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Teaching Tools
K-12 curriculum and tools you can borrow
Solar Oregon created these lesson plans to introduce the basics of solar energy to late elementary and middle school students.
Lesson topics include:
We designed the lessons to address a wide range of Oregon’s Educational Benchmarks. We also included inquiry-based learning and multiple learning styles whenever possible. While they are targeted for 5th grade students, many of the activities and discussions can be used through high school. We also suggest "extensions" so you can tailor the activities to the class.
Before their final revisions, we taught the lessons in two different classrooms in Portland, Oregon: Sue Wilcox’s 5th grade at Laurelhurst Elementary School and an elective for 4th and 5th graders at the Metropolitan Learning Center. Many of the included suggestions and notes came from these trials. We hope they are helpful for you as well.
We would like to thank everyone who helped with this project. Sue Wilcox gave us invaluable suggestions making the lessons more teacher-friendly. Pat Robertson, Elementary Science Curriculum Coordinator for Portland Public Schools, gave constructive criticism and endless support. Portland General Electric funded the project. And, most importantly, thank you to the students who shared their insights and opinions throughout the process.
For a full CD set of the lesson plans or if you have any questions or comments about the lesson plans or other programs, please contact us!