The COVID-19 Pandemic revealed how critically important it is for educators to have resources to support student learning at home. Now more than ever, it is essential for educators to provide students with high-quality lessons and activities that will engage and inspire students. The Energize Connecticut utility sponsors are assisting educators by providing virtual mini-lessons to use with our eesmarts curriculum or to supplement existing district curriculum.
These free virtual mini-lessons for upper elementary, middle school and high school students can easily be incorporated in distance learning plans. Developed by eesmarts educators, eesmarts virtual mini-lessons are subsets of eesmarts’ Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)aligned curriculum.
eesmarts Grade 3 - High Schools Virtual Mini-Lessons
- Short – mini lessons range from 15-20 minutes each
- Flexible – related videos, activities, or books or assignments to extend lessons
- Self-contained – complete lessons from start to finish
- Asynchronous – can be complete independently by students
eesmarts Grade 3 - High Schools Virtual Mini-Lessons plans include
- Video presentation developed and presented by eesmarts educators
- Curated resources include a list of links of books, videos, and optional assignments
- Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) linkages
- Teacher recommendations for quick lesson prep
- Technology tips for distance learning success
- Energy Education links
Connecticut – Educators -- View the free virtual mini-lessons descriptions below and request your plans today.
Upper Elementary Grades 3-5
Grade 3
It’s Shocking! - Virtual Static Stations
Virtual Static Stations introduce static electricity with a video of a girl whose hair is standing on end and explore five static electricity stations. Students complete a cause and effect statement about the static stations they have just explored.
Magnet Stations - New!
Magnetism Stations introduces students to the science of magnets. Students watch a video of magnetic tricks and then they are guided through five stations involving magnetism in a variety of uses. Students complete a cause and effect statement about the five stations.
Grade 4
Insulators and Conductors
Viewing an energy ball in use, students will predict what makes it light up. Students determine if certain materials allow electric current to flow through (a conductor) and light a bulb or if they stop electric current (an insulator).
Reflection and Absorption of Light - New!
Students begin by looking at a picture of someone walking on the white lines of a street and then analyze the temperature data collected from an absorption of light energy experiment and graph the data as evidence for completing a “What I See”/”What It Means” (WIS/WIM) organizer.
Grade 5
Phantom and Wasted Energy
A video will introduce students to phantom power and show where it lurks. Students will observe an activity and analyze data comparing light bulbs and the heat they produce as wasted energy. Optionally, students complete a home survey of energy savings actions.
Apparent Brightness and Relative Distance - New!
Students watch an activity exploring the relative distance of stars using balls and the apparent brightness of stars using flashlights. Using their observations students complete a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) model answering the question: why does the sun appear to be the largest star in the sky?
Middle School – Grades 6-8
Middle School
Energy Roller Coaster
As students view a video of a roller coaster in action, they consider potential and kinetic forms of energy. Students explore the concept of energy transformation through an activity with a pendulum and they will interpret a graphical display of data collected.
Capturing Solar Energy
Students explore what happens when heat-producing light shines on objects. Students view demonstrations of absorption and reflection, The Greenhouse Phenomenon, thermal mass, and insulation.
Water Cycle
Students try to answer the question, “Is the sun a pump?” Students review a solar still model and are challenged to create their own model at home.
Photosynthesis - New!
Students examine a model of atomic composition and the chemical equation for photosynthesis. They view a video of photosynthesis as seen from space and see evidence collected in an investigation to support that oxygen is produced as a product of photosynthesis.
Wind Energy - New!
In Wind Energy, the cause of wind is discussed and students view brief examples of the use of wind power and
windmills/turbines. The energy transformations that take place in the production of electricity are described, as is the basic working of a wind turbine. Finally, students observe an investigation testing blade design.
The Cost of Light - New!
In this lesson, students discuss the usage for a wide range of available light bulbs. They explore the heat generated by two different bulbs in a data table and the cost of light (including bulb cost as well as energy cost) for different bulbs.
High School – Grades 9-12
High School
Solar Lesson Activities #1-#3 - New!
The Effect of Color on Light Energy
In Solar Lesson Activity #1, students learn how to measure and quantify the light energy absorbed by different color objects and relate this finding to similar situations. They observe how an exploration was performed to collect data. Students then learn how to analyze that data, calculate British Thermal Units (BTU’s), and then look at how this information is useful.
Varying Angle of Incidence While Measuring Photovoltaic Cell Power Output
In Solar Lesson Activity #2, students learn how to measure the light energy converted to electrical energy via a photovoltaic cell as the angle of incidence of the incident light varies from 0° to 90° and apply these findings to solar electricity installation. They observe how an exploration was performed to collect data. They observe how the data was collected and, using the dataset, learn how to analyze the data and calculate wattage.
The Effect of Shading or Screening on the Photovoltaic (PV) Conversion of Solar Energy to Electrical Energy
In Solar Lesson Activity #3, students measure and quantify the light energy converted to electrical energy via a photovoltaic cell (PV) as various shading/color media are inserted between the light source and the PV cell and as various screening is inserted between the light source and the PV cell. They observe how the data was collected and using the dataset, learn how to analyze the data and calculate wattage.
Resources are free to Connecticut educators. To request access to lessons and resources click here. You will receive a PDF lesson plan that contains all the links and guidance that you need to provide your students with a standards-aligned, engaging energy lesson that can be completed via distance learning.
Contact us via email at eesmarts@EnergizeCT.com for more information.
