Energy Web Links

Our writers recommended these independent websites for our field-test teachers.

Energy Resources

Alliance to Save Energy: Downloadable Lesson Plans

http://www.ase.org/educators/download.htm

This site contains lesson plans broken down by school level (elementary, middle, and high) on energy.

Energy Bike Programs

http://www.ohioenergy.org/energy_bike.htm

Information on the energy bike program which uses pedal power to generate electricity.

Energy Information Administration: Kids Page

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/

An excellent site for students to explore independently to learn more about energy.

Energy Quest

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/index.html

This kid-friendly site from the California Energy Commission provides great information on energy.

Energy Story

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter01.html

Explains the concept of energy at an appropriate level for upper elementary students. The section on “Food Energy” uses an ear of corn to explain how energy changes form in the food chain.

Learn About Energy

http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=TS_SUBSECTION2

This U.S. Department of Energy site provides an array of resources for parents and teachers to use about energy.

Today in (Energy) History

http://www.energy.ca.gov/m+pco/history.html

This site, sponsored by the California Energy Commission, offers a timeline of historical events related to energy broken down by months of the year.

What is Energy?

http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/wcee/keep/Mod1/Whatis/energyforms.htm

This site contains a nice breakdown of the forms of energy with detailed explanations of each form.

Energy and Toys

Yo-Yo Tricks

http://www.yoyoguy.com/info/yoyo/nonspin.html

This site gives instructions for basic yo-yo tricks such as “Loop the Loop” and “Walk the Dog” for use in Lesson 3.

Rocket (or 3, 2, 1 POP!)

http://www.scoti.org.uk/nasarocket.htm

Pop Goes the Weasel – Pop Rockets

http://www.funsprouts.com/morescience.htm

Pop Rockets

http://www.hpedsb.on.ca/tyend/wow/6ES_poprocket.PDF

These sites offer simple directions for making pop rockets to show the transfer of chemical energy to motion energy.

Toys and Games for Adults and Children

http://www.ushist.com/props/toys-and-games.htm

The Museum of the City of New York

http://collectdolls.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcny.org%2FCollections%2Ftoys%2Fdolls.htm

19th Century Amusements: Games and Toys

http://collectdolls.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.geocities.com%2FHeartland%2FWoods%2F3501%2F19th.htm

Loudoun Museum: The Children’s Corner

http://www.loudounmuseum.org/MSChild/mscatl2b.htm

These sites feature toys of the 19th century.

Energy-Related Illustrations

At the Plough – Vincent Van Gogh

http://www.popartuk.com/art/at-the-plough-6420228-print.asp

Galleries of Clothesline Art

http://www.laundrylist.org/art/gallery/index.htm

These sites offer artwork depicting some of the ways energy was harnessed in earlier times to perform work.

Current Creations: Kite Designs

http://sln.fi.edu//tfi/units/energy/current.html

Use this site to reinforce the concept of wind energy by having students create their own kite designs.

Rube Goldberg Gallery

http://www.rubegoldberg.com/html/gallery.htm

An Automatic Back Scratcher

http://www.anl.gov/OPA/rube/rubeback.html

A Haircut Reminder

http://www.chabotspace.org/visit/programs/techbridge/download/rube_goldberg.pdf

Fantastic Inventions: A Haircut Reminder

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2002/03/06_gold.html

Arthur Ganson’s Chain Reaction

http://www.exploratorium.edu/webcasts/ganson/

These sites provide students examples of chain reaction-like images by Rube Goldberg and Arthur Ganson.

The Advertising Artwork of Dr. Seuss

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dsads/daggetramsdell/daggettramsdell.shtml

Use this site to introduce students to the crazy invention ideas of Dr. Seuss.

Heat Energy, Temperature, and Insulation

DOE Recommended Total R-Values for Existing Homes

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/r-value_map.html

Provides a map of the United States that students can click on to find the recommended insulation values for their region of the country.

Heat and Energy Learning Resources

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ti/resources/heatandenergy.html

This site from the Exploratorium provides ample resources for further exploration with heat and energy.

How Do Mood Rings Work?

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question443.htm

This site explains how the heat energy generated by the body makes a mood ring change color.

Insulation and Weatherization

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/insulation.html

This site provides information on insulation.

The Origin of the Celsius Temperature Scale

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/olivier.granier/thermo/liv_tel/tcelsius/scale.htm

Daniel Fahrenheit, Anders Celsius Left Their Marks

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF13/1317.html

These sites provides background information on the Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales.

The Mysteries and Myths of Heat: A Brief History of Hot and Cold

http://www.infinite-energy.com/iemagazine/issue37/mysteries.html

This site provides a nice reference for teachers on the history of the science of heat energy.

Energy Efficiency

Energy Star

http://www.energystar.gov/

This site explains energy star products and how people can make their homes and businesses more energy efficient using energy star products.

Fuel Economy

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

This site provides detailed information on fuel efficient cars and let’s students find and compare different cars for their fuel efficiency.

The Secret Lives of Energy

http://www.fi.edu/guide/hughes/energy_us.html

This site provides teachers and students with ideas for using energy more efficiently.

Building Technologies Program: U.S. Department of Energy

http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/k-12activities/

This site provides information on energy efficiency by building type as well as the codes and standards needed for energy efficient buildings.

Infinite Power

http://www.infinitepower.org

An excellent site from the Texas State Energy Conservation Office with fact sheets and lessons plans on energy efficiency.

Ten Things You Can Do to Curb Global Warming

www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/tenthings.asp

A downloadable file from the Sierra Club listing ten things students can do to be more energy efficient to curb global warming.

Energy and Machines

Pneumatics (Air-Powered Machines)

http://www.smm.org/sln/tf/p/pneumatic/pneumatic.html

This site shows some pneumatics that students developed including a machine that shoots through the air and a machine that launches an airplane.

From Windmills to Whirlygigs: A Conversation with Vollis Simpson

http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/vollis/video.htm

Come meet Vollis Simpson, mechanic and visual artist, who makes whirligigs, or wind-powered machines, out of the strangest materials!

Solar Hot Dog Cooker

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/solardogs.html

This site details how to set up a solar hot dog cooker in your classroom to demonstrate how solar energy can be transferred to do a useful task.

The History of the Refrigerator

http://www.gizmohighway.com/history/refrigerator.htm

This site provides background information on the development of the refrigerator and many other common household appliances, including telephones and televisions.

Kids’ Inventions

United States Patent and Trademark Office: Kids Pages

http://www.uspto.gov/go/kids/

This site provides some great interactive opportunities for students. In “My Inventive Room,” they go back in time and watch as the inventions in a room disappear. In the “Time Machine Game,” they transform visionary ideas into their corresponding inventions with a time machine.

Start Your Invention

http://www.bkfk.com/howtoinvent/process.asp

This site offers kids ideas on how to start developing their own inventions and designs.

Games Machines Play

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1208/teaching/menu.htm

Check this site for information about viewing episodes of Scientific American Frontiers’ special “Games Machines Play” showing present-day student inventors putting their inventions to a test.