Some weeks, you will be expected to review the online content and create an infographic to synthesize your online readings and one external source of your choosing. But first, you should review the information on this page which will explain what infographics are, describe several designs that can be used, and list several technologies for creating them.
Infographics are an alternate way of communicating ideas, concepts, data, and more. By creating visually interesting images, you will be able to more effectively share and remember the information presented within the image. Please review the following video to learn more about the qualities commonly included in infographics.
As you can see, creating an effective infographic is a bit more complicated than simply putting facts and images together. The information must also be efficiently organized and will also demonstrate the connections between important concepts or ideas. There are several ways in which you can organize your content. Please watch the following video to learn several strategies for organizing and presenting your information.
Now that you know the core elements of infographics, you may be wondering how to actually get started. There are a number of software applications that will help you quickly and easily create an infographic. Many of them also have free tutorials available on youtube. You can start by looking at the applications listed below. Feel free to experiment and try different ones until you find one that works well for you. A personal favorite happens to be Canva. It offers predesigned templates that can quickly be customized with additional text, graphics, and more.
Adobe Spark [1] is part of Adobe's Creative Cloud Suite. It allows you to create a variety of graphic based resources. As a registered Penn State student, you have free access to this software.
Canva [2] also offers free accounts to help you quickly and easily create infographics, presentation slides, brochures, and many other items. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface and each item you create is downloadable to a PDF format. *Please note: Canva offers graphics and other elements for an additional fee. You are not expected to purchase anything in order to create your infographics. Doing so is at your own discretion.
The goal of this assignment is to synthesize the required readings provided in Canvas with at least one external resource through the creation of an infographic. Doing so provides you with practice in synthesizing information and communicating it in a concise format.
The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to think critically about the key points from the online readings and how they apply or relate to how energy is used in our world today. By applying the course concepts to energy consumption, energy policy, or environmental considerations you will have a strengthened understanding of how our choices impact our world.
According to the research, we remember information in images rather than text. By creating an infographic based on the course readings, you are essentially creating visual organizers of course information in a format more easily remembered by your brain.
The best way to begin working on your infographic is to start by reviewing the assigned online readings. As you work your way through the lesson, pause to write down key points you feel are especially important. (You may also find it beneficial to create a quick drawing or sketch to visually support your learning and retention of the information. This process is called sketchnoting. You can watch this Youtube video which provides a quick overview of sketchnoting if you would like to employ that method as part of your note-taking process.)
Once you have completed the online chapter, you will need to conduct your own investigation on a topic relating to the information discussed within the online lesson. Use the online readings as a starting point. You may consider the following questions to help you begin your independent research:
After you have found at least one suitable article, follow the same process of note-taking/documenting that you implemented when you reviewed the online readings. You may review as many articles as you wish to further your understanding of the topic, but you are required to submit an infographic that includes a reference to a minimum of one external source.
In reviewing your notes/sketches, find the points you feel are the most important and want to ensure you remember beyond this semester. The infographics should be more than simply recapping the online readings. These points will likely be the most interesting or thought-provoking aspects of the various articles and readings you reviewed.
Distill those key points down to approximately 10 (plus or minus a few is perfectly acceptable). This will help you narrow your focus on the points you want to convey in your infographic. Following this strategy will also give you the ability to quickly identify connections between the course readings and other sources of information. Your submissions must include a connection between the course content and another source.
Review the page titled Creating Infographics to determine which layout, color scheme, and graphics are suitable for the information you wish to convey. All of these elements should work together to effectively communicate a message in a clear and concise manner.
*Please remember there are templates available in both Adobe Spark and in Canva.
This assignment was designed to maximize your engagement with the materials in order to help facilitate long term retention. It offers a more creative option and greater value over a traditional multiple-choice quiz. With that in mind, you should explore your creative freedom while working on these infographics. All graphics included in the work should be original. In general, a maximum of one screenshot from an external source may be used (see 90/10 rule below), but the use of that image must adhere to the guidelines of academic integrity. (Meaning you must use a graphic that is in the public domain or be able to provide documentation indicating you have permission from the original creator to use the artwork.)
As the infographic assignment is a creative project, your work should be a personalized reflection of your learning in this course. Since you are expected to be using information from other sources, you will need to cite these sources. Plagiarism (using someone else's ideas or words without giving them credit for their work) will not be tolerated in this course. There is a module in this course titled Academic Integrity. If you are unsure of how to cite works properly or even what it means to plagiarize someone else's work, you will find detailed information within that module.
*An additional note on plagiarism – Submitting a work that is comprised entirely of images, text, or other media which has been created by someone else is also considered plagiarism. In order for a submission to be considered an original work, it must follow a 90/10 rule. Meaning 90% of the work must be words and graphics of your own creation. 10% of the overall work may be a screenshot or quote from an external source.
Criteria | Descriptors |
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Accuracy & Communications |
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Reflection |
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Potential: stored energy, waiting to be used.
Kinetic: energy in motion - light, heat, movement… even when you eat. How fast work is done determines power. By converting energy efficiently into useful work you can fuel cars, homes, heat water, and more!
Renewable: Resources utilized for energy are easily replenished Harnesses energy from sources like the sun, earth’s interior heat, wind, plants, and water.
Non-Renewable: Resources utilized for energy are NOT easily replenished. Harnesses energy from sources like uranium, coal, oil, and natural gas.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, they are working on new battery type technologies that will store energy from renewable sources (U.S. Department of Energy). U.S. energy consumption by energy source, 2018.
