U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

K-12 Lesson Plans & Activities (www1.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/)

This site provides teachers with a large collection of clean energy lesson plans and activities for students at all grade levels. Users can select the activity resources provided at the top of the page, or can choose one or more topics or grade levels from the searchable database to find lesson plans that best meet their students’ needs.

U.S. Department of Energy, Solar Decathlon

Solar Decathlon Curriculum (www.solardecathlon.gov/curriculum.html)

Designed as a complement to the biennial Solar Decathlon, in which teams from colleges across the nation compete to design and build cost- and energy-efficient solar powered homes, this set of solar lesson plans for middle- and high-school students helps to expand the educational opportunity presented by the program. Lessons range from introductory-level content on the development and use of solar power to using regression analysis to predict energy use and production and solve real-world problems.

National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project

Solar Curriculum Resources (www.need.org/solar)

In pursuit of its mission to promote an energy conscious and educated society, the NEED Project has helped develop curriculum resources covering a wide range of energy topics and across all grade levels. Available resources discussing solar include various energy factsheets, teacher and student guides on solar energy principles and photovoltaic systems, presentations, and animations.

Florida Solar Energy Center

Solar Matters (www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/curricula/index.htm)

Created by the state legislature in 1975 to conduct research and develop education programs on solar energy, the Florida Solar Energy Center provides solar curriculum materials for students of all ages.

Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Renewable Energy Lesson Plans (www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/schools/infinitepower/lesson-plans.php)

Offered as part of the State Energy Conservation Office’s “Infinite Power of Texas” education campaign, these lesson plans provide basic instruction in solar energy starting at the kindergarten level. Topics and educational goals become more sophisticated as units progress through higher elementary and middle school grades, which center on discussing the principles behind solar energy production, and ultimately through high school lesson plans that introduce students to the technical and financial aspects of solar.