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Lesson Plan
Climate Literacy

Clean: Solar Water Heater

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Student teams design and build solar water heaters to capture energy in the form of solar radiation and convert it to thermal energy. Once the model devices are constructed, young scholars perform efficiency calculations and compare...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Waste Not, Want Not: Use the Microbial Fuel Cell to Create Elec

For Students 9th - 10th
Gross. What is that in the toilet? But maybe it's not just gross. Did you know there are bacteria that digest organic waste and create electrons? What if there was a way to collect those electrons to power a circuit? In this science fair...
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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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Handout
Energy4Me

Energy4me: Geothermal

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out how geothermal energy is used as a source of usable electricity.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Powering Smallsburg

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this activity, students act as power engineers by specifying the power plants to build for a community. They are given a budget, an expected power demand from the community, and different power plant options with corresponding...
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Power Generation Town Council

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will work together to implement decision-making processes used by governmental agencies to select a power generation system for a small town. This will enable students to develop critical thinking and questioning skills while...
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Fuels of the Future

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read about renewable energy sources that may replace fossil fuel in the future. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in comparing and contrasting.
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Lesson Plan
Better Planet Productions

Earth Care: Toys for the Future [Pdf]

For Teachers 6th - 8th
For this activity designed for Grade 8, learners are given the hypothetical task of designing a new school playground area for the younger children. The space must highlight technological innovation and renewable or alternative energy use.
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PPT
Other

Geothermal Education Office

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource for geothermal energy education features a slide show with instructive graphics.
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Website
Other

Union of Concerned Scientists: Science for a Healthy Planet and Safer World

For Students 9th - 10th
The official website for Union of Concerned Scientists provides information on environmental issues and suggestions on actions people can take to curb environmental harm.
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Activity
US Department of Energy

U.s. Department of Energy: Wind Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
This short site provides an overview of wind power, along with links to technical information on wind power, history of wind power, and more.
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Lesson Plan
Other

Fuel Our Future Now: Gr. 6 8 Module: Designing a Vehicle for the Year 2020 [Pdf]

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this 6-8 teaching module, students learn about natural resources, human impact on the environment, and engineering design in vehicle transportation. Using real world scientific data and scientific reasoning skills, they investigate...
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Lesson Plan
Better Lesson

Better Lesson: Classifying Natural Resources

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
How can you classify energy sources?
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Handout
Energy4Me

Energy4me: Biofuels

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn the history of the use of biofuels, and find out how this works to convert the energy stored in biological materials into electrical power.
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Activity
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Schools Online: Knowing Your World: Natural Resources

For Students 6th - 8th
This brief article emphasizing the importance of renewable and non-renewable resources urges readers to appreciate and not waste the earth's natural resources. Following the article, there is an activity, a "Mineral Search," through...
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Lesson Plan
Climate Literacy

Clean: Car Quest

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity, learners will determine the environmental effects of existing cars and a fleet consisting of their dream cars. They compute how many tons of heat-trapping gases are produced each year, how much it costs to fuel the...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Nova: Car of the Future

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity, student teams research and develop a proposal to decrease the carbon footprint of their city's/town's public transportation system and then prepare a report that explains why their transportation plan is the best for...
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Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Prairie Public Education Services Collection

For Students 9th - 10th
Prairie Public Education Services award winning documentaries on Germans from Russia focus on the rich history of Germans from Russia and their migration to America. Indian Pride, the 13-part cultural magazine, showcases the unique...
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Economics of Installing Solar Pv Panels: Is It Worth It to the Individual?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Help determine the financial calculations involved in an actual solar photovoltaic system installed Denver, Colorado in 2013.
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Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Biodiesel: The Afterlife of Oil

For Students 9th - 10th
Natascia Radice describes the process of turning used cooking oil into useful biodiesel. [4:15]
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Biodiesels: Converting Oil Into Clean Fuel

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiment making biodiesel from different types of oil and determine which oils give the best result. This science fair project from Science Buddies, although in an abbreviated format compared to other Science Buddies experiments, gives...
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PPT
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies

Mocomi: What Is Global Warming?

For Students 9th - 10th
This slideshow presents a number of issues, including global warming vs. global dimming and the causes and possible solutions for both issues.
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Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Stakeholder Debate: Wind Energy

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using a case study of the Cape Wind Project in Nantucket Sound, students examine the various points of view of stakeholders, and hold a debate to argue about the pros and cons of this wind energy project. Includes handouts for...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Using Heat From the Sun

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
In this lesson, students will first discuss where energy comes from, including sources such as fossil fuels, nuclear, and such renewable technologies as solar. After this initial exploration, students will investigate the three main...