7 tips and ideas to make the eclipse engaging for students

This article originally appeared on Vernier’s blog and is reposted here with permission.

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible over the United States, starting in Texas. This upcoming eclipse event is an exciting opportunity to incorporate phenomenon-based learning into your instruction and engage your students through inquiry.

Here are some tips for making the most out of this rare occasion as you study it with your students.…Read More

KidWind Virtual Workshops Available for Educators

The KidWind Project, the international leader of clean energy education, created topic-specific renewable energy virtual workshops designed to help educators teach about renewable energy whether teaching in person or remotely. The one-day workshops will provide training on the fundamentals of wind energy, solar energy, and the power grid.

“Our training workshops continue to be popular among educators looking to expand their knowledge on renewable energy,” said Michael Arquin, founder of KidWind. “With virtual workshops, we’ll be able to reach more educators and provide newly developed resources and tactics for remote or hybrid learning environments and activities they can use to make lessons hands-on and engaging.”

Each topic-specific workshop is six hours and will have the same format. Workshops will start with background on the topic to help educators get a better understanding followed by introducing activities for the classroom to engage students in dynamic, hands-on learning. Educators will also receive a box of materials in advance for use during the workshop and a certificate of completion at the end of the workshop.…Read More

Georgia Power Launches Interactive STEM-Based Educational Videos

ATLANTA – July 22, 2020 – For parents looking for new ways to help keep children learning while outside of the classroom this summer, Georgia Power’s education team has created a series of interactive videos that allow students to discover science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through activities at home. The videos cover a variety of STEM energy topics with hands-on activities requiring only a few basic supplies, most of which can be found around the house.

“These videos are another way to engage students at home to explore STEM concepts,” said Lisa Olens, Georgia Power Education Manager. “The activities are designed to help make it exciting and fun for students to learn about the transformation of energy by building a balloon rocket or learn about solar energy by making s’mores in a simple sun-powered oven. There are many other topics and we hope students, parents and educators will find these videos helpful as they look for fun educational activities that can be done from home.”

To get started with these interactive activities and to learn more about Georgia Power’s Learning Power program, visit www.learningpower.org.…Read More

Going solar atop school buildings

In 2012, The tiny Centerburg School District in central Ohio installed 5,600 solar panels on the rooftops and grounds of its elementary and high schools that are anticipated to provide 80 percent of the electricity the two buildings will use over the 2013-14 school year, AASA’s School Administrator reports. The 1.5-megawatt solar system will save the 1,140-student school district approximately $50,000 in electricity costs in just the first year of the project. Centerburg is not alone in turning to solar energy generation. More and more K-12 schools are turning to renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, to power up their facilities. Solar is an attractive option for schools for several reasons…

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