Curated OER
Thinking about Energy
Young scholars examine their understandings about energy concepts by completing an online survey. Students participate in a class discussion about their uses of resources and the differences between perpetual, renewable, and...
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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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Energy Play: Harry Spotter and the Chamber of Windy Myths
Students explore the concept of renewable energy. In this alternative energy lesson, students participate in a play that conveys information regarding wind energy. The script may be performed as a play with props or as a reader's theatre.
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Physical Science: Solar Energy
Learners review and discuss how Solar energy and electricity produce light and heat. They create a photo/picture journal and include pictures taken during solar energy activities to a PowerPoint slide presentation.
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Waste Watchers
Energy-aware learners conduct an audit on their electricity usage by recording their electric meter reading and assessing the thermostat, light bulbs, windows, and water heaters in their homes. In class, they analyze results and discuss...
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What's Cooking?
Students investigate solar energy by making sun tea. In this ecology and solar energy lesson, students prepare traditional tea and "sun" tea, then record and graph data comparing color, clarity, smell and taste.
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Ice Cube Experiment
Students explore the rate at which ice melts. In this science lesson plan, students place ice cubes on colored index cards and place them in direct sunlight. Students observe which ice cubes melt fastest and slowest.
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Mining
Students explore nonrenewable energy resources. In this coal lesson, students investigate how coal is formed and how it is used as a source of energy. Students mine for "coal" using toothpicks and chocolate chip cookies.
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An Exploration of Wind Energy and Wind Turbines
How is wind produced and is it a good source for energy production? Get some air moving in your class. Learners take a pre-test, watch a demonstration of how electricity can be generated by wind energy, test different turbine factors for...
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Solar Car Races: Build and retrofit for speed
If you have solar car kits for your junior high schoolers, they can experiment with photovoltaic cell angle, light intensity, and aerodynamic design to discover what makes their car move more quickly. This is a classic activity to use...
Teach Engineering
Photosynthesis—Life's Primary Energy Source
Wouldn't it be great if you could produce your own food? Scholars learn about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants. They consider how to use photosynthesis as a model of an efficient system and how to apply...
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Create Hydrogen Energy
Learners complete an experiment to understand changes to the environment over time. In this hydrogen lesson, students discuss electrolysis and conduct an electrolysis experiment. Learners observe and record their experiment.
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Black and White Bottle Experiment
Students investigate solar energy and color. In this solar energy lesson, students assess the benefits of solar energy. Students discover that solar energy is attracted to darker colors and conduct an experiment using colored bottles to...
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Trash to Gas
Middle schoolers experiment with biomass materials as alternative energy sources. In this biomass material lesson, students participate in an experiment with cow manure to determine how it can be used as an energy source. They record...
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Fueling Extreme Weather
First graders identify the different stages in the hydrologic cycle. To study earth science, they investigate how sunlight affects the earth's temperature. They also discuss how the sun's energy is transformed.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Working with Wind Energy
After reading about how wind turbines work to collect clean energy, groups brainstorm and design their own windmill. Within the provided financial and physical constraints, groups must build a working windmill using only the materials...
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Waste and Recycling: Recycling Paper
We take paper for granted, while thousands of trees are being made into the paper we toss in the trash. Start a dialogue about paper reduction and recycling in class, and share the negative effects paper production has on our ecosystem....
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Environment, Energy and Transport
In this European Union worksheet, students respond to 11 short answer questions regarding EU policies on environment, energy, and transportation.
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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...
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Mobility 2030: Can We Meet the goals
Students examine how various countries meet or do not meet sustainability challenges. They read and discuss an article, complete an informational table, and participate in a group discussion.
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Fossil Fuel Sources, Usage and Alternatives: What are the Options?
Young scholars identify the different sources of fossil fuels. In this environmental science lesson, students research about how these impact our environment. They explore renewable energy sources that could replace fossil fuels.
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Fossil Fuel Sources, Usage and Alternatives: What Are the Options?
Learners examine the relationship between energy and the environment. In groups, they participate in experiments to discover the law of thermodynamics and the differences between potential, kinetic and mechanical forms of energy. They...
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Our Solar Roof
Students sketch what a solar installation will look like. In this energy instructional activity, students examine the benefits of using solar energy. They record a video on the installation event for further study.
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Eco-Kids: How Students Can Help Save the World
Fourth graders identify the different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. In this ecology lesson, 4th graders create models of wind mills and hydropower. They discuss the pros and cons of using alternative forms of energy.