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Connecticut Energy Education is a web based tool for teachers and students.
The program provides lessons in the Fundamentals of Energy, Air Quality and Climate Change, and in Energy Efficiency.
Written for High Schools in Connecticut, many lessons are also adaptable to other grades or locations.
Connecticut Energy Education is brought to you by the staff of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University. The program is funded by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, money raised to support energy efficiency programs and initiatives through a surcharge on Connecticut customer electric bills.
is now live!
Test a unit or activity in your Connecticut high school classroom and earn valuable Energy Stuff. For more information contact Laurel Kohl at 860-465-0256 or KOHLL@easternct.edu
CT Energy Education Lessons are aligned to the Connecticut Grade 9 Science Frameworks
Student Choice-- Affecting Our World
Energy discussions, including different sources of energy, environmental issues, climate change questions and energy efficiency should all include what you and your students can do to make a difference. CT Energy Education suggests using the Ecological Footprint and the 10% Challenge as tools for students to see why energy matters in their lives.
The 10% Challenge is a voluntary program to raise public awareness about global climate
change and to encourage households and businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10 percent. The 10% Challenge was developed by The Alliance for Climate Action, a group of local, regional and state-level professionals in Burlington, Vermont.
The 10% Challenge provides the tools and the information necessary to conserve energy at home and at work.
The Ecological Footprint measures the amount of renewable and nonrenewable resources that are used by our daily activities.
Find more information below in the Climate Change section.
Ecological Footprint Lesson Plan
Ecological Footprint Student Commitment and Calculator worksheet for students
Fundamentals of Energy
National Energy Education Development Information Sheets (NEED) Intermediate and High School Level information sheets on all fuel types and technologies.
Cat-Traption Cat-Traption explores different forms of energy and transitions between those forms. The lesson ideas link an online animation with worksheets and activities to help students understand energy forms. Cat-Traption packet includes:
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Cat-Traption Lesson Plan
- Cat-Traption-What Happened? Worksheet for students
- Cat-Traption Action Questions Worksheet for Students
Cat-Traption Animation Link. Cat-Traption Lesson was adapted from Science in Focus: Energy by Annenberg Media at www.learner.org
Introductions to Energy Use This lesson set can be used to open different kinds of Energy Units, including different energy sources, climate change related to energy used, and energy efficiency studies. The introductions can be used to illustrate to students the historical perspective of Energy Use over time in the US.
Introductions to Energy Use Lesson Set includes:
- Home for the Holidays (Adapted from NESEA’s Cars of Tomorrow and the American Community) Discussion activity to find out what your students know about our ever-changing transportation and energy systems.
- Putting Energy in Perspective Have students read Union of Concerned Scientist’s A Short History of Energy, create a timeline of energy from 1800 till today, and into the future.
- Where Electricity Comes From(Adapted from NESEA’s Cars of Tomorrow and the American Community and the Energy Profile from the Connecticut 2006 Energy Plan) Explores our Energy sources used to make electricity which vary from region to region in the United States (and abroad.)
- Discovering Ohm's Law Using a computer model of a circuit board the students will explore the relationship of resistance, voltage and current in series and parallel circuits. Students will discover Ohm's Law by constructing series circuits with one resistor and putting the resultant resistance, current and voltage into a worksheet.
Discovering Ohm's Law Teacher Resources
Discovering Ohm's Law Student Worksheet
- Alternating and Direct Current Demonstrate the differences between Alternating and Direct Current using Walter Fendt’s Java Applets on Physics
- How Electricity is Generated A simple worksheet to learn the steps of electric generation.
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The Law of Radioactive Decay Walter Fendt’s Java Applets on Physics based lesson in the law of radioactive decay which predicts how the number of the not decayed nuclei of a given radioactive substance decreases in the course of time.
Air Quality and Climate Change
The Science of Climate Change
Background on Climate Change from The NationalCenter for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the UCAR Office of Programs. A clear explanation of the science of Climate Change.
- Lesson 1 Concentrations and Climate Change (NCAR) In this activity, students use a dilution experiment to understand the concept of part-per-million (ppm) and part-per-billion (ppb) measurements. Through discussion, they will be able to relate these dilutions to concentrations of gases in our atmosphere.
- Lesson 2 What is the Carbon Cycle? (NCAR) In this exercise, students will explore the carbon cycle and be able to identify carbon sources, sinks, and release agents.
