Beyond Benign
Ecological Footprint
How does your lifestyle measure up in terms of your ecological footprint? Young ecologists examine their impact on the planet using an insightful online calculator. A short quiz asks users to rank the size of their homes, their energy...
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Hot and Cold Colors
Students experiment with the color and solar energy absorption. In this color and solar energy absorption activity, students spend two days discussing and experimenting with the concept of energy absorption. They paint cans with...
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How Solar Cells Work
Students create electricity. In this solar energy lesson, students role play how photovoltaic cells change sunlight into electricity. Students discuss the experiment and create their own diagram of the model.
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Make a Solar Oven
Students build a solar oven. In this Science lesson, students construct a functional solar oven. Students design the oven and explain the energy concepts involved.
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Be "Sun-sible" about Heating Water
Students create a solar water heater. For this solar energy lesson, students conduct an experiment to determine which colors absorb more radiant heat. Students investigate the relationship of heat loss to insulation. Students then create...
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The Biofuel Project: Creating Biodiesel
High schoolers research about the processing of biodiesel fuels. In this energy lesson, students produce their own biodiesel using used and new vegetable oil. They discuss the environmental and economic benefits of using biodiesel.
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Solar Sweet Tea
Learners study the sun. In this heat energy instructional activity, students use the sun's warmth to make tea. They place a few jars with tea bags and water in the sun and discuss what the sun is doing to the water while they wait for...
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Survival Still
Lead your class to construct a solar still on campus to demonstrate how water can be extracted from the soil. The power of solar energy is emphasized, as is the concept of how capillary water can be recovered and purified by using a...
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Transportation Fuels Debate
Students study the different transportation fuels. In this energy sources instructional activity students debate the merits of their fuel over others while working together in groups.
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Crude Conversation
Students analyze text and maps in determining the effect the world's energy resources have on human society, and make charts illustrating at least three ways each resource makes life easier for human society.
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Cooking With Solar
Identify how solar energy generates thermal energy by constructing solar cookers with your students. They will evaluate the factors that affect efficiency and the lesson can be adapted to capture data in a variety of ways.
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Sustainability and the Recycling of Words
Recycling and green living isn't just for the environment anymore. Studying the use of metaphors and metonymies, especially in reference to environmental sustainability, this presentation provides viewers with plenty of food for thought....
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Up for the Challenge?
A general engineering quiz can be given at the beginning of your engineering or technology unit to stimulate interest. A wide variety of topics are touched by engineers, including the medical industry, energy production, building design,...
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Capturing Renewable Energy
Students watch a video segment on the engineering design process, then design a storage system for renewable energy. Students brainstorm and research ways in which renewable energies such as solar and wind power can be stored.
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Capturing Renewable Energy
Students watch a video segment on the engineering design process, then design a storage system for renewable energy. Students brainstorm and research ways in which renewable energies such as solar and wind power can be stored.
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Sunlight and Warm Air
Students discuss radiant energy from the sun, performing a simple experiment with sun glasses and bright light to demonstrate the concept. Students further participate in simple in-class experiments to demonstrate: air density as it...
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Waves : An Alternative Energy Source
Young scholars evaluate the feasibility of wave energy as an alternative source of energy. In this alternative energy source lesson students are introduced to renewable and nonrenewable energy and study energy production.
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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...
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Prospects for a Sustainable Energy Future
Students review the definition to the word "sustainability" from two sources. After reading excerpts of the World Commission on Environment and Development, they identify the recommendations of Johansson and Goldemberg. They discuss...
Practical Action
Moja Island
Did you know that 1.3 billion people live without any form of electricity? Discover an array of possible renewable energy options by taking a trip to Moja Island, an online learning resource that will equip you and your learners with an...
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An Introduction to Nutrition
Whether you need a new textbook for your health class, or a few exercises and passages for your lesson on nutrition, you'll find what you need with a thorough nutritional science resource. With 15 chapters that cover elements of...
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Energy
Young scholars see that energy is everywhere in nature - in the light of the sun, in wind, in falling water and erupting volcanoes. Without energy, there is no life. This lesson provides many good ideas across the curriculum to study...
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Sustainable Choices
High schoolers examine energy use and the different construction materials used in their home. In this sustainable choices lesson students study different materials and what a sound environmental choice would be.
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Sustainable Development and Canada's Natural Resources
Students use text information, data and graphs to explain what sustainable development is, and to investigate the rate of consumption of Canada's natural resources. In groups, they graph their findings.