Analyze real-world data in the Energy Demand and Scale Data Set  to identify seasonal and daily trends in electricity use.
• CER Activity (Claim–Evidence–Reasoning): Evaluate the central question: Should managing demand be prioritized as much as building new power plants?
• Exit Ticket Reflection: Summarize learning on why demand management is critical for reliability and resource planning.
  

Integration and Standards Alignment

The lesson supports NGSS Science and Engineering Practices, including data analysis, argumentation, and modeling. It integrates seamlessly into Earth Science, Environmental Science, and Physical Science units focused on energy systems, efficiency, and sustainability.