Energy & Power Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 5)

Want to Warm Up or Cool Down? Go Underground!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever been so cold sitting in your house in the winter that you feel like icicles could grow off your nose, and your feet could turn into blocks of ice? Or have you ever been so hot in your house in the summer that sweat just drips off you? Making yourself comfortable can mean turning on the heater or the air conditioner, but that costs money. Being cozy or cool does not have to cost a lot of money if you use a geothermal heat pump. In this project, you will build a model geothermal… Read more

You've Got Permission to Be a Backseat Driver!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you like to tell adults where to go and how to get there? Well, here's your chance to do it in the name of science! In this science fair project, you will see what happens to your car's fuel efficiency when it takes you downtown to see a movie, up a hill for a great view, or out for a cruise on a flat country road. Read more

A Bright Idea for Saving Energy

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

In the United States, lighting for homes accounts for about 14% of all residential electricity usage (EIA, 2014). That's billions of dollars worth of electricity per year. The U.S. has passed legislation to phase out older, more inefficient incandescent light bulbs, and they are being replaced with newer, more-efficient bulb types like compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). How much energy (measured in kilowatt-hours [kWh]) and how much money could be saved by… Read more

Brainstorming for Engineering Projects using SCAMPER

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-8th

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Coming up with new ideas is hard! How do engineers design new things or improve existing ones? Engineers and inventors use different brainstorming techniques to help them think outside the box and come up with new ideas. In this lesson plan, your students will practice brainstorming with a method called SCAMPER. Read more

Dam Design

STEM Activity

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You are probably used using water for drinking, cooking, washing, and swimming. Did you know that water can also be used to make electricity? Try this fun activity to learn about hydroelectric power. Read more

Free Lunch? Can Solar Energy Systems Pay for Themselves with Utility Bill Savings?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you are interested in exploring how renewable energy can improve the environment, this project could be for you. You'll take on a real-life engineering challenge: deciding whether the benefits of a renewable energy technology are worth the cost to implement it. Some sample questions are suggested, but you can also come up with your own question that matches your specific renewable energy interest. Is there such thing as a free lunch? Read more

Green Your PC: Help Your Computer Save Power

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Is your PC an energy hog? Check out this science fair project to determine how much power your PC really uses, and if it is an energy hog, how you can reduce its appetite for energy. You'll learn how to profile and streamline your computer's power usage, while still enjoying every feature of your machine. Read more

How Fast Can You Get It Done?

STEM Activity

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Do you hate doing the dishes, folding laundry, or cleaning up your room? Do you wish you could figure out a way to get these tasks done faster? Figure out how as you take on the role of a production engineer in this fun activity! Read more

Make a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

How does a solar cell work? In this green chemistry lesson plan, students will build and test their own dye-sensitized solar cells using dye from blackberries. Along the way, they will learn about the principles of green chemistry and evaluate how solar cell manufacturing can go green. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

HS-ESS3-2. Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios.
HS-ESS3-4. Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces the impact of human activities on natural systems.

Solar Power

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

In this activity, students learn how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings by investigating the thermal storage properties of some common materials: sand, salt, water and shredded paper. Students then evaluate the usefulness of each material as a thermal storage material to be used as the thermal mass in a passive solar building.Engineering Connection Engineers design technologies that can turn sunlight into electricity to power households and businesses. For example,… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

Energy & Power Projects, Lessons, Activities (58 results)

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