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Energy Videos

Resources

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
US Department of Energy: Energy Education and Workforce Development
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Energy Hog - For Parents and Kids
Alliance to Save Energy
Air and Waste Management Association

Classroom Activities

Photovoltaics: Solar Electricity (4 Activities)
Below is information about student activities on solar energy for grades 5-8 and 9-12.

Grades: 5-8, 9-12
Summary:
These four practical activities investigate the principles of operating PV cells and some of the design requirements for a solar power system. The activities are:

• Building a PV module
• Testing current and voltage of a solar cell
• Calculating the efficiency of a solar cell
• Making a solar simulator

Curriculum Integration: General Science, Earth Science
Time: Varies by activity
Materials: Basic materials vary by activity
National Standards: Activities are from Australia so they are not aligned to U.S. standards.

Wind Power (7 Activities)
Below is information about student activities on wind energy for grades K-4, 5-8 and 9-12.

Lesson Plans/Activity: (PDF 1.11 MB)
Grades: K-4, 5-8, 9-12
Summary:
The seven activities in this document investigate the main design principles that affect the thermal comfort of buildings. Although the activities are from Australia and are not aligned to U.S. standards, they are included here because of their background material and interesting class projects. The activities can be adapted to U.S. measurements to provide interesting student activities, with the added benefit of illustrating international differences. The activities are:

• Propeller Design
• Building a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine
• Building a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
• Calculating the Efficiency of Turbine Blades
• Calculating the Efficiency of Turbine Generators
• Measuring Wind Speed
• Building a Data-Logging Anemometer

Curriculum Integration: General Science, Energy, Physics, Geography
Time: Varies by activity
Materials: Handouts included; other materials vary by activity
National Standards: Activities are from Australia so they are not aligned to U.S. standards. Provided by: Queensland Sustainable Energy Industry Development Group, Australia

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