Grades 5-8

Here you'll find lesson plans on energy efficiency and renewable energy for grades 5-8.

Biomass Energy

• Biofuel Production (8 Activities)
• Biofuel Utilization (3 Activities)
• Cell Wall Recipe: A Lesson on Biofuels
• Reaction Rates and Catalysts in Ethanol Production (1 Activity)
• Renewable Energy Plants in Your Gas Tank: From Photosynthesis to Ethanol (4 Activities)
• Seeds and Needs

Energy Basics

• Energy Analysis
• Energy Detectives (3 Activities)
• Energy Posters - Energy Basics
• Energy Source Web Quest
• Intermediate Energy Infobook and Intermediate Infobook Activities (29 Activities)
• Renewing Our Position
• Secondary Energy Infobook and Secondary Infobook Activities (19 Activities)
• Thermodynamics Teacher and Student Guides (6 Activities)
• Computer-Based Energy Projects (4 Activities)
• Elementary Energy Infobook and Elementary Infobook Activities (21 Activities)

Energy Efficiency and Conservation

• Slow Cooker
• Passive Solar Building Design (8 Activities)
• Waste Heat
• Waste Watchers
• Watt Does It Cost To Use It?
• Worm Warmers
• Comparing Light Bulbs
• Cooling Fan
• Draft-O-Meter
• Energy Efficiency Ambassadors (5-8)
• Energy Efficiency in the Home
• Energy Posters - Energy Efficiency and Conservation
• Energy Savings Activities—Lighting
• Insulation
• New Year's Resolution
• Saving Hot Water

Environment

• Environmental Aspects (7 Activities)
• Sock It to Car Exhaust
• Clean Air
• Energy Posters - Environment
• How Big Is Your Footprint?
• Global Warming and Climate Change (8 Activities)
• Natural Plastic

Geothermal Energy

• Geothermal Energy (5 Activities)

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

• Fuel Cells—Futuristic Battery

Hydropower

• Hydropower (2 Activities)

Ocean Energy

• Ocean Power (4 Activities)

Solar Energy

• Solar Cooking (5 Activities)
• Electrolysis of Water
• Exploring Solar Energy Teacher and Student Guides (7 Activities)
• Jr. Solar Sprint: Drive Train and Transmission (6 Activities)
• Material and Chemical Processing (4 Activities)
• Making a Solar Oven
• Utilizing Photovoltaic Cells and Systems (9 Activities)
• Photovoltaics and Solar Energy (2 Activities)
• Photovoltaics: Solar Electricity (4 Activities)
• What Does the Sun Give Us? (5 Activities)

Transportation Fuels

• Alternative Fuels Used in Transportation (5 Activities)
• Transportation Fuels: The Future is Today (6 Activities)
• Transportation Fuels Rock Performances

Wind Energy

• Wind (9 Activities)
• Wind Around Your Home
• Building the Basic PVC Wind Turbine
• Wind Power (7 Activities)
• Scale Models and Wind Turbines
• See the Wind
• Wind Turbine Blade Design

In partnership with Alliance to Save Energy, Earth Day Network, Florida Solar Energy Center, The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, KidWind Project, Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools, National Energy Foundation, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NEED Project, Project Learning Tree, Queensland (Australia) Sustainable Energy Industry Development Group, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.