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TOUCHSTONE ENERGY
Kids Super Energy Saver Program
Renewable Energy
DESCRIPTION:
This lesson is centered on renewable energy. It explores five types of renewable energy sources
including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydropower.
GOALS/OBJECTIVES:
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Students will be able to identify renewable sources of energy.
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Students will understand how the different sources of renewable energy work.
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Students will understand how renewable energy provides a clean source of energy.
TEACHING NOTES:
Renewable is a term applied to natural resources and refers to those resources that can be renewed
or replenished in a short period of time. Renewable energy is also called “clean” or “green” energy
because it does not pollute the air or harm the environment. As the demand for energy increases
renewable energy will play an important role in supplying the worlds clean energy needs.
America’s electric cooperatives are actively involved in producing and distributing renewable
energy throughout the country. From wind to solar to biomass, electric cooperatives are leading the
way in providing renewable energy for America. For more information on renewable energy visit
the renewable section of www.nreca.coop
The five renewable sources used most often are:
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Biomass
Geothermal
Water (Hydropower)
Wind
Solar
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TEACHING NOTES (Continued):
Biomass: Is energy derived from plants and animals. Biomass comes in many forms, the
most common being wood. When we use plants as a source of energy we are converting their
stored energy from the sun. Using the methane gas given off by landfills and animal waste is also
becoming more common. Another increasingly popular form of biomass is in the form of biofuels
such as ethanol and biodiesel, which is also derived from plants and animals.
Geothermal: Uses heat generated by the earth’s interior. By drilling down into the
Earth’s crust, much like we drill for oil, we can use that heat to generate electricity. Geothermal is
a good source for heating homes and buildings.
Water (Hydropower): The energy contained in running water can be turned into
electricity. Water, which is impounded or held behind a dam, is released through a turbine that
spins a generator producing electricity.
Wind: As the wind blows it spins the large blades on a wind turbine and generates electricity.
Solar: The energy from the sun can be converted into heat and electricity. Sunlight can be captured using photovoltaic cells which convert the sun’s energy into electricity.
Renewables are great because they don’t pollute and they provide energy from free, abundant
resources. Currently only hydropower is widely used as an energy resource, while the other four
types of renewable energy are not commonly used as primary energy sources. Reasons for their
restricted use include the cost of specialty materials (e.g. photovoltaic panels are expensive to
produce) and the fact that it can be difficult to distribute the power they generate.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
• Review the types of renewable energy found in the “Fun and Games” section of www.TouchstoneEnergyKids.com.
• Have kids identify the number of renewable energy sources they come into contact with
everyday (sun, wind, water). Then have students discuss in small
groups examples of each type identified, noting what other students in
their group had that was different from their own. Have each student
then create a two-part collage, the first part representing what they
knew and the second part representing what they learned from the
others.
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For More Information and Additional Lesson Plans on Renewable
Energy Visit:
US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Lesson Plans:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/
• Geothermal Energy Lesson Plan
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/pdfs/geothermal_energy.pdf
• Geothermal Energy – How It Works Animation
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/gpp_animation.html
• Wind Power Lesson Plan
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/ • Wind Power - How It Works Animation
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_animation.html
• Solar Power Lesson Plan
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/plans.aspx?id=267
• Hydropower
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/hydro_plant_types.html
The NEED Project:
http://www.need.org/
• Energy Activities
http://www.need.org/node/68#Primary
http://www.need.org/node/68#Elementary
http://www.need.org/node/40
• Hydropower Activity
http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/ElementaryActivities/EHydropower.pdf
• Biomass Activity
http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/ElementaryActivities/EBiomass.pdf
• Energy Lesson Plans
National Renewable Energy Laboratory:
http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_basics.html
Biomass – Lessons Learned from Existing Plants
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/26946.pdf
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For More Information and Additional Lesson Plans on Renewable
Energy Visit (Continued):
Department of Energy, Energy Kids section:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/
• Energy Kids Lesson Plans
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/teachers&students.html
• Energy Kids Activity Book
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/Activitybook_web.pdf
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/solar.html
• Solar Power Information
Science NetLinks Lesson Plans:
http://www.sciencenetlinks.org/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=8&DocID=26
Energy Quest:
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/index.html
Geothermal Power Plant Locations:
http://geoheat.oit.edu/directuse/power.htm
Hydropower – How It Works:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html
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