Bonneville
Variables Affecting Wind Turbine Power
Design the best from the best. Groups work together to come up with the best configuration of different variables that affect a wind turbine. The teams choose from several variables such as the number of blades, the angle of the blades,...
Bonneville
How Much Energy Do YOU Use?
Determine the power hog in the house. Pupils learn the difference between power and energy before participating in a hands-on activity. Using a power meter, pairs measure the actual power used for several household devices, estimate the...
NASA
Providing Light for Your Plants
Using a guided lesson, pupils learn about what it takes to make a circuit along with a switch. They build a complete circuit under the direction from the teacher and identify each of the elements of the circuit. Scholars then learn to...
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Energy
Seven hands-on lessons module where students learn about energy. These inquiry-based explorations investigate where energy resources come from and how they are converted into electricity, how fossil fuels form, the importance of...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Career Profile: Power Plant Operator
Keeping the power moving to houses and businesses is the job of the power plant operator. Whether the power comes from hyrdroelectric, nuclear, or coal energy, the power plant operator needs to know how to keep the turbines moving. This...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Grid
The class forms a "Presidential Task Force" for a week, empowered by the president to find answers and make recommendations concerning the future of the national power grid. Task force members conduct daily debriefings with their...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Rolling Blackouts & Environmental Impact
The goal is for the students to understand the environmental design considerations required when generating electricity. The electric power that we use every day at home and work is generated by a variety of power plants. Power plants...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: Electrifying America
This collection of primary sources explores the introduction of electric power to the United States.
State Energy Conservation Office-Texas
Seco: Environmental Pollutants From Electricity Production [Pdf]
Facts about some major environmental pollutants produced by power plants, and what consumers can do to lower the carbon footprint from their energy use.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Open Course Ware: Courses: Introduction to Electric Power Systems
College-level electrical engineering course highlighting electric power systems. Course introduces electric power and the conversion of electrical to mechanical energy. Course features include readings, assignments, and quizzes.
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College: Mqed: The Electrification of Los Angeles
The downloadable monograph investigates the electrification of Los Angeles. Topics include scientific principles associated with major technological advances in electrical power production.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Iceland: What Is Electricity?
Go on a fishing trip with Martin and his grandfather. They use a lot of electrical equipment. Help him find out which items use electricity.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Inuit Village: How Can We Use Electricity Safely?
Visit Adlet in the Inuit village, and help her find out how she can use electricity safely.
Math Science Nucleus
Math/science Nucleus: Night Without Light
This animation discusses light and the properties of electricity in a storybook format. The theme of the story is that a family lost their power, so the animations discuss power and electricity and how it travels into homes.
PBS
Pbs: Electric Consumer Appliances Proliferate
This PBS site provides a background of how the post-World War 1 US economy exploded with the advent of new electrical appliances. Offers additional links.
The World Bank
World Bank: The Private Sector and Power Generation in China
A paper issued by the World Bank on the role of private sector enterprise in "Power development," in China. The full report is in PDF format. (Published in 2000)
Florida State University
Florida State University: Magnet Lab: What Is a Bus Room?
The MagLab's bus tunnel has an aluminum track, but it doesn't carry passengers: it carries electricity, up to 56 megawatts of it.
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: Electricity Meter
When electricity became available to the masses, utilities needed meters to record customer usage. This early 20th century model resembles many in use today. (Java tutorial)
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: Transmission Lines
Electricity goes through some ups and downs on its way from the power plant to your house. See how it works in this interactive activity.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Power Source
In this activity, small groups of students are asked to make concept sketches that track the source of electrical power as far back as they can conceive. The concept sketches reveal students' prior conceptions of the power grid and...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Powering the Future
This activity tests problem-solving skills while introducing a card exercise which allows students to solve real problems and make decisions about how best to provide electrical power to their country. Students must make choices between...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Powering the u.s.
This lesson provides students with an overview of the electric power industry in the United States. Students also become familiar with the environmental impacts associated with a variety of energy sources.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Electric Power and Electrical Energy Use
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Electric power and electric energy use of appliances and how to calculate them.
Other
Electrical Safety Council: Switched on Kids: Electricity Safety
Explore a house for dangers lurking from careless behaviors around electricity. Students can take a quiz afterwards and print a certificate. Includes games, coloring pages, lesson materials, and resources for parents.