Elementary Lesson Plans

By Amy Whitehead
Sundance Elementary School, Beaumont Unified School District

In this lesson students learn about electrical energy, and the difference between common items that use electricity, and those that do not. In understanding how and when energy is used, students gain awareness of ways to save energy.

By Liz Henkels
Deer Canyon Elementary School, Alta Loma Unified School District

In this lesson students work together to identify items that use electricity, and the role they play in every day life. Students conclude by illustrating these objects, while simultaneously practicing their pronunciation to build phonemic awareness.

These activities and lessons challenge children to learn where energy comes from, how we use energy, and why it's important to save energy at home. Kids are empowered to take the lead at home in identifying Energy Hogs and to help their families save energy and money. Thoughtful activities best suited for grades 3-6 but can be adapted for older or younger students.

Andrea Schindler Lee, Urbita Elementary School
San Bernardino City Unified School District

Using a jigsaw learning design, students will research, discuss, and make presentations on energy sources such as solar, oil, coal, and wind.

Brad Harder , South Fortuna Elementary School
Fortuna Union Elementary School District

An interactive education program for students to learn about energy and then share their knowledge with the rest of the school. Mr. Harder’s 4th grade class heads the program called the “Green Team.”

Laura Honda, Manor School
Ross Valley School District, California

The objective of this lesson is to allow students to use their knowledge on energy and creativity to build energy efficient and non-energy efficient cardboard classroom models. Thus, providing a visual comparison between energy efficient and non-energy efficient classroom models.

Kurtis Smith and Dave Massey, Santee Alternative
Santee School District

An application of how magnetism and electricity are related, students observe the spinning of a coil of copper wire that is part of a circuit powered by a battery and attached to a spindle positioned over a magnet and are ask to discuss why the mechanism works in the manner that it does.

Linda Gregory, Urbita Elementary
San Bernardino City Unified School District, California

Students share what they have learned about energy by writing an Energy ABC book which can be shared in the classroom or school library. A higher tech multimedia version is described separately. This is an excellent closure to a unit on energy, but it can also be used as an introductory activity to determine student’s prior knowledge and to guide what they need to learn more about.

Mrs. Laura Honda, Manor School
Ross Valley School District, California

The objective of this lesson is to get the Energy Conservation message out to our entire community by organizing a school-wide Science Fair with an emphasis on Energy Efficiency, and Environmental Education.

By Linda Gregory, Urbita Elementary School, San Bernardino City Unified School District, CA.
In this lesson, students in grades K-6 learn an easy technique to measure the presence of drafts in their homes and classrooms. In Worm Warmers, a follow-up lesson to Draft-o-meter, students create draft guards to help reduce energy waste.

By Jeff Saks, Bemis Elementary School, Rialto Unified School District, CA
In this project based lesson plan, developed by a Green Schools teacher, students in grades K-5 learn how different colors absorb/reflect sunlight in unique ways and apply this knowledge to real world problems.

By Jeff Saks, Bemis Elementary School, Rialto Unified School District, CA
In this project based lesson plan, developed by a veteran Green Schools teacher, students in grades K-5 learn how glass can transmit energy and how applying different tints to the window can reduce the heat passing through the window.

Recommended for grades 3-6, this lesson allows the students to observe the items that use energy in their home, calculate the energy cost for their own home, and compare this cost with classmates' and with the national average.

Trying to explain energy can be very difficult. This lesson allows students to observe the effects of energy and develop their own explanations for how events happen. In doing so, students gain a greater understanding of an abstract concept -- energy.

In this lesson, the teacher demonstrates several different types of energy and assigns a research report topic for small groups of students. (Recommended for grades 4-6)