The "electric grid" is the system of power generators, power lines, and other equipment that transports electricity from where it is generated to where it is used. Electricity and its distribution are crucial to the functioning of modern society, yet its dynamics often go unseen and unnoticed by the public. Teaching about the sources…

To help teachers engage students in discussions about sustainability, the authors designed Fields of Fuel, a multiplayer, web-based simulation game that allows players to explore the environmental and economic trade-offs of a realistic sustainable system. Computer-based simulations of real-world phenomena engage students and have been shown to…

Although energy is fundamental to our civilization, few high school students have a clear picture of what happens when they use it. To become informed citizens and decision makers, every high school student must understand how we generate electrical energy. Working through the series of inexpensive, hands-on activities presented in this article,…

The number of students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is declining due in part to a lack of student interest (Fairweather 2008; NRC 2012; PCAST 2010). One reason may be the difference between how science is done in school and how it is done in the field (Osborne, Simon, and Collins 2003). An interdisciplinary…

Of the eight practices of science identified in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012), helping students develop and use models has been identified by many as an anchor (Schwarz and Passmore 2012; Windschitl 2012). In instruction, disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and scientific practices can be meaningfully…

Introduces an activity in which students study the relationships between cultures and energy. Provides students with different scenarios to investigate the possible effects of having or not having energy in different cultures. Recommends a visit to Amish communities to show students how life was in the early 1800s. (YDS)

Describes a national project conducted by the University of Oklahoma and the Close Up Foundation in Washington, DC to educate teachers and disseminate energy-related teaching materials. (ZWH)

Presents the EnergyNet Energy Audit Project, a project-based curriculum on energy education. Includes ideas for working with the community and cost analysis. (YDS)

Describes an activity from the ninth-grade physical science program at the Energy Management Center, the outdoor science and energy education center for students in Pasco County, Florida. The activity focuses on making an effective solar collector. (JN)

Discusses a program in which students complete surveys identifying home energy and water use and its impact on the environment. Survey results are entered into computers lent to the school by a sponsoring utility company. Includes sample activities. (MKR)

Described is a project designed to give students an understanding of the environmental implications of current energy practices and a chance to participate in a project that may have a measurable impact on environmental quality. Suggestions for the integration of this project into high school science classes are provided. (CW)

Describes 11 hands-on activities involving genetics; principles of chemical luminescence; a nucleus model; dissection pins; science, technology, and society (STS) courseware; plant dyes; the scientific method; current events; a portable planetarium; solar energy; and burning tests. (YP)