- Lesson 3 Human Activity and Climate Change (NCAR) In this activity, students will examine graphs of GHG emissions and their increases associated with human activity. They will focus on CO2, CH4, N2O, CFCs, and O3. Students will calculate some personal contributions to CO2 emissions.
- Lesson 4 Where in the World is Carbon Dioxide? (NCAR) In this multi-part activity, students will set up experiments to help them better understand the atmospheric portion of the carbon cycle.
- Lesson 5 Mauna Loa in the Classroom Using real datasets from collection sites in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Students will graph the positive and negative slopes to the seasonal cycles and the trend of CO2 over time from 1985 -2000. This lesson includes:
- Lesson 6 Carbon Travels! Under Construction
- Lesson 7 Electricity and CO2 Using EPA’s Power Profiler to find out how Connecticut electricity use and related air quality compares to the national average.
- Laboratory Experiment: CO2 Emissions from Burning Fossil Fuels Students will gain an understanding of how CO2 is produced from various types of coal, by burning four types of coal and measuring the resulting gas.
- Teachers Background
- Lab Experiment
Ecological Footprint The Ecological Footprint measures the amount of renewable and nonrenewable resources that are used by our activities. This lesson set can be used as a classroom assignment or discussion. The lesson will support classroom units that examine energy use, efficiency, conservation and climate change. You can use the Ecological Footprint as an attention grabbing introduction to understanding the science of climate change or as a bridge into Student Solutions to the issues, presented after your students have an understanding of the science of climate change and/or energy use.
Ecological Footprint Lesson Set includes:
- Ecological Footprint Student Commitment and Calculator worksheet for students
- 17 Printable Wall Footprints for use in your classroom
- Planet Labels (printable on Avery 5160 stock) to complete the student sheets
12 Steps to a Sustainable HighSchool Assess the sustainability of your school and empower students to make changes. Connecticut Envirothon has chosen to use 12 Steps as part of their 2006 challenge.
12 Steps to a Sustainable High School Lesson Set includes:
- 12 Steps to a Sustainable High School Lesson Plan
- Envirothon 2006 Information Packet
Carbon Dioxide Coefficients for Energy Sources CO2 in created when fuels are burned in combustion. Coefficient factors can be used to determine the CO2 that is released with various source fuels, including fossil fuels and electricity production.
- Learn more about Connecticut Envirothon http://www.ctenvirothon.org/
Connecticut Info Sheets on Climate Change. Information from the US Environmental Protection Agency, National Wildlife Federation and The Connecticut Climate Coalition. Learn about the effects of Climate Change and what is happening in Connecticut.
Connecticut CAPT Imbedded Task: Strand III Global Interdependence, Laboratory Investigation of Acid Rain
Teacher Information: http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dtl/curriculum/science/strand3labactivityteacherdirections.doc
Student Information: http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dtl/curriculum/science/strand3studentlab.doc
Writing Across the Disciplines, CT CAPT Writing: Connecticut customers of the public electric utilities have a new option to buy renewable-source energy. As of fall 2005, more than 3000 customers have chosen these new options. Many towns in Connecticut have taken up the challenge to get 20 % of their electricity from renewable energy sources by the year 2010 ~ the 20% by 2010 Campaign. Use Connecticut Clean Energy Options to build your students’ CAPT Writing Skills.
Energy Efficiency
- Lesson 1 Compact Fluorescent Cost-Benefit Analysis Calculate electrical usage in household lighting. Create a cost-benefit analysis for electricity and air emission savings by replacement of incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs.
- Lesson 2
- How Does the Electricity I Use Compare to the National Average? Using EPA’s Power Profiler, online or in worksheet, find out how your electricity compares to the national average and calculate your CO2 contribution.
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Take the Home Energy Quiz from Energy Star and learn how your choices can make a difference in the energy you use.
Benchmarking your School Use EPA’s Energy Star Benchmark Portfolio Manager to assess the energy use in your school or town building. Benchmarking provides a comparison of your building to others and is a first tool in assessing the need for energy efficiency improvements.
Games, Activities and Student Solutions
The Great Green Web Game
The Great Energy Game
10% Challenge
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Curriculum Ideas are available in the following areas:
Click on the topic to view the pdf file for that category Index of Topics by Category Many people are contributing to this list
of ideas.
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