National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academies: Our Energy Sources
The many sources of energy production in the United States are described in this overview. Included are traditional sources, renewable sources, and new energy production technologies.
eSchool Today
E School Today: Renewable Energy Sources
Learn what renewable energy is, the different types, and why it's important to conserve energy.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Energy
Seven hands-on lessons module where students learn about energy. These inquiry-based explorations investigate where energy resources come from and how they are converted into electricity, how fossil fuels form, the importance of...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: A Different Kind of Fuel
In this segment from Curious, learn about creating energy from solar rays to meet the growing energy needs of the world. [6:09]
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Solar House
In this What's Up in the Environment? video segment, an electrical engineer in Virginia and his 13-year-old son explain how they produce electricity in their home. [3:58]
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Build Your Own Helio Tracker That Turns With the Sun
In this science fair project, design and build a mechanical sunflower device that faces the Sun as the sun moves through the sky. By harnessing solar energy, your sun tracker should follow the movement of the sun.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: A Matter of Degrees: Tilt of Earth's Axis Affects the Seasons
In this science fair project, use a globe and a heat lamp to investigate how the angle of the Sun affects global warming. This project includes the objective, background questions, a list of all the materials you'll need, and the...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Are You in Hot Water? Use Solar Energy to Heat Your Own Water
The goal of this science fair project is to build batch solar collectors from different colors of plastic bags and see which collector is the most efficient in heating water.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Observatory Satellite Measures Motion of Coronal Mass Ejection
The sun sometimes releases huge bursts of electrified gases into space. These bursts are called coronal mass ejections (or CMEs). When CMEs are directed towards Earth they can generate auroras, the spectacular atmospheric displays also...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Get Something for Nothing: Free Power From the Sun!
Taking advantage of free energy can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, which are harmful to our environment. In this science fair project, you will work with a solar panel, which is a collector of free energy, and investigate how...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Solar Speedway
Solar power is hot these days. Gleaming, black solar panels soak up rays on more and more rooftops of homes and businesses providing a clean, alternative source of heat and electricity. You might guess that different times of the day...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Now You're Cooking!
Here is a project that uses direct solar power, gathering the sun's rays for heating and sterilizing water or cooking. It's a low-cost technology that seems to have everything going for it. Use this project to find out if it works, and...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Cold Room? Heat It Up With a Homemade Solar Air Heater
Humans need food, water, and warm shelter to survive. But a lot of humans depend on fossil fuels to supply gas and electricity to heat our homes. But burning fossil fuels to create energy is harmful to the environment. In this science...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Solar Racing
This is an extensive project in designing and building a solar-powered car model. Learners must make detailed calculations and design decisions about wheel size, gear ratio, how to get the most energy from the sun, air drag, friction,...
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Solar Heaters and Other Parabolic Devices
Parabolic mirror surfaces are found wherever energy needs to be focused efficiently and accurately. You find them built into car headlights, spotlights, as well as astronomical telescopes. Here we explore the parabola in the design of...
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Global Atmospheric Change
A teaching guide with eleven lessons on the atmosphere, and the impact that different kinds of energy have on the atmosphere and ecological systems. The unit and accompanying PowerPoint can both be downloaded.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Finding the Carbon in Sugar
Students learn that fossil fuels release energy when they are burned, and this takes the forms of light, heat, gases, etc. In this activity they explore combustion with a candle and with sugar. The activity and accompanying PowerPoint...
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Rainbow in the Room
Students investigate the properties of visible light and the sequence of colors in the spectrum using light shone through water and prisms. The lesson and accompanying slideshow can both be downloaded.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Using Heat From the Sun
Students investigate how solar energy can be harnessed to heat water. The lesson and accompanying PowerPoint can both be downloaded, and the student handout is provided in both English and Spanish.
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Energy: Solar Power
Explains what solar power is, how it is produced, its limitations as an alternative energy source, environmental issues, the importance of analyzing solar power systems on an ongoing basis, and geographical considerations. (Published:...
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Photovoltaics
Article explaining what photovoltaic cells are, their role in solar energy, how they work, how electricity is produced, and applications of this technology. (Published: April 24, 2010)
Climate Literacy
Clean: Zero Energy Housing
Students 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.
Other
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts: The Energy Report: Solar Energy [Pdf]
Chapter 10 of a report on the energy industry in Texas. It examines solar energy, its history, and how it is used. The solar power industry in Texas is described, its economic importance, methods of producing it, and how it is...
Canada Science and Technology Museum
Canada Science and Technology Museum: Background Information for Energy
Energy! What do you know about it? Use this terrific site to find out everything about it through a series of Q&As. Educators will find useful lesson plans at the related Teacher's site.