October is here, and there’s so much to share! From Earth Science Week to brand-new classroom resources, we’re celebrating energy education that’s easy, hands-on, and built for all grade levels. Here’s what’s new:
🌎 Celebrate Earth Science Week: “Energy Resources for Our Future”
This year’s Earth Science Week theme, “Energy Resources for Our Future”, couldn’t be a better match for Switch Classroom. To help you bring this theme into your classroom, we’ve created a free Earth Science Week One-Pager and Curriculum Alignment Guide packed with hands-on, energy-focused activities for grades 4-12. These lessons connect earth systems with student curiosity and real-world relevance, perfect for any science classroom. Check out this post on our website for all of our Earth Science Week resources in one place!
Student Contests You Can Use in Class:
The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is sponsoring a series of student contests for Earth Science Week. These are great opportunities for in-class competitions, extra-credit projects, or enrichment assignments that build engagement and give student work a real-world audience.
Contest categories include:
- Photography (capture Earth Science in a single image)
- Video (tell a compelling story about Earth Science)
- Visual Art (illustrate the wonders of our planet)
- Essay (reflect on Earth Science topics in writing)
All entries are due on October 17th. You can find full details and submission guidelines at earthsciweek.org/contests.
October Resource Drop: 6 New Lessons!
This month, we’re dropping six new teacher-designed lessons that are perfect for your classroom this fall. They’re flexible, hands-on, and aligned to help students dive deeper into energy and science systems.
Get a sneak peek of two of our latest resources:
- Science of Energy Storage: Just like nature stores energy for winter, this lesson helps students explore how we use batteries to store energy and why it matters.
- Energy Sources Activity Stations: These student-led exploration stations are a great way to bring movement, inquiry, and collaboration into your classroom before the holiday rush.
The full drop also includes new lessons on media literacy, electricity, innovative building design, and energy basics, all designed to make your teaching easier and more engaging.
Plus, be sure to keep an eye on our social media channels for the upcoming release of our very spooky, very sugary Halloween activity. Zombies, candy, energy, and math… could it get any better?! Follow us on X, Instagram, and Facebook to catch it when it drops.
New Blog: Teaching Energy in Middle School
Why teach energy in middle school? TAC Member and middle school science teacher, Craig, believes it’s the moment when curiosity and critical thinking meet. Read his latest post on the Switch Classroom Blog to see how everyday examples and big questions help students make meaningful connections about energy.
Webinars: Thank You for Joining Us!
Thank you to everyone who joined our recent webinars – AP ES: Need to Know and Middle School: Energy & Electricity. If you missed them, no worries! We offer these sessions monthly, and October’s are scheduled with our west-coast educators in mind. You can register now for our upcoming sessions:
- Middle School: Energy & Electricity Webinar – October 14th, 6-7 PM PST
- AP ES Need to Know Webinar – October 23rd, 6-7 PM PST
You can also check out our full webinar schedule on the Switch Classroom site to find a time zone that works for you, or watch your inbox for more upcoming events.
Teacher Referral Program
We’re so excited to share our brand-new Referral Program, made just for you. It’s easy: log in, find any lesson bundle, activity, video, or alignment guide you love, and copy your referral link. Share it with your teacher friends (you know, the ones down the hall or across the district who’d love it too!). If your link is used at least once, you’ll be entered to win a $50 Visa gift card, plus have a shot at joining exclusive VIP events throughout the year. So go ahead, share the love (and the learning)!
Season 7 of Energy Switch is Here
Energy Switch returned on October 1st with new expert-driven episodes that help students engage with current energy conversations. This season’s topics include coal, fertilizers, air quality, air conditioning, extreme weather, data centers, and much more, and are great for use as bell ringers, homework, or whole-class discussion. Click here to explore all of the new episodes.
See You in Canada! 🍁
Switch Classroom is excited to connect with teachers at the 10Peaks Innovation Xchange (October 16th) and the BC Science Teachers’ Association Catalyst Conference (October 24th) this month. If you’re there, come by and grab free classroom resources. We’d love to meet you and hear your favorite energy and environment teaching strategies! Check out our Events page to see where else we’ll be this conference season.
Join the Team!
Calling all educators! Apply here to join our Teacher Advisory Council and get paid to advise, share, and build content.
Stay connected with the latest updates, resources, and inspiring stories in the next edition of the Switch Classroom newsletter, and don’t forget to follow us on social media! If you know a colleague who might benefit from these resources, we’d love for you to pass them along.