Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energetic Energy: A Child?s Guide to Responsible Energy Use

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore how energy transforms into heat.  In this energy lesson students create models and find a need for fuel to make a Stirling engine. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eco-Kids: How Students Can Help Save the World

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify the different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. For this ecology lesson, 4th graders create models of wind mills and hydropower. They discuss the pros and cons of using alternative forms of energy.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Batteries and Emerging Technology

For Students 9th - 12th
In this batteries worksheet, high schoolers read about how batteries work and the types of batteries. They answer three critical thinking questions about batteries and their use as alternate-fuel sources.
Lesson Plan
Foundation for Water & Energy Education

How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity A

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Environmentally friendly engineering teams construct a water wheel and experiment with its speed and the resulting amount of weight it can lift. Consider following this activity with two more of the same title by the same publisher when...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Desalination: Creating a Solar Still

For Teachers 4th - 6th
To better understand how solar power can aid in creating desalinated drinking water, the class creates a model still. They will build a model of a solar still, make observations, and discuss how the process works. While the idea behind...
Worksheet
Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Investigation: Crank It Up!

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
Following this procedure, eager engineers construct a working model of a piston system, similar to that in an internal combustion engine. Perfect for STEM or automotive technology classes, the activity comes complete with analysis and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Composition of Fuels -- Chemical Models Investigation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students construct models of alternative fuel molecules and record their molecular formulas. They participate in a lab activity in which they demonstrate the chemical reactions that take place. They balance chemical equations.
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Greening Your Middle School

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fuel Cells

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine how fuel cells and combustion engines work. Using the internet, they research the positives and negatives of the various energy sources. In groups, they complete an experiment with a working fuel cell model and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

School Lighting Audit Data Analysis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze the data collected in the school lighting audit. They work together to write recommendations for more efficient lighting for their school. They practice using new vocabulary and working together with others.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Too Hot to Handle

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students identify sources of geothermal energy. They watch videos and investigate the sources of geothermal energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making New Electricity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the concepts of energy conversion and conservation. They research the history of energy conversions into electrical energy. They design experiments in order to replicate a conversion of energy into electricity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Big Deal?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students define terms and describe where they are found and formed.  In this methane lesson students complete an activity and describe ways in which methane hydrates impact our lives. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Future of Arctic Sea Ice

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research about the importance of sea ice to world climate and sea organisms. In this earth science lesson, students create a model of present and future Arctic sea ice communities. They discuss how ice melting affects...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Big Deal?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore and define methane hydrates and describe ways that it can impact their own lives.  In this methane hydrate lesson plan students create a molecular model and research methane hydrate. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Nine Planets

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
A solid instructional activity on teaching the nine planets in our solar system is here for you. In it, young scientists learn the correct order of the planets, and they choose one of the planets to do a research report on. They must...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cloud Observations using GLOBE Protocols

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students observe which of ten types of clouds are visible and how much of the sky is cloud covered. They see that by observing clouds, we can get information about temperature, moisture, and wind conditions in different places in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environment

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders receive a general overview of the world's environmental dilemmas thereby understanding the global implications of their actions. They examine their connection to the ecosystem by looking at the influence of the environment...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth System Science

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the Earth and its ability to support life. They discuss the geosphere and the water cycle and complete the Water Wonders activity. After completing the activity, they respond in their journals and reflect upon the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Quest For Power

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate and apply properties of math. In this algebra and physics instructional activity, students define important vocabulary words to create a basic understanding of keywords. They perform experiments using concepts...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Resources and Systems

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Several activities are included to teach and research the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources and various energy resources. Middle schoolers work with a quantitative, but simple model of energy resources to show how...
Lesson Plan
Climate Literacy

Clean: Going for a Spin Making a Model Steam Turbine

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore how various energy sources can be used to cause a turbine to rotate and then generate electricity with a magnet.
Lesson Plan
Climate Literacy

Clean: Zero Energy Housing

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars investigate passive solar building design with a focus solely on heating. Then they design and build their own model houses, and test them for thermal gains and losses during a simulated day and night.
Unit Plan
Geographypods

Geographypods: Patterns and Change: Patterns in Resource Consumption

For Students 11th - 12th
This collection of three learning modules looks at issues related to resource consumption. It examines theories about how population size affects consumption, the changing patterns of energy consumption, and ways to minimize consumption....