Lessons That Take Energy Efficiency From Concept to Lab
Energy efficiency is the part of the energy unit where the math shows up and the students check out. It’s also where some of the biggest questions in energy live: Why is no device 100% efficient? How does efficiency affect energy demand? We’ve built a collection of energy efficiency resources with these topics in mind to take your students from first concepts to answering these big questions.
Classroom-Ready and Sub-Ready
Our energy efficiency collection is geared toward middle and high school students, allowing them to see the impact of energy efficiency on their day-to-day lives. Students design experiments and develop their data literacy skills through quantitative analysis. They also get to see the real impact their actions can have on energy use, both in their daily lives and their careers.
These lessons are classroom-ready, including bell ringers, videos, vocabulary support, real-world energy data, and guides for both teachers and students. The teacher guide is there to help you lead your students through the lessons and accompanying lab, and it’s designed to be fully sub-ready. We know time and money are the biggest constraints on any lesson plan, so the materials needed are low-cost, requiring very little setup time.
What’s in the Collection
The collection includes two core lessons:
The first lesson covers what efficiency means and why it matters. Students model efficiency and compare real-world data to see how efficiency affects decisions about energy use and appliances in the home. This can serve as a stand-alone lesson or as a foundation for deeper analysis in the following lesson.
The second lesson includes a lab investigation where students design experiments, identify sources of efficiency loss, and analyze their own results alongside real energy data. It’s a strong fit for AP Environmental Science classrooms, building data analysis and experimental design skills.
The collection also links to supplementary videos, activities, and research projects. One favorite is the Innovative Building Design Research Project, where students design an energy-efficient building for their own community.