Energy & the Middle School Student
Virginia's middle school students are responsible for understanding energy concepts as part of the Virginia Standards of Learning. The Energy & the Middle School Student section of the guide provides both students and teachers with resources to assist them in reaching this goal.
Students will enjoy exploring the Energy Hog Challenge sponsored by Alliance to Save Energy and the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy. Educators will want to use the Alternative Fuels Data Center to find activities, curricula suggestions, and workbooks on fuels and vehicles.
There also are new ideas for science projects, information about renewable energy, and even get instructions on how to build a renewable energy project.
- Alternative Fuels Data Center, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, offers activities, curricula suggestions, workbooks, and competitions on alternative fuels and vehicles for teachers and students in grades K12.
- Change a Light Pledge,sponsored by ENERGY STAR for individuals over the age of 13, encourages everyone to replace one light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL).
- Coal in Virginia describes how coal was created and mined.
- American Coal Foundation offers coal-related educational materials and programs for teachers and students.
- Kentucky Coal Education offers primary school lesson plans.
- Powell River Project education programs disseminate the results of completed research striving to put research results into practice through a series of "how-to" publications published by Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.
- Virginia Mining Association provides educational material on coal.
- Energy Hog Campaign, sponsored by Alliance to Save Energy and the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, is a nationwide campaign to promote energy conservation. The organizations partnered to provide a resource guide for teachers and a student guide on energy use, waste, and energy savings.
- Energy Hog Teacher Challenge Guide (pdf)
- Energy Hog Student Guide (pdf)
- Electricity: Electric Energy (pdf) (Publication 388-800) published by Virginia Cooperative Extension, provides activities related to magnetic attractions, electricity, conductors and insulators, circuit building, electromagnets, and electrical safety.
- Energized Learning offers high school students, teachers, and parents multiple lessons and activities related to energy supply conversion, and use.
- Energy Education Resources: Kindergarten through 12th Grade lists free and low-cost energy-related educational materials.
- Energy for Keeps, originally developed for sixth graders in California, provides an On-line Appendix that contains an Energy Timeline, an excellent glossary, and additional information resources. There are free teacher resources at http://energyforkeeps.org/for-teachers. The book “Energy for Keeps” may be ordered for $24.95 through this website http://energyforkeeps.org/order-book with a discount for two or more books.
- Energy Kid's Page offers multiple web links to energy sites as well as games, activities, an energy history with a timeline, and bibliographies on individuals who have made significant contributions to energy and science.
- Energy Science Projects and Activities lists various resources for energy science projects and activities for students in grades K-12.
- Hybrid Cars: How they work is a perfect website for students to explore the structure and components of a hybrid car.
- National Energy Foundation "provides curriculum, training, and materials on energy, natural resources, and the environment."
- The Need Project "promotes an energy conscious and educated society by creating effective networks of students, educators, businesses, government, and community leaders." The four energy modules were designed to provide quick kids teaching kids lessons that taught students - target grades 3-8 - about light, heat, motion, and chemical energy.
- Renewable Energy Project Kits explains renewable energy and provides instructions on how to build a related project. Teachers may register for a free Green Teacher Magazine.
- Water, developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provides multiple activities for students related to water and the environment.
- EnergyIdeas Clearinghouse
- Energy Guide
- Energy Kids, published by the US Energy Information Administration, offers teachers free or low-cost resources on all forms of energy.
- Energy Information Administration, official energy statistics from the U.S. government.
- ENERGY STAR
- Energy Information Administration
- The Virginia Energy Savers Handbook
- Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research
- Washington State University Energy Info and Publications
- U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Education Resources: Kindergarten Through 12th Grade, July 2005, receive a free copy.