Renewable Energy
In this unit, developed in collaboration with TC Energy—a leading North American energy company—students will explore renewable energy concepts, including wind, solar, hydroelectric, and energy storage, by building and testing models using Kid Spark engineering materials. Each lesson focuses on a specific energy concept, giving students hands-on experience with how these systems work in the real world. After learning about each concept, students will apply their understanding to a creative design challenge.
Included Curriculum:
5 Lessons
Minimum Time Commitment:
(10) 60-Minute Class Periods
Grade Level:
2nd - 5th
Lessons
Introduction to Energy
Students will explore energy by building a catapult, investigating potential and kinetic energy, and creating their own designs. They’ll also be introduced to renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.
Wind Energy
In this lesson, students will learn how the power of wind can be used to generate electrical energy by building a small wind turbine. Then, they’ll create their own device powered by the turbine.
Solar Energy
In this lesson, students will explore how to harness solar energy to generate electrical energy. They’ll then take part in a hands-on activity, building a small house or building with solar-powered lighting.
Hydroelectric Energy
In this lesson, students will learn how moving water generates electricity by building a hydroelectric turbine, observing energy transformation, and designing their own turbine-powered device.
Storing Renewable Energy
In this lesson, students will learn how energy storage improves renewable energy reliability. They will build a wind turbine and storage device to simulate energy use, then design a device powered by stored energy.
Unit Assessment
In this assessment, students will answer a series of questions to demonstrate an understanding of the core ideas and concepts that were covered throughout this unit.