Energy
EIA Energy Kids Page
The Department of Energy has a wide range of resources for K-12 classrooms at it Energy Kids Page.
Department of Energy - Science Education
The Energy Department provides online content, resources for parents and teachers, internships and student partnership programs, and national events like Solar Decathlon and the National Science Bowl.
Nico's Activities for Kids
This resource includes two workbooks -- Energy Savings and Electrical Safety -- with activities and information you can print out and share with your students.
Other topics include Tips for Getting Your Kids to Save Energy, 5 Kid-Friendly Ways to Re-Purpose An iPhone and a teacher grant program.
Biofuel From Algae At MIT
The viability of biofuels has been debated, especially among scientists. Since it requires multi-disciplinary understandings, students would be well-served to learn about it.
- YouTube URL
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnOSnJJSP5c
Center for Environmental Journalism at CampusPress at Colorado
The Center for Environmental Journalism in Colorado is a useful 'zine model from which students can learn publishing skills in this particular domain.
Should a Person Touch 200,000 Volts?
An entertaining video by Steve Gagnon showing what happens when you touch 200,000 volts, how lighting rods really work, and why 120 volts could hurt you but 200,000 volts might not. Hint: it's the amperage that counts.
- YouTube URL
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubZuSZYVBng
National Science Teachers' Association
The National Science Teachers Association offers three publications from the National Energy Foundation, each about 150pp for grades K-3, 4-6 and 9-12 (no 7-8 listed).
University of Oregon-ZEBU
The University of Oregon site consists of courseware primarily but these materials include very interesting projects for schools to replicate.
Museum of Science in Boston - Theater of Electricity
At the Boston Museum of Science activities for teaching electricity (grades 3 and up) are presented in a theater-like environment.
What resources do your local museums provide?
Edison Electric
The Edison Electric Institute offers 80 some experiments in basic concepts of electricity for grades 4-8.
How Fuel Cells Work
Learning about fuel cell technology always rears up when an energy crisis appears. Go to How Stuff Works for an understanding of alternative fuels.
Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center
The Alternative Fuels Data Center provides maps, data sets and tools on alternative energy options.
William Kamkwamba's Windmill
Energy from windmills had become an increasingly interesting topic because of the search for alternative, sustainable fuels. Look at William Kamkwamba's story.
Before accessing sites it would be wise to review your local curriculum guides and then match resources to your framework. Articulation with other grades is important. As exciting as these resources are, students can easily become confused if this topic is jumbled across different grade levels.
Other Areas To Check Out...
• Education Resources
• Ethics in Science
• Safe Web Searching
• Assessment of Hands-On Elementary Science Projects
• Chemistry Experiments
• High Performance Standards for Applied Learning
