Junior Energy Explorers Preschool Curriculum
Bluegrass Greensource - Office of Energy Policy
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Junior Energy Explorers is an energy-based program for preschoolers, facilitated by Bluegrass Greensource in the central Kentucky region. This unique program seeks to expose our youngest learners to the core basics of how energy moves, works, and transforms through hands-on exploration and observation. The early introduction to energy and scientific thinking provides a necessary foundation on which students' skills and knowledge will grow.
Introduction to Energy for Teachers
Introduction to Energy for Teachers
Energy is another word for power. Energy makes things move. It makes machines work. Energy also makes living things grow. Energy simply means the ability to do work or make something happen. Energy is all around us. It takes energy to cook food, to drive to school, and to jump in the air!
Energy exists in many different forms:
Energy exists in many different forms:
Potential and Kinetic Energy
Mechanical Energy
Heat Energy (Thermal Energy)
Light Energy
Sound Energy
Chemical Energy
Nuclear Energy
When we say that energy is being “used” to power something, we do not mean that energy is being used up. Instead what is meant is that the energy is being changed from one form of energy into another form.
When energy changes form, it is called energy transformation. Energy changes form whenever it is used to do work. Another name for energy transformation is energy conversion.
The Sun is the source of almost all energy on Earth. The Sun makes plants grow. When animals eat the plants they gain energy from the chemicals that make up the plants. When plants die they decay, or break down. Over millions of years this process creates what are called fossil fuels.
Junior Energy Explorers Curriculum Resources
Junior Energy Explorers Curriculum Resources
The Junior Energy Explorers curriculum guide features lessons on wind, water, and solar energy sources, simple machines, plants, animals, and electricity. Each lesson includes a robust variety of cross-curricular activities that integrate math, science, language, music, art and movement. The resources linked in the pages below contain copy/print pages from the curriculum, videos of books, and songs to supplement the curriculum.
Each learning experience in the Junior Energy Explorers curriculum guide aligns with learning goals and developmental domains for early learners.
This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under Award Number DE-EE0009480.
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