Solar Energy Curricula and Lesson Plans

A collection of lesson plans, trainings, and solar curricula ideas for educators.

• Clean Energy Bright Futures Videos: CE has several on-demand learning resources to help educators and parents keep their young innovators engaged during stay-at-home orders and school closures due to COVID19. Subscribe to their YouTube channel and learn how to integrate energy into your K-12 classroom. READ MORE →
• National Energy Education Development Project (NEED): Since its founding 40 years ago, NEED has kept its Kids Teaching Kids philosophy as a fundamental principle of NEED programming – encouraging students to explore, experiment, engage, and encouraging teachers to embrace student leadership in the classroom. NEED trains and assists teachers in harnessing the energy of the classroom – the energy of students. READ MORE →
  • Distance Learning: COVID-19 has caused many schools and educational institutions to pivot. We understand the need for engaging and hands-on ideas for teachers and organizations to use in a distance learning environment and for families to use at home to keep kids thinking, exploring, and inquiring during this time. Below are some of our favorites resources we’ve pulled together for teachers, students, and families to utilize!  READ MORE →
• Ecorise Curricula: EcoRise offers academically aligned sustainability and design innovation curricula for elementary, middle, and high school teachers. They are well-suited to complement STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) and CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses, offering interactive opportunities to apply knowledge and skills to real-world problems. Teachers are able to easily integrate EcoRise lessons without sacrificing important material on standardized tests. READ MORE →
• Cool The Climate:  The Cool The Climate Project and its parent company, Hippo Works, launched a this digital program for K-6 students which includes a half-hour cartoon telling the complete climate crisis story, an eBook for homeschoolers and teachers with Next Gen Science Standard lesson plans and activities, and the website with online games for children, a kid-friendly carbon calculator, and additional climate-related cartoons and GIFs. READ MORE →
• Solar Futures Toolkit: The GRID Alternatives Solar Futures K-8 Toolkit contains resources for giving presentations to young students about solar and renewable energy, solar jobs, and energy conservation. These resources are designed to support anyone who wishes to visit a classroom and share their enthusiasm for renewable energy. Be sure to consult with the teacher during the planning process to ensure materials are appropriate for students’ levels, and adapt this content to meet any relevant curriculum goals. READ MORE →
• Harnessing Solar Energy - Grade 4 STEM Road Map: This education module outlines a journey through solar that will steer your fourth-grade students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. The series is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms. READ MORE →
• Let's Go Solar: Solar kits, camps, projects, and resources for kids, teens, parents, and teachers. Solar-powered toys and kits not only are environmentally friendly and entertaining, but they also teach kids about how solar power works to make them move and light up. Many can even be assembled by kids. With toys available to suit a wide range of ages and abilities, there’s no shortage of ways to spark kids’ interest in solar energy. READ MORE →
• Eco-Schools USA (National Wildlife Federation): Eco-Schools is found in over 50 countries, serving 50,000 schools and over 12 million students every year. National Wildlife Federation is the sole US host for the Eco-Schools program. To date, there are over 3,200 registered Eco-Schools in the US. READ MORE →
• Recharge Labs: KidWind focuses on teaching the world about renewable energy. We have helped thousands of educators bring wind and solar power to life in the classroom, guided by its award-winning curriculum, its unique tools and kits, and a deep passion for the subject matter. READ MORE →
• Schools Power: With Schools Power Renewable Energy Curriculum, students perform authentic investigations of energy alternatives using instructional materials on computers, tablets and mobile devices. Our lessons and projects combine interactive learning materials, rich media, and instructional simulations with intra- and inter-school learning activities designed for collaborative learning environments. READ MORE →
• The Concord Consortium: Engineering design tools and projects for students. This CAD/CAE tool provides a new tool for understanding how students and engineers learn to solve engineering design challenges and for investigating how their learning and work outcomes can be improved and their creativity unleashed. READ MORE →
• Solar Activity Toolkit: Solar United Neighbors created a solar energy activity workbook for kids to use to have fun learning about solar through scavenger hunts, word searches, and other games. READ MORE →
• Department of Energy - Solar: For kids of all ages, there is always something new to learn about science and technology. The Energy Department supports science education through educational online content, resources for parents and teachers, internships and student partnership programs, and national events.  READ MORE →
• Department of Energy - Renewables: The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy supports research and development of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to strengthen U.S. economic growth, energy security, and environmental quality. Learn the fundamentals behind renewable energy and energy efficiency through short videos and lesson plans. READ MORE →
• USGBC Learning Lab: Learning Lab is USGBC's online education platform for K-12 teachers and school leaders to find lessons, activities, and resources that encourage student leadership, sustainability literacy, and real-world action. With more than 600 lessons available in English and Spanish, educators from across the globe can access Learning Lab for a comprehensive, interdisciplinary K-12 project- and STEM-based curriculum for a green school and a sustainable future. READ MORE →
• Solar Schoolhouse Store: The Rahus Insitute's Solar Schoolhouse provides educational resources and videos, as well as education kits that are available for purchase to use in classrooms. Sample kits include solar cell classroom sets, solar charger sets, and classroom posters. READ MORE →
• Natural Energy Materials: The National Energy Foundation offers high-quality energy education materials with unique customization opportunities. These materials provide an in-depth understanding of a wide range of energy topics and are perfect for education and outreach opportunities. READ MORE →
• Energy Kids: Information, activities, calculators, and teacher resources provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. READ MORE →
• Clean Energy Bright Futures: Online educator library with teacher-generated STEM activities and renewable energy science materials. READ MORE →
• Solar Energy for Kids: Learn about the importance of solar energy through a compilation of resources that are kid-friendly. READ MORE →
• WeShareSolar: Empower students to be global change makers by combining solar energy and engineering education with real-world applicability. Trained teachers cultivate students’ interest in STEM subjects and inspire them to meet an immediate need in the developing world. READ MORE →
• Solar Power for Kids: Lets go Solar developed a guide with fun ideas that teach kids about solar power, including sample projects to do at home and camps offering activities that involve solar energy, as well as educational resources for parents and teachers and kid-friendly websites that enlighten kids for a solar-powered future. READ MORE →

Last Updated: 8/11/2023