Students examine the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non renewable energy sources.  In this engineering instructional activity students explain what it means for a house to be "off the grid".

Students explore and discuss alternative energy sources, and identify disadvantages of current fossil fuels.

How much is your toaster costing you every day? Young environmentalists calculate the monetary costs of household appliances based on their average consumption of wattage.

Discuss different sources of energy and how much greenhouse gas each might emit. The six sources are then ranked according to emissions from greatest to least. Finally, the true cumulative emissions are revealed to show the class how...

Upper graders analyze basic concepts about the consumption, importation and exportation of the worlds oil production. They create several graphs to organize the data and draw conclusions about the overall use of oil in the world.

You can eat a solar cell? A unit on solar energy begins with a discussion about organic solar cells, followed by directions on how to build your own. After following the teacher's directions to build an anthocyanin...

Do you have an energy hog in your home? Individuals pick at least one room at home to determine the amount of energy the appliances consume. Using that information, pupils fill out a worksheet to determine the cost of running each...

Heat-sensitive liquid crystal sheets are available in a variety of sizes and temperature ranges. Purchase a class set of hand-held sheets and color half of each with a silver permanent marking pen. Learners of light can hold them under a...

Roll with your class into the idea of conservation of energy. Pupils use a roller coaster track to collect data to reinforce the concept of conservation of energy and the influence of friction. Class members then create a graph from...

Here's your chance to save the world. The eighth lesson in a 25-part Energy Systems and Solutions unit has young scientists come up with ideas for individual or group projects. They identify ways to solve the energy crisis. Hope they...

Bottle up pupils' energy to complete a great resource. Scholars design toy cars out of plastic water bottles. They consider different sources of energy to power the cars, such as rubber bands, balloons, and chemical reactions.

Collaborative groups connect resistors and solar panels in series and measure electrical resistance, voltage, and current. The objective is to order 16 solar panels from strongest to weakest. They graph current-voltage and power curves...

In 2006, about 20 percent of the world's electricity was generated from hydroelectric power. In the presentation, scholars review the water cycle and gravitational energy to begin to understand how humans harness the power of water. They...

Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would not be inhabitable. A thorough online resource describes the greenhouse effect and how it occurs. The source highlights the different types of gases that work together to absorb the sun's...

Surf's up! What causes the constant motion of Earth's oceans? Scholars discover the origins and types of waves in part nine of a 13-installment series. The resource illustrates wave behavior, their destructive power, and current research...

A fascinating lesson on how solar power is utilized by people who live in the Himalayas is here for you. In it, learners perform a case study which will help them understand that solar energy is a renewable resource, that geography...

A solar cell is similar to a rechargeable battery in many ways. Science lab groups connect each in a series circuit to run a mini motor and then compare and contrast them by answering questions and completing a Venn diagram. This is an...

Middle school science stars examine fuels and energy with a variety of activities. They begin with a KWL chart, read an informative passage, and then complete a puzzle. The puzzle itself is included. Cleverly, each piece corresponds to a...

Middle schoolers complete an experiment to understand changes to the environment over time.  In this hydrogen lesson, students discuss electrolysis and conduct an electrolysis experiment.  Middle schoolers observe and record...

Brief, but beneficial, this little gem displays the workings of a hydrogen fuel cell. A simple black-line diagram has question marks at the input and the output, as well as in the middle of the cell. Click on each question mark to reveal...

Students discuss the different uses of energy. They examine the consumption percentages to do household tasks. They discover ways to reduce their energy consumption.

Students differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources and identify the different forms of energy and list the advantages or disadvantages of different forms of energy. They also determine the benefits as well as the...

Students compare and contrast renewable and conventional energy sources. In this energy lesson, students research about conventional fuel and present a persuasive argument about their stand on the issue.

Students research controversial issues surrounding the energy debate in the U.S. They role-play as stakeholders in this debate and testify to a mock congressional committee responsible for making decisions about public lands and energy...