Chart shows energy usage in the U.S. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2019).
Energy Storage, (n.d.). Retrieved from https://energy.gov/ [3] scienceinnovation/electric-power/storage
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis (a.d.). Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/ [4]
...Energy comes in different forms:
These forms of energy can further be classified as either potential energy (stored) or kinetic energy (working).
Energy conversions that occur when a person eats a piece of toast.
The law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created more destroyed - rather, it is transformed from one type of energy to another!
5% of total U.S. energy consumption: renewable energy sources can be easily replenished - like solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, and hydropower.
90% of total U.S. energy consumption: Nonrenewable resources cannot be easily replenished - like petroleum, hydrocarbon gas liquids, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy.
Biomass is the largest renewable energy source in the US - accounting for 45% of all renewable consumption! In 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Energy Conversions Energy sources can be used as either primary or secondary energy sources. A primary energy source produces useful energy or can be used to produce secondary energy sources. A secondary energy source is used to store, more, and deliver energy in an easily useable form - they are energy carriers. All energy conversions involve transformations between usable and unusable forms of energy!
Primary energy
Transformation
Secondary Energy
Examples of primary source transformation into secondary sources of energy (Disco Learning Media, Inc., 2020). Units of Measurement Units of measurements are used to help convert between different forms of energy as they are transformed. This is used to determine the energy efficiency of an energy source - how much useful energy can be obtained from this system? Examples: Barrels - used for liquid petroleum or biofuels British thermal units - a measurement of heat energy Kilowatt hours - used to quantify the amount of energy in electricity Note: To compare energy sources, they need to be converted into the same unit! British Thermal Unit The British thermal unit (Btu) is the most common unit to compare fuel sources in the United States. 1 Btu contains as much thermal energy as the energy released by 1 standard match. The Btu content of fuels vary, but a simple comparison between the energy content of two different sources can help make more informed energy use decisions!
Energy and Power Power is defined as how fast or how slow the ‘work’ of energy is done - it’s the rate at which energy is transformed. It is measured in units of “energy per time” and can help determine the energy efficiency of a product! A 50 Watt bulb uses 50 Watt-hours of energy in one hour. A 100 Watt bulb uses 100 Watt-hours of energy in one hour. Watt = energy; Watt-hour = power. In New Jersey, residential electrical rates were on average, 15.78 cents/kWh - the difference in energy consumption between a 50 Watt bulb and a 100 Watt bulb in one hour is 0.789 cents!
Energy Sector Consumption in the U.S. Total energy consumption - (primary energy use + purchased electricity) - (electrical system losses + other losses) The electric power sector produced 96% of total U.S. electricity generation**, which was mostly sold to other sectors. Of the electricity produced by the electric power sector, 92% of the total electricity generation** went to the commercial (50%) and residential (42%) sectors. Of the 38.3 quadrillion Btu produced by the electric power sector, only 13.0 quads were useable. Electrical system energy losses accounted for 25.3 quads!! **(In 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration).
Because there is a slight discrepancy between production and consumption, energy sources are imported and exported to help countries meet their energy demands. Crude oil accounts for the largest share of U.S. energy imports. The United States is a net exported of petroleum and natural gas. The recent trade deal signed with China on January 15, 2020 is supposed to boost U.S. oil and natural gas exports. The industry could expect an additional 770,000 barrels a day of exports in 2020.
Living in a world with a changing climate will undoubtedly shift our energy demands.
Degree day data can be used to assess climate and energy demands of different regions. Degree days are a measurement of how cold or warm a location is by comparing the mean outdoor temperature to a standard temperature (usually 65 degree F). Ex: A day with a mean temperature of 75 degree F has 10 degree days. Note: The higher number of degree days generally results in higher levels of energy use for space heating or cooling.
Warmer average temperatures = higher demand on cooling systems during the summer. Infrastructure changes may be necessary to meet increased energy of demand. The amount of water available to produce energy or extract fuel will be limited. Areas with limited water will have to decide whether to use water for energy production or other uses. Sea level rise and an increase in the severity and frequency of storms will impact energy production and delivery. Most energy facilities are located along coastlines and are therefore susceptible to storm surges and sea level rise.
Bloomberg, J.L. (2020, January 20). Analysis: What the China Trade Deal Means for U.S. Oil Producers, Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/energy/what-the-china-trade-deal... [5]
Cole, V. (n.d.). Energy and Power. The Pennsylvania State University. Disco Learning Media Inc. (n.d.) Primary resources and secondary energy. Retrieved from https://www.electricitylocal.com/states/new-jersey/ [6] US EIA.
What is energy? (2019, July 26). Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/energy [7] explained/what-is-energy/ US EPA.
Climate Impacts on Energy. (2016, December 22). Retrieved from https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-en... [8]
Links
[1] https://spark.adobe.com/sp/onboarding
[2] https://www.canva.com/q/pro/?v=13&utm_source=google_sem&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=REV_US_EN_CanvaPro_Branded_Tier1_Core_EM&utm_term=REV_US_EN_CanvaPro_Branded_Tier1_Canva_EM&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwKKk-vyo5gIVC1YMCh1dCQMxEAAYASAAEgLqivD_BwE
[3] https://energy.gov/
[4] https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/
[5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/energy/what-the-china-trade-dealmeans-for-us-oil-producers/2020/01/19/7eac93ba-3a92-11ea-a1ff-c48c1d59a4a1_story.html
[6] https://www.electricitylocal.com/states/new-jersey/
[7] https://www.eia.gov/energy
[8] https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-energy_.html