Which Do You A-Door? Comparing the Energy Needed to Make Wood and Steel Doors
The Forest Products Laboratory, located in Madison, Wisconsin, is a place where scientists work to develop wood products for human use. The scientists at this laboratory develop processes for making wood products that use as few natural resources as possible. One of the wood products they developed was a wood door. The scientists believed that wood doors and steel doors provide the same utility to a consumer. If that is the case, they wondered which door would use less energy and create less waste up to and including the manufacturing process.
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The research question you will answer by doing this FACTivity is: “Does a baked potato or a 10 ounce bag of potato chips require more energy when it is produced...FACTivity – Which Do You A-Door
The research question you will answer by doing this FACTivity is: “Does a baked potato or a 10 ounce bag of potato chips require more energy when it is produced... -
In this FACTivity, you will answer the question: How does the energy use involved in the construction of three homemade bird baths compare when they are constructed? Materials: 12″ clay...Outdoor FACTivity – Which Do You A-Door
In this FACTivity, you will answer the question: How does the energy use involved in the construction of three homemade bird baths compare when they are constructed? Materials: 12″ clay...
Glossary
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Melissa Huff
My favorite science experience was when my physics classmates in college and I watched our professor dip a rubber ball into liquid nitrogen. He then dropped it, and the ball...View Profile -
Janet Stockhausen
My favorite science experience is working with inventors. Inventors are excited about their inventions, and they love to show how their invention works. They also love to explain why it...View Profile -
Robert Ross
My favorite science experience is working on research projects that ultimately result in technical advances that help people. For example, scientists like me do work that influences all of the...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Article:
Social Studies Standards
- Civic Ideals and Practices
- Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
- People, Places, and Environments
- Production, Distribution, and Consumption
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Time, Continuity, and Change
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Lessons
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In this lesson plan, students learn about bioenergy, then stage a debate in a town considering switching from fossil fuels to biomass.Bioenergy Lesson Plan
In this lesson plan, students learn about bioenergy, then stage a debate in a town considering switching from fossil fuels to biomass. -
The goal of this lesson plan is to help students identify key concepts and develop their own interpretations of what they read. It includes 42 open-ended questions for them to...Lesson Plan – Questions Only
The goal of this lesson plan is to help students identify key concepts and develop their own interpretations of what they read. It includes 42 open-ended questions for them to...
Education Files
Project Learning Tree
If you are a Project Learning Tree-trained educator, you may use Activity #69: “Forest for Trees.”