Energy Fun Facts
• A 1.5 Megawatt wind turbine located in Wisconsin can
generate enough power for over 250 average- sized homes.
• Once an aluminum can is recycled it can be made into a car
in six weeks.
• To produce each week’s Sunday paper, 500,000 trees must
be cut down.
Energy Fun Pack!
• Lighting accounts for about seven percent of household
energy use.
Energy Saving Tips
• Turn off lights and television when no one is in the room.
• Make sure the door is not left open in the winter (when
heating) or summer (when the air conditioning is on).
• Decide what you want from the refrigerator before you
open it.
Look inside for....
L
The Solar Hot Dog Cooker
Absorbing the Sun’s Energy
Energy Word Seek
Energy Crossword Puzzle
...and More.
• Reuse bags to carry purchases from the store.
• Take shorter showers (but clean thoroughly).
KEEP’s mission is to initiate and facilitate the development,
dissemination, implementation and evaluation of energy
education programs within Wisconsin schools.
Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program
(KEEP)
Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Phone: 715.346.4770
Fax: 715.346.4698
Email: energy@uwsp.edu
www.uwsp.edu/keep
Down
Activity: The Solar Hot
Dog Cooker
(requires adult supervision)
1. Spinning windmill blades turn a ___________ to
create electricity.
2. A big structure that holds back water.
4. Most household appliances are powered by this.
5. Energy from heat deep in the earth.
9. The source of solar power.
What do you need?
• A cardboard box
• Aluminum foil
• Posterboard
• Tape
• Glue
• Wire hanger
10. Hydroelectric power comes from the energy of falling
___________.
Across
What to do?
3. Tiny atomic particles fuel this type of power.
• Select a long narrow box; the longer the box the more
heat collection is possible. Choose a focal length
between 5” and 10” and design a parabolic curve as
seen in the picture. One template could be used for
more than one cooker. Trace the curve on the open
end of the box so that it is centered and straight.
6. If someone leaves the refrigerator door open we should
remind them to close it to _________energy.
• Cut out the curve with a utility knife. Stress the
importance of being exact. Measure and cut a piece of
posterboard that will fit flush against the opening to
the box. Attach this with tape beginning at the center
and working toward the edges.
7. Boiling water turns into __________.
8. Geothermal energy relies on molten rock in the
_______________.
10. Windmills turn faster on ______________days.
11. Renewable energy does not pollute the _______ that
we breathe.
12. Electrical energy can be stored in this.
ANSWERS: Down: 1. Turbine 2. Dam 4. Electricity 5.Geothermal 9. Sun 10. Water
Across: 3. Nuclear 6. Conserve 7. Steam 8. Earth 10. Windy 11. Air 12. Battery
Hidden Message: SAVE ENERGY
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11
Energy Crossword Puzzle
Instructions: Find the answers to the
statements on the following page and
enter them into the puzzle below. Then
unscramble the letters in the boxes with
the circles to discover the hidden energy
message.
1
2
3
4
• Cover the curve with white glue and apply aluminum foil
shiny side out. Start in the middle and smooth toward the
edges. Try not to wrinkle or fold the foil; you want it as
smooth as possible.
• Use two scraps of cardboard taped to each side as
supports. Using the sun or a projector light, test the focal
point. There should be a bright spot where light is
concentrated; mark this spot and punch a hole for the
skewer. Use a section of wire from which any
paint has been removed for a skewer.
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _!
Credits: www.energyquest.ca.gov
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3
Activity: Absorbing the
Sun’s Energy
Energy Word Seek
Instructions: Find the hidden energy-related words in the
puzzle below.
What do you need?
• White, black, green, red and blue
construction paper, all of the
same size
• Timer
• Uniformly sized ice cubes
What to do?
• Predict and record what color will melt an ice cube
first.
• Place sheets of construction paper in a sunny
window or outside in direct sunlight.
• Place one ice cube in the center of each sheet of
construction paper.
• Start a timer.
• Observe the rate at which each ice cube melts. Record the
time it takes for each ice cube to completely melt.
Assessment:
• Which colors cause the ice to melt more quickly?
______________________
• Which colors cause the ice to melt more slowly?
______________________
• Would a house with a white roof be cooler than a
house with a dark roof? ______________________
• On a hot day, would you rather wear white clothes or
black clothes? Why?_________________________
_______________________________________
4
Biomass
Coal
Compost
Conserve
Energy
Gasoline
Geothermal
Hydropower
Natural Gas
Nuclear
Oil
Recycle
Solar
Sun
Watt
Wind
9
Meet Elton…
The Electrifying Hero
Discussion:
Of all the colors of the rainbow, black is the most absorbent.
This is because black materials absorb light of all colors.
When a black material absorbs light, some of the energy
in the light is transferred to the molecules composing the
black material. This causes the molecules composing the
black material to vibrate more quickly, which leads to a
rise in temperature. Therefore, some of the light energy
absorbed by black materials is converted to heat energy. On
the other hand, shiny or white substances reflect almost all
colors of light, and therefore do not experience such a large
temperature change.
This is the reason black is best worn in cold weather, since it
takes in more light energy and changes it to heat, and white
is best worn in hot weather, since it
reflects light energy.
Record your predictions and results:
Color
Predicted Time to
Melt
Recorded Time to
Melt
COLOR ME!
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5
Electrical Safety
Lance the Lightning Bug
Human bodies can be conductors of
electricity, but becoming a conductor
can harm or kill you. You may have heard
ard
of someone receiving a shock or being
electrocuted. Read the safety tips listed
d below
and color in Lance the Lightning Bug.
• Never climb power poles or trees near power lines.
• Never fly kites near power lines.
• Stay away from fallen power lines.
• Keep ladders, TV antennas and everything else away from
power lines.
• Don’t touch anything electrical when you are wet.
• Never pull a plug out of the outlet by the cord.
• Don’t plug too many electrical devices into one outlet.
• Never use radios, hair dryers or other electrical devices in
the bathtub or shower.
• Keep fingers and other objects away from electrical
outlets.
COLOR ME
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