Renewable Energy Activities - Choices for Tomorrow - Teacher’s Activity Guide for Middle Level Grades 6-8

Sep 28, 2026

Renewable Energy Activities: Choices for Tomorrow provides a teacher-focused activity booklet for middle-level grades 6–8. It frames hands-on investigations aligned with Colorado science content standards, emphasizing scientific inquiry processes, energy forms and transformations, and interactions in living and physical systems. The guide promotes safe, accessible classroom use and includes assessment approaches with a generic rubric. Activities span energy basics, conversions, and renewable technologies including wind and water, biomass, and solar.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages70

Reading Time2 h 56 min

AccessFree to download

To the Educator

State Content Standards

Assessments/Rubrics

Concepts

Teaching-Learning Model

Invite - Big Question, Present Problem

Explore, Discover, Create - Gather Information, Brainstorm Solutions

Propose Explanations and Solutions - Analyze Data, Apply New Knowledge

Take Action - Present Findings, Ask New Questions

Activity Outline

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy ENERGY EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Renewable Energy Activities: Choices for Tomorrow Grades: 5-8 Topics: Biomass, Wind Energy, Solar, Energy Basics, Hydropower Owner: National Renewable Energy Laboratory This educational material is brought to you by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. R.E.A.C.T. Renewable Energy Activities – Choices for Tomorrow Teacher’s Activity Guide for Middle Level Grades 6-8 National Renewable Energy Laboratory Education Programs 1617 Cole Blvd. Golden, Colorado 80401 Tel: (303) 275-3044 Home page: [http://www.nrel.gov](http://www.nrel.gov) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Education Office at NREL would like to thank Dr. James Schreck, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Northern Colorado, for his commitment and hard work in the development of this activity booklet. His expertise was invaluable in producing a final product that attempts to be"user friendly. " It is the goal of the Education Office to make these kits accessible, easy to use, and fun. We want your students to gain, not only an understanding of renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, but a greater confidence in investigating, questioning, and experimenting with scientific ideas. If you have questions, please call the Education Office at (303) 275-3044 or e-mail: [linda_lung@nrel.gov](linda_lung@nrel.gov). REACT – Page 1 TO THE EDUCATOR This activity booklet was developed by the Education Office at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Users of this booklet should practice appropriate safety guidelines in doing demonstrations or hands-on activities. STATE CONTENT STANDARDS The activities in this booklet address portions ofthe following guidelines from the Colorado Science Standards. 1.0 Students understand the processes of scientific investigation, and design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigations. 2.0 Physical Science: Students know and understand common properties, forms, and changes in matter and energy. (Focus: Physics and Chemistry) 2.2 Students know that energy appears in different forms, and can move (be transferred) and change (be transformed) . 2.3 Students understand that interactions can produce changes in a system, although the total quantities of matter and energy remain unchanged. 3.2 Students know and understand interrelationships of matter and energy in living systems. 5.0 Students know and understand interrelationships among science, technology, and human activity and how they can affect the world. ASSESSMENTS/RUBRICS Teachers are encouraged to use task assessments that will meet the individual needs of students. Assessments should be open-ended, problem-solving activities with some that require recall of content knowledge. Included in this booklet is a "generic" rubric. This rubric is established as a guideline for performance. It is a useful form of self-evaluation because it lets the student know what is expected for high quality work. Harriet Yustein, a teacher from Suffern, New York, states that,"Through experience I have found that the best rubrics come from the children themselves. You should model what you want them to do and then they will discuss exactly what you want from them. That will be their rubric. " CONCEPTS This activity booklet is designed for middle school students, and is appropriate for discussion of energy concepts at these grade levels. The concepts developed through the activities in this kit include: • what energy is • how energy is converted • renewable technologies: wind and water • renewable technologies: biomass • renewable technologies: solar REACT--Page 2 TEACHING-LEARNING MODEL Each activity in this booklet has been selected for its renewable energy content and hands-on approach to motivating students. We recommend you read through the activities, choosi

FAQs

What grade level and topics does the activity booklet cover?

The booklet is designed for middle level grades 5–8, with activities focused on energy basics and renewable energy topics including biomass, wind energy, solar, and hydropower.

How do the activities support science learning goals?

Activities align with standards covering scientific investigation processes and core physical science ideas such as different forms of energy, energy transfer, and energy transformation.

What teaching-learning structure does the guide recommend for running the activities?

The guide recommends a Teaching-Learning Model (TLM) and instructs teachers to work through its steps, using suggested actions from each step while students proceed through investigation and discussion.

Sep 28, 2026

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