PRIMARY: Green Energy

Curated by Jenna Hamelinck

Energy is defined as the ability to do work. Energy can be found in many things and take different forms.

Have you ever seen the big shiny solar panels on the roof of a building and wondered how they work? What about those tall wind turbines? Wind turbines and solar panels use the energy from the wind and the sun to create electricity that powers our homes and devices. This is a more eco-friendly way of getting our energy than from gas and oil.

 


Solar Panels at Wintergreen Studios, Photo taken by Dominika Dembinski

Green energy matters because the earth only has a limited supply of resources such as gas and coal.

These limited resources are called non-renewable resources, and resources that are more or less unlimited, such as water, the sun, and wind, are known as renewable resources. We need to be careful about the energy we use because the earth can’t sustain humans with non-renewable resources alone. In this package you will learn about types of renewable energy resources and how to conserve energy.

 
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Land Art

Make a Leaf Boat

Make a leaf boat and see how we can use the energy from the wind to move things.

Materials:

  • Leaves (3 per student)

  • One twig per student

  • One piece of bark per student

  • Twine to attach the twig to the bark

Instructions:

  1. Take your twig and poke it through each of your leaves, carefully sliding the leaves down so they are not on top of each other. Be gentle with this step, the leaves rip easily.

  2. Take your piece of bark and attach it to your twig with twine.

  3. Place your leaf sailboat on a puddle. Observe how the wind makes your boat move.


 
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Outdoor Exploration

Energy Hunt

Take a walk around your schoolyard and try and spot as many forms and types of energy as you can. Identify how eco-friendly your school is.

Ideas to search for:

  • Solar panels

  • Wind

  • The sun

  • Water

  • Soil

  • Garden

  • Recycling bins

  • Lights off in classrooms no one is there


 

Taking it to the next level… some research questions to explore.

Resources

A website with energy facts for kids.

A lesson plan for early primary grades that encourages students to make the connection between exercise and energy. This would be a great lesson to introduce the concept of energy.

A water cycle hands-on activity for grade two. Students will get first-hand experience of how the water cycle works.

This resource is a lesson plan for grade one that teaches students what uses electricity and ways to save electricity through a fun dance.