Energy Conservation Lesson Plans

 
The Energy Conservation lesson plans are designed to complement a classroom presentation by a guest speaker from Alliant Energy — i.e., one pre-presentation lesson and one post-presentation lesson in each unit. At the same time, both of a unit’s lessons are stand-alone, so you can use one or the other, or both!

To help you integrate them, the lesson plans include learning objectives, a list of applicable national standards, steps for the lesson process, and accompanying reproducibles for the overhead or for handouts.

Also included among the lessons are suggested modifications that allow you to extend the curriculum to other subject areas or to reflect different abilities, interests, and learning styles.

Lesson plans are provide in printer-friendly Adobe Acrobat PDF format. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you can download the free software from their web site.

You can also request printed materials or a classroom presentation by using our online request form:

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Energy Conservation Lesson 1: Fossil Fuels and the Ticking Clock

In this lesson, students prepare for Alliant Energy’s classroom presentation on Energy Conservation and the Environment.

The lesson focuses on the differences between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, emphasizing the growing difficulty of finding energy whose supply is decreasing.

The students will track their own use of a nonrenewable energy source during a given day, which will give them a good frame of reference for the Alliant Energy presentation.

Download Energy Conservation Lesson 1:
Fossil Fuels and the Ticking Clock
[PDF format – six pages, 464kb] 

Objectives:

• To participate in a simulation that illustrates the dilemma of searching for nonrenewable energy sources.
• To compare the availability and types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.
• To investigate their own use of a nonrenewable energy source.

National standards addressed:

• K-4 Science Content Standard C – Organisms and Their Environments
• K-4 Science Content Standard D – Properties of Earth Materials
• K-4 Science Content Standard F – Characteristics and Changes in Populations
• K-4 Science Content Standard F – Changes in Environments
• Math Grades 3-5 – Data Analysis and Probability Standard

Time required:

• Teacher preparation: 20 minutes
• Class time: Two 30-45 minute classes, plus outside time for self-tracking exercise 

Energy Conservation Lesson 2: Roving Reporter

Students will come to this lesson with prior knowledge of renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy. They will be aware of the importance of conserving energy in order to save the nonrenewable sources we have left, and to help maintain a healthy environment.

Students will be able to apply their conservation awareness by surveying adults about the types of energy they use and how they try to conserve. After conducting the survey, students will make inferences about whether age, gender, or occupation made a difference in the participants’ responses. 

The final result will be a report written from the point of view of a reporter.

Download Energy Conservation Lesson 2: Roving Reporter
[PDF format – six pages, 490kb]

Objectives:

• To generate a list of energy sources and ways to conserve energy at home, school, and in the community.
• To survey adults on the types of energy sources they use, and how they attempt to conserve energy.
• To make inferences and organize survey material into a newspaper article.

National standards addressed:

• K-4 Science Content Standard C – Organisms and Their Environments
• K-4 Science Content Standard D – Properties of Earth Materials
• K-4 Science Content Standard F – Characteristics and Changes in Populations
• K-4 Science Content Standard F – Changes in Environments
• K-4 Language

Time required:

• Teacher preparation: 20 minutes
• Class time: Two to three 30-45 minute classes, plus outside time for conducting the survey

 
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