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Lesson Plan
US Department of Energy

Need Project: Solar Oven [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th
An introduction and activity to engage students in building a solar oven.
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Article
DOGO Media

Dogo News: Peek Inside the World's First Carbon Neutral City

For Students 3rd - 8th
A new kind of city is being built in the Arab desert. Read about the unique engineering that is creating Masdar, a "city of the future" which doesn't use fossil fuels.
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Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Geology Resources

For Students 9th - 10th
In this interactive tutorial you will learn about geological resources. Learn what the types of resources are and concentrate on learning about mineral resources and how they are obtained and used, and then about energy resources and...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Sources Research

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Fact sheets are provided for several different energy resources as a starting point for students to conduct literature research on the way these systems work and their various pros and cons. Students complete a worksheet for homework or...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Systems

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Posters are provided for several different energy conversion systems. Students are provided with cards that give the name and a description of each of the components in an energy system. They match these with the figures on the diagram....
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Website
Other

Pembina Institute: Renewable Energy Lesson Plans

For Teachers 9th - 10th
There are a variety of lesson plans here on solar and wind energy, and on sustainable transportation.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Renewable Energy Living Lab: The Bright Idea

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students use real-world data to evaluate the feasibility of solar energy and other renewable energy sources in different U.S. locations. Working in small groups, students act as engineers evaluating the suitability of installing solar...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Renewable Energy Living Lab: Energy Priorities

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students analyze real-world data for five types of renewable energy, as found on the online Renewable Energy Living Lab. They identify the best and worst locations for production of each form of renewable energy, and then make...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Renewable Energy Living Lab: Power Your School

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students use real-world data to calculate the potential for solar and wind energy generation at their school location. After examining maps and analyzing data from the online Renewable Energy Living Lab, they write recommendations as to...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Renewable Energy Living Lab: Smart Solar

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students use real-world data to evaluate whether solar power is a viable energy alternative for several cities in different parts of the U.S. Working in small groups, they examine maps and make calculations using NREL/US DOE data from...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Capturing the Sun's Warmth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In the exploration of ways to use solar energy, students investigate the thermal energy storage capacities of different test materials to determine which to use in passive solar building design.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: You're in Hot Water

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
To explore different ways of using solar energy, students build a model solar water heater and determine how much it can heat water in a given amount of time. Solar water heaters work by solar radiation and convection.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Cooking With the Sun

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students learn about using renewable energy from the Sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. They explore the concepts of insulation, reflection, absorption, conduction and...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Solar Power

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this activity, students learn how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings by investigating the thermal storage properties of some common materials: sand, salt, water and shredded paper. Students then evaluate the usefulness of...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Solar Water Heater

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Student teams design and build solar water heating devices that mimic those used in residences to capture energy in the form of solar radiation and convert it to thermal energy. This thermal energy is next transferred to water (to be...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: A New Angle on Pv Efficiency

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students examine how the orientation of a photovoltaic (PV) panel relative to the sun affects the efficiency of the panel. Using sunshine (or a lamp) and a small PV panel connected to a digital multimeter, students vary the angle of the...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Ice, Ice, Pv!

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students examine how the power output of a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel is affected by temperature changes. Using a 100-watt lamp and a small PV panel connected to a digital multimeter, teams vary the temperature of the panel and record...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Pointing at Maximum Power for Pv

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Student teams measure voltage and current in order to determine the power output of a photovoltaic (PV) panel. They vary the resistance in a simple circuit connected to the panel to demonstrate the effects on voltage, current, and power...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Concentrating on the Sun With P Vs

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students design, build and test reflectors to measure the effect of solar reflectance on the efficiency of solar PV panels. They use a small PV panel, a multimeter, cardboard and foil to build and test their reflectors in preparation for...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Design a Solar City

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students design and build a model city powered by the sun! They learn about the benefits of solar power, and how architectural and building engineers integrate photovoltaic panels into the design of buildings.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Solar Water: Heat It Up!

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore energy efficiency, focusing on renewable energy, by designing and building flat-plate solar water heaters. They apply their understanding of the three forms of heat transfer (conduction, convection and radiation), as...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Quantum Dots and Colors

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are introduced to the physical concept of the colors of rainbows as light energy in the form of waves with distinct wavelengths, but in a different manner than traditional kaleidoscopes. Looking at different quantum dot...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Organic Solar Energy and Berries

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students learn about how a device made with dye from a plant, specifically cherries, blackberries, raspberries and/or black currents, can be used to convert light energy into electrical energy. They do this by building their own organic...
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Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Energy Efficient Housing

For Teachers 9th - 10th
We all know that it takes energy to provide us with the basics of shelter: heating, cooling, lighting, electricity, sanitation and cooking. To create energy-efficient housing that is practical for people to use every day requires...