Before class
Allow about 30–45 minutes for learners who can read simple charts. We haven’t piloted this lesson in a classroom yet, so try it yourself and adjust the pace for your group.
Use one device per pair, or project the game. It’s free and needs no account; check that it loads on your school’s network. Open Electrify and choose Play. Returning players can choose Start a new game, then Learn the basics and View all to find earlier lessons.
Use your browser’s Print command (Ctrl+P or Command+P) to print the student worksheet below.
Three lessons, one question
Before playing, ask: “Could a city run on solar power all day and night?” Have pairs write a prediction, then take turns at the controls.
Electricity
Watch the supply-and-demand chart as daylight fades. Which plant keeps supplying power?
Generators
Compare two options in Build before buying. Ask students to explain their choices using cost, construction time, and when each plant can produce power.
Storage
Follow the prompts and watch when storage charges and supplies power. Return to the opening prediction: what would students add to cover the evening?
Ask each pair to share an observation that supports its answer. Different choices can be reasonable if students explain when each plant would help and what it costs. If you need more time, save Storage for a second session.
Electrify uses one representative day per month. Discuss what more you would need to know about weather and demand before applying a plan to a real town.
Student worksheet: keep the lights on
Play Electricity, Generators, and Storage at electrifygame.com. Use observations from the game to explain your answers. Names: ____________________ Date: __________
- Predict, then observe. Could solar power supply a city all day and night? In Electricity, what happens as daylight fades, and which plant still supplies power?
- Choose your plants. Name two generators you compared. What difference in cost or construction time influenced your choice?
- Follow the stored energy. Where did the energy come from? When did storage supply power, and what would happen if it emptied too soon?
- Revisit your prediction. What would you add to a grid with lots of solar power? Explain one tradeoff and one thing you would need to investigate before recommending it for a real town.