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K-12 Comprehensive, Standards Based Lesson Plans for Energy Education

 

Classroom Biodiesel Project from "Creating Biodiesel and Mitigating Waste"

 

 

The U.S. Department of Energy has a searchable database of energy lesson plans. They are all aligned with national science standards. These are rigorous lesson plans for all ages that promote critical thinking skills and analysis regarding our current energy usage, conservation, and renewable technologies. Though they can be adapted, they are written to be used as is and have an easy to follow step-by-step format. The detailed plans may be challenging to get through on a time crunch, but they would be perfect for summer reading, and to adapt and improve your current lesson plans. The writers clearly espouse the latest pedagogical theories in promoting higher level thinking and developing science skills. Not just for Earth/Environmental Science, lessons such as "The Cell Wall Chemistry of Biofuels" incorporate biology and chemistry and "Build a Pizza Box Solar Oven" can be adapted to all ages.

 

One of the lesson plans, "Creating Biodiesel & Mitigating Waste" would be a perfect way for a chemistry class to bring in real world concepts and problem solving. It provides step-by-step instructions for making biodiesel in the classroom and then testing it for viability. It also includes a lab sheet for students and directions for a group research presentation. In lower level classes or for non-chemistry students, the biodiesel could be made by the teacher as a demonstration. This could also be done in an Environmental Club after school or during lunch.

 

For this and more lessons, visit here.