Energy Kids is a free resource site from the US Energy Information Administration that contains resources on energy, energy sources, saving energy, history of energy, energy calculator, games and more.

There is a teachers' guide with lesson plans, resources, games and more.

This is a great resource for any teacher who teaches about energy. The materials are very well done and useful and teachers can even upload their own lesson plans to share with others.


Source: Tech&Learning magazine

READ MORE - Energy Kids - free educational resources about energy

Discovery Education Dawn Junior Wildlife Champions-free lesson plans about oil spills and wildlife

Earth Day, April 22nd, is a great time to talk to your students about the environment. Many schools, including most in Connecticut, will be on break during that time, but you can always talk about it after break.


Earth Day was started in 1962 as a way to bring attention to environmental issues. As polution increases, and the environment is continually affected by humans, it is a great time to get our students thinking about environmental issues. 




Here are some resources you can use with your students:





National Environmental Education Week - This week (April 10-16) is Environmental Education Week. This site has an entire section with resources for educators that includes curricula, quizzes, professional development and more. 





Earth Day Network - this is another great resource for teaching about the environment and Earth Day. The educator resource page has lesson plans, Green your School guide, grant programs and more to help educators. 

Science Museum Climate Science Info Zone - information and resources on climate change, carbon footprint, and more. 

  
Think Green from Discovery Education - Think Green is another great free resource from Discovery Education that contains lesson plans, videos, and activities for teachers to use in their classroom. The resources are sorted by grade level and are interactive and educational. 


You can also go to the Think Green Resource Page to search for more resources by grade, topic, or resource. 

Discovery Education, Siemens STEM Academy (another great resource from Discovery) is hosting a webinar entitled Earth Day: The Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill One Year Later with Jeff Corwin on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 1pm ET. Teachers can register for free and share it with their students. 

You and your students are invited to join biologist, environmentalist, author and Emmy winner Jeff Corwin to take an in-depth look at the impact of the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill as we approach the one-year anniversary.  Jeff, who hosts Animal Planet’s The Jeff Corwin Experience, will examine the intricate and wide-spread ecological effects of the spill on life in the surrounding ecosystem and beyond.  As a defining moment in environmental history, the oil spill will forever change societal awareness of the relationship between humans and the environment. You and your students will walk away with a better understanding of the role we play in protecting the aquatic habitat of the gulf and the positive impact we can make on the environment every day

Every classroom can, and should, talk about Earth Day and the environment. We all need to help make sure that the Earth will be a healthy, viable, place for generations to come.


English classes could write about the environment, including persuasive essays and letters on different topics. 


History classes could look at the history of Earth Day and the Environmentalist movement, along with the history of different environment events. 


Science classes can delve into the science of the environment, energy resources, energy production and more. 




What do you do for Earth Day in your classroom?




Some More Environmental Resources

Discovery Education Dawn Junior Wildlife Champions-free lesson plans about oil spills and wildlife

The Road Ahead - resources on electricity generation from Discovery Education

Discovery Education Turfmutt - environmental science lessons

Top 10 Resources from Discovery Education - all free

Discovery News - science news

Disney Planet Challenge - project based environmental contest with resources

READ MORE - Great Earth Day Resources for Educators

Dawn Junior Wildlife Champions is another great resource for Discovery Education, in partnership with Dawn.

The site has three lessons, recommended for grades 3-5, available for download. The lessons contain investigative research, hands-on experiments, and even at-home activities. There are also teacher resources and tools. The lessons are about the issues relating to oil spills and the environment and wildlife.

These lessons can be adapted for use with other grade levels also.

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READ MORE - Discovery Education Dawn Junior Wildlife Champions-free lesson plans about oil spills and wildlife

The Road Ahead is a resource from Discovery Education and General Motors Education that explores how electricity is generated and how it will change how we live.

There is a digital magazine that interactively teaches about electricity, energy sources and new ways to power vehicles. There are also a teacher's guide, worksheets, and a classroom poster you can print.

Materials and resources are divided up into two groups: Grades 3-5 and 6-8. There is a link to GM's education site with lessons for grades 9-12.

There is also a link for getting ideas and resources for teaching about the environment.

This is a great resource for science teachers and any teacher that is teaching about electricity, the environment, and more.

The General Motors Education site has a lot of other resources for teachers for all grade levels in a variety of subjects and topics. Check it out too.

READ MORE - The Road Ahead - resources on electricity generation from Discovery Education

Discovery Education's Turfmutt is another great, free resource for teachers from Discovery Education.

Turfmutt has lesson plans, videos, puzzles, activities, resources and more for educators and students to learn about the environment and how to protect it. There is even a contest for classes to enter.

Most of it is geared towards grades 3-5, but I found plenty of material and activities that are good for middle school and high school.

If you teach environmental science or about the environment, this is a resource you need to check out.

READ MORE - Discovery Education Turfmutt - environmental science lessons