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Renewable energy is on more people's minds than ever before and for good reason: Whether for reasons of national security, preventing climate change, or for creating domestic jobs renewable energy is the future.
Most of all we need to educate our children about it, and it's never too early to start. So, teachers, if you came looking for resources to help your students learn about renewable energy, here are some to get your started. Oh, and their all free:
Department of Energy: K-12 Energy Lesson Plans & Activities
Over 350 lesson plans and activities on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Topics include energy basics, biomass energy, geothermal energy, hydrogen & fuel cells, hydropower, wave power, wind power, more.
Energy Information Agency: Energy Kid's Page
More than just renewable energy, the Energy Information Agency kids page has info on fossil fuel energy sources, a full spectrum of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and the science of energy. Classroom activities for grades K-12 are included.
NREL: Education Programs, K-12
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory doesn't have lesson plans, but has a number of programs for elementary, middle, and high school students who want to delve deeper into renewable energy -- including the National Middle School Science Bowl, the Junior Solar Sprint/Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Competitions, and the High School Science Bowl.
Alliance to Save Energy: Lesson Plans
The Alliance to Save Energy has lesson plans available for elementary through high school students, information about its Green Schools Program, tips about how to save energy at school.
Wisconsin KEEP: K-12 Education Program
A number of states have links to renewable energy resources, but of the ones I've come across Wisconsin's KEEP Renewable Energy Education page is pretty comprehensive. Some of the links and resources are state-specific, but it gives you a pretty good overview of the issue
Wikipedia: Renewable Energy
OK, I know Wikipedia gets bad-mouthed in academia from Maine to California (and everywhere in between), but frankly I generally find Wikipedia's pages on energy issues pretty solid. The page on renewable energy, as well as the specific pages on solar power, wind power, etc. are all great starting places. If something seems off, just check the citation and corroborate with another source.
