By The Numbers introduces students to basic facts and dynamics of the American energy economy. Students learn how each primary source of energy is provided by nature, how each is employed in the economy, and whether each source is nonrenewable or renewable.
Students research and report on the interesting and diverse energy resources used in their state and our country in Our Energy Resources. Excellent student research resources are provided.
Students survey an electrical appliance at home in What’s The Cheapest Watt? Pooling class data, they then consider energy management decisions. In the end, they determine the cheapest Watt—the one that costs the least, preserves the most natural resources, and saves the most environmental pollution — is the Watt they never use.
In this lesson, students learn that It Pays to Save in Your Home. Students consider many common, potential energy saving situations in a home, research questions surrounding them, and report on their findings. Students learn which energy saving measures should always be applied first. They also learn that saving energy always comes before applying renewable energy technologies.
Students learn about energy conservation, green building practices, and demand rate billing while conducting an energy tour of their school building. My School’s Energy Report Card also teaches them they are energy managers no matter what building they’re in.
Take your students on a field trip through places in your school they never see. Show students how energy systems are used to deliver and efficiently manage comfort in a building like yours in Commercial Building Energy Systems.
In Building A Passive Solar Home, students design and build a home to take advantage of its natural surroundings and manage its environmental disadvantages. They learn about the concept of a home energy load profile. Students learn how seasonal changes, architecture, and landscaping can be used in the design of a home with a low energy load profile.
Is it green, or is it greenwashed? Green and Greenwashing requires students photograph and describe examples of “green” and “greenwashed” products commonly marketed to them.
Through personal interviews, students learn how lifestyles have been transformed as a result of energy changes since Back In The Day.
Inspire students to change the world right now—today!—in fundamental and meaningful ways with Signal for a Better World.
The Article Summary is an excellent tool for guiding structured student research and reporting on any selected energy or renewable energy topic.
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CREATE expresses its gratitude to the Wisconsin Public Service SolarWise for Schools Program for sharing these Energy lesson plans with us.
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Copyright @ 2025 CREATE National Energy Center
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #2201631. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National ScienceFoundation.
