Using the Where is the energy? poster, students identify various renewable and nonrenewable energy resources. They research one energy resource, and create a poster that describes that resource in detail.
This is one of 6 activities that can be found in PLT’s Energy & Society kit. To get the activity, attend a training or purchase the kit now from shop.plt.org. Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Download the copyright-free student pages that are included with this activity:
Where is the Energy? (PDF)
Expand your students’ learning and imaginations. Help students meet their reading goals, while building upon concepts learned in this activity, with the following children’s book recommendations:
The following tools and resources may be used to enhance the activity.
As the demand for energy increases throughout the globe it is sourced through a variety of cycles connecting the sun to our food chain to electricity and beyond. Yet, if energy is neither created nor destroyed, where does it come from? TED-Ed Original lessons feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. In this TED-Ed lesson, A Guide to the Energy of the Earth, educator Joshua M. Sneideman examines the many ways in which the energy all around us is captured and sourced. This 5-minute video is also supported with 10 assessment questions.
Developed as part of Energy.gov’s informational “Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About…” online series, Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Wind Power presents facts and resources describing the growth, development, current status, and future potential of the wind power industry. Most appropriate for middle and high school levels (grades 5-12), the educational resources include diagrams showing how a wind turbine functions, as well as extensive wind maps from the US Department of Energy.
Have a Netflix account? Bill Nye (The Science Guy) is staring in a new Netflix original series, Bill Nye Saves the World. The first episode “The Earth is a Hot Mess” discusses climate, how greenhouse gases affect our climate, and the science behind global climate change. Each episode is roughly 30 minutes long, includes short clips, panel discussions with experts, and covers a variety of science-related topics.
Help students understand the science of electricity with this animated infographic from SaveOnEnergy.com. It includes the basics of electricity all the way to how we harness this power to fuel homes, schools, hospitals and more.
Looking for a way to incorporate more technology into your teaching? TED-Ed produces original animated videos and pairs them with questions and resources for teachers to create their own interactive lessons. Once you create a free account, simply search the topic you want to develop a lesson around and use the TED-Ed platform to build a customized lesson around any TED-Ed Original, TED Talk, or other educational video. Check out the example below.
TED-Ed: Guide to Energy on Earth The global demand for energy continues to increase. But where does energy come from, and where does it go? These are just some of the questions that you can help your students answer with this Guide to the Energy of the Earth by TED-Ed. The online lesson guide includes a short video, questions for discussion, and additional resources to explore the topic further.
National Energy Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization that develops and disseminates supplementary energy and natural resources education materials.
An article in BBC News that discusses impacts of global warming in countries around the world and in major sectors of society: health, water, food, ecosystems, coasts, and industry.
Unlimited, a documentary by OneLight OneCamera Productions about renewable energy, highlights a group of passionate sixth-graders who call on adults everywhere to take action and address global warming. Their voices are supported by those of global warming and energy experts, who discuss upcoming and promising technologies like solar, wind, tidal power, and more. To purchase a copy of the 25-minute film, visit this website or check it out on YouTube for free.
This website features essential energy information from the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. Targeted at a nonscientific audience, the site presents facts about America’s current energy system in four main topics: energy uses, energy sources, energy costs, and energy efficiency. Teachers will find an energy quiz, a glossary, and an extensive source library.
Explore energy and its related concepts with resources from The Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Energy4me program. Compare energy sources, request or download a copy of the book Oil and Natural Gas, explore energy technologies, and more.
Energy is an abstract and important concept that concerns all things on earth and plays a role in many natural and social science processes. Uncover the power of understanding energy by watching the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Seven Principles of Energy Literacy video series. This series breaks down key information about energy’s functions including flow, amount, and quality, in addition to looking at how quality of life, economics, politics, and environment are affected by how we create and utilize energy.
The Energy Zones Mapping Tool is a free online database that allows users to map existing and potential energy resources in the 39 easternmost states. Users can run site-suitability analyses for a variety of renewable energy sources, including biomass, solar, water, wind, natural gas, geothermal, and nuclear power. Regional, custom maps of existing energy resources and environmental characteristics that impact energy development can also be created using overlapping and interactive layers. This tool is hosted by the Eastern Interconnection States’ Planning Council (EISPC), among other project partners.
This informative documentary, Sustainability in Bioenergy: A Nation Connected, produced by the US Department of Energy, highlights ongoing efforts in communities nationwide to develop, produce, and provide bioenergy. From farmers and families in the Midwest to researchers and business owners on the coasts, the video provides firsthand views and personal stories describing bioenergy-related projects and how they work to create new jobs and lessen humans’ impact on the environment.
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