Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) affect nearly every aspect of our
lives — from the cars we drive, to the food we eat, to the smartphones we use to communicate.
The information and activities in this booklet will help you understand the critical role STEM
plays in the energy industry. Have fun exploring the world of energy, and we hope you learn
some interesting new things along the way.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) affect nearly every aspect of our
lives — from the cars we drive, to the food we eat, to the smartphones we use to communicate.
The information and activities in this booklet will help you understand the critical role STEM
plays in the energy industry. Have fun exploring the world of energy, and we hope you learn
some interesting new things along the way.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) affect nearly every aspect of our lives — from
the cars we drive, to the food we eat, to the smartphones we use to communicate. Innovation is the key to helping the U.S. stay competitive in today’s globalized, technology-driven world.
The information and activities in this booklet will help you understand the critical role STEM plays in the
energy industry. Have fun exploring the world of energy, and we hope you learn some interesting new
things along the way.
Creating turbines can be a fun way to explore the relationship of naturally occurring energy sources like wind. Using everyday materials students can create a variety of turbines that can be tested with LED’s and voltmeters to determine their effectiveness and start meaningful conversations around design improvements, energy conservation and a sustainable energy plan for the United States.
This resource from Discovery Place Science shows you how to build and test turbines with materials for the classroom, including 3-D plans for gear systems for your turbines.
Novel Engineering: Developed by Tufts University, Novel Engineering is an excellent way to integrate literacy and STEM in your teaching. In this video, we’ll take you through the steps of this approach using a book on energy as an example. By looking at the characters in a story, students will identify problems these characters are faced with and then brainstorm possible solutions to help them. Once they’ve chosen one idea to develop, the students can then design a solution using simple materials in the classroom and share and refine their ideas with their classmates—just like an engineer solving with problems with energy.
Supply list:
PlayDecide is a discussion game to talk in a simple and effective way about controversial issues. Setting up a session of PlayDecide is very easy. It’s a conversation game that requires a small group of people (4 to 8, although it works best with 5-6 people) around a table.
This PlayDecide game focuses on energy and sustainability. Through discussion of issues and different perspectives, players must determine a way to reduce emissions via multiple strategies such as technology, changing behaviors, legislative laws and regulations, etc.
Design, build, and test a ramp using cardboard and other household materials. Create a pathway for round objects to roll down the cardboard ramp. Incorporate the floor, stairs, countertops, or furniture into the ramp design. This activity helps children develop flexible thinking skills.
This activity and more can be found online at Creativity Catapult, from the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, CA., is a research-backed, expert-curated collection of activities that promote creativity skills in children ages 2-14. Creativity Catapult is an online collection of activities to promote children’s creativity development. Curated by experts with contributions from esteemed education institutions from around the globe, Creativity Catapult is intended for practitioners charged with raising a generation of future innovators – parents, teachers and informal educators – as well as kids themselves.
Children explore the intersection of science and art by inventing a machine that can draw as it moves. This activity helps children develop divergent thinking skills.
This activity and more can be found online at Creativity Catapult, from the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, CA., is a research-backed, expert-curated collection of activities that promote creativity skills in children ages 2-14. Creativity Catapult is an online collection of activities to promote children’s creativity development. Curated by experts with contributions from esteemed education institutions from around the globe, Creativity Catapult is intended for practitioners charged with raising a generation of future innovators – parents, teachers and informal educators – as well as kids themselves.
Spruce up artwork by adding LEDs to drawings and paper sculptures. In this activity, children learn about conductivity, current flow, simple circuit design, and mechanical switches.
This activity and more can be found online at Creativity Catapult, from the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, CA., is a research-backed, expert-curated collection of activities that promote creativity skills in children ages 2-14. Creativity Catapult is an online collection of activities to promote children’s creativity development. Curated by experts with contributions from esteemed education institutions from around the globe, Creativity Catapult is intended for practitioners charged with raising a generation of future innovators – parents, teachers and informal educators – as well as kids themselves.
Children work together to transform everyday materials into creations that can carry weight safely across a zip line.
This activity and more can be found online at Creativity Catapult, from the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, CA., is a research-backed, expert-curated collection of activities that promote creativity skills in children ages 2-14. Creativity Catapult is an online collection of activities to promote children’s creativity development. Curated by experts with contributions from esteemed education institutions from around the globe, Creativity Catapult is intended for practitioners charged with raising a generation of future innovators – parents, teachers and informal educators – as well as kids themselves.
The Energy