Energy4Me
Energy4me: Solar Energy
Learn about the history of solar energy, and how the energy is converted into usable electricity.
Other
Pembina Institute: Renewable Energy Lesson Plans
There are a variety of lesson plans here on solar and wind energy, and on sustainable transportation.
Other
National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Learning About Renewable Energy
Extensive information about the different forms of renewable energy, energy efficiencies that can be achieved, energy research, and the many applications for renewable energy production.
US Department of Energy
U.s. Department of Energy: Solar Energy Technologies Program: Solar Multimedia
Browse and download from this multimedia collection which contains photographs, videos, B-roll, graphics, and animations related to solar technologies, research, and projects.
National Geographic
National Geographic: Energy Solutions: Tapping Into Topography of Lake Turkana
In this lesson, students read and analyze articles about the alkaline water in Lake Turkana in Kenya, and about a wind energy project near Lake Turkana. They then examine the many factors that must be considered when undertaking this...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Windmill of Your Mind: Distributed Energy Goes to School
Students research the feasibility of installing a wind-turbine distributed energy (DE) system for their school. They write a proposal (actually, the executive summary of a proposal) to the school principal based on their findings and...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Energy: Machines, Motion and Light
An introductory lesson describing the definition of energy, and highlighting different sources of usable energy.
Climate Literacy
Clean: Going for a Spin Making a Model Steam Turbine
Students explore how various energy sources can be used to cause a turbine to rotate and then generate electricity with a magnet.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Why Aren't We Only Using Solar Power?
Solar power is cheaper and more sustainable than our current coal-fueled power plants, so why haven't we made the switch? The real culprits here are the clouds, which make solar power difficult to control. Alexandros George Charalambides...
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History: Solar Power O Logy Card
OLogy cards are like virtual baseball cards about all kinds of science topics. This card contains essential facts about solar power.
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: What Are the Non Wind and Non Solar Renewable Resources in Texas?
An overview of renewable energy resources in Texas, aside from wind and solar energy. Covers hydropower, geothermal energy, and biomass.
Geographypods
Geographypods: Patterns and Change: Patterns in Resource Consumption
This collection of three learning modules looks at issues related to resource consumption. It examines theories about how population size affects consumption, the changing patterns of energy consumption, and ways to minimize consumption....
Other
Alliance to Save Energy: Educator Lesson Plans
A series of teacher lesson plans for various grade levels. Topics pertain to insulation (among other things) and other energy conservation and energy efficiency topics. Can be easily adapted for a student project or lab investigation.
US Energy Information Administration
U.s. Eia Energy Kids
This extensive resource provides information on renewable energy, nonrenewable energy and energy conservation.
Other
Centre for Alternative Technology: Information Service
Information and advice on sustainable living. Provides data for people that might want to use technology in the construction or conversion of their home into an environmentally sustainable structure.
State Energy Conservation Office-Texas
State Energy Conservation Office: Solar and Electric Cars [Pdf]
Learn the differences between cars powered by different fuels. Looks at solar, electric, hybrid and gasoline-powered cars.
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.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academies: Renewable Sources: Biomass
The pros and cons of harnessing energy from biomass are outlined. Biomass refers to biological materials that are used to produce energy. Wood and manure are examples of biomass.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Greenewables
Students form expert engineering teams working for the (fictional) alternative energy consulting firm, Greenewables, Inc. Each team specializes in a form of renewable energy used to generate electrical power: passive solar, solar...
State Energy Conservation Office-Texas
State Energy Conservation Office: Generating Electricity With Biomass
Discusses the overall picture of biomass use as a source of renewable energy in the United States. Five methods of generating electricity from biomass are described.
US Department of Energy
U.s. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency: Wind Energy Technologies
Find out about the renewable energy resource using wind energy technologies. Learn about the use of wind for a stand-alone system, and how one uses it in large-scale wind farms.
Seeker
Discovery News: Weather & Extreme Events: Wind Farms Warming Texas
This article looks at findings by researchers in Texas that wind farms actually warm the ground beneath them at night, leading to increased night-time temperatures. A cautious approach to implementing alternative energy strategies is...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Transportation and the Environment
Looking at transportation and the environment, students learn that some human-made creations, such as vehicles, can harm the environment. They also learn about alternative fuels and vehicles designed by engineers to minimize pollution....
US Department of Energy
Department of Energy: Natural Gas
Natural gas is an abundant resource across the United States, and new discoveries and extraction methods have led to a dramatic rise in shale gas development -- making America the world's leading natural gas producer. We invest in...