Curated OER
Floating Fishes: Fishing Expedition
A referenced PowerPoint is not included, but this lesson can still make an impact with emerging environmentalists. After introducing them to the facts about overfishing, they experiment with a fishing simulation using colored beads and...
Curated OER
Running on Renewables
Students investigate the costs and benefits of switching their school to sustainable technology energy production. They use software called HOMER developed by the National Renewable Energy Lab to do the cost/ benefit analysis. They then...
PBS
NOVA Energy Lab Lesson Plan
Can our energy resources keep up with our ever-growing population? Science scholars learn the basics of energy and Earth's energy resources during an electrifying lesson. The resource combines video clips and an engineering design...
Magic of Physics
Franklin's Lab
Get energized! Circuitry scholars follow the path of energy from its beginnings as a fossil fuel all the way to bulbs and batteries using an interesting interactive. Groups or individuals help Ben Franklin discover how to convert and...
Curated OER
Research Projects in Renewable Energy for High School Students
Thirty-eight pages of information prepares you to assign middle or high schoolers a project on sustainable energy. They take a pretest, review the scientific method, conduct background research, and finally choose an experiment to carry...
Curated OER
Energy in a Clean Environment
Students identify and describe the different types of energy and how it is transferred. In this energy lesson students complete several activities including how to calculate joules, adding up wattage, and create a presentation on...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Waves and Whistles
Wave goodbye to the same old demonstrations for alternative energy sources, and wave hello to this one investigating ocean waves! Using a water bottle to create an oscillating water column, learners see and possibly hear how the...
Curated OER
Solar Heat: Building and Testing a Solar Oven
Building a solar oven is always an enriching and engaging activity when your class is studying forms of energy or alternative and renewable energy sources. This lesson plan refers you to the re-energy.ca home website for specific...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity C
Third in a set of lessons regarding reservoirs, dams, and hydropower, this involves a two-day hydropower plant simulation. Collaborative groups build, maintain, and finance the plant. The transparency of the reservoir setup can be...
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Biomass: Biogas Generator
It's a gas. Middle schoolers build a biogas generator following the directions in this resource. After a few days of observation, they demonstrate that the gas given off by the decomposing manure is flammable. The activity concludes as...
Curated OER
Photovoltaics and Solar Energy
Students experiment with photovoltaic cells and determine the energy use of their appliances. In this renewable energy lesson, students calculate the energy emitted by a photovoltaic cell through an inquiry-based lab. They keep track of...
Forest Foundation
Fire Investigation and Experimentation
Assess the probability of a wildfire with several lessons about fire danger ratings and risk factors. After experimenting with fuel moisture, learners explore the various elements that could contribute to a wildfire, such as wind speed,...
Curated OER
Primary Energy Sources Pros and Cons
Students explore the different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. In this earth science activity, students discuss the pros and cons of each type. They conduct a variety of experiments on renewable energy.
Curated OER
Kernel Power" Ethanol Fuel from Corn
Students study why corn is a biodegradable, renewable resource. For this ethanol lesson students build models and observe a chemical reaction.
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
Pupils develop a better understanding of the need to conserve our renewable resources. In this water cycle lesson students take notes, complete a guide sheet and illustrate the water cycle.
Curated OER
Solar Electricity ~ The Colour Sensitivity of a Photovoltaic Cell
Teacher's notes, a materials list, detailed procedure, tips, and extension ideas are all included to make teaching this lesson on photovoltaic cells a sunny spot in your day! After some brief background reading, physical science...
Curated OER
What Does the Sun Give Us?
Pupils study the sun and how solar energy works. To learn about renewable energy, they complete a lab activity using a pizza box as a solar heater. Quite clever!
Polytechnic Institute of NYU
Potential vs. Kinetic Energy
Legos in science class? Watch your pupils fall in love with this activity. After learning to measure potential and kinetic energy, young scientists create their own ramps using Lego Mindstorm sensors and software.
Curated OER
People Changing the Atmosphere Lab
Young scholars examine ways to reduce the greenhouse effect. Students keep a "CO2 Journal" to help establish a connection between their own behavior and its impact on global warming as well as discover ways to reduce global warming.
Curated OER
Solar
Students study solar energy. In this renewable energy lesson students complete several lab activities using different controls and variables.
Curated OER
Building Your Bridge Building Basics
In this technology worksheet, middle schoolers examine the basic principles of bridge building design in order to answer the nine questions with the help of the web links on page 2.
Curated OER
Hawaii's Freshwater Ecosystems
Students examine brackish water. In this Science instructional activity, students observe organisms found in brackish water. Students record their observations of the various organisms.
Curated OER
Energy in a Clean Environment
Students examine the efficiency of each alternative energy source as well as what limitations exist in terms of extracting the usable energy. They determine which energy source is most effective to the economy and the environment in the...
Curated OER
Introduction to Measuring the Forest
Students investigate how much wood is in a forest. In this forestry lesson, students calculate how much usable wood comes from the forest. They will read, Sizing Things Up from Trees + Me = Forestry, measure firewood piles, and create a...