Here are useful educational resources for teachers and students. Electricity is an integral part of our daily lives. Can you imagine life without it? Our world would deteriorate into chaos. Today’s students are tomorrow's scientists and inventors. They will discover new ways to generate electricity and innovative ways to use less energy.

For Students and Teachers

What Makes a Light Work? Video

Go fishing with Jimmy as Grandpa explains: “What Makes A Light Work” and take a tour of Great River Energy. Can you name four sources of fuel used to generate electricity? Do you know the process that has to take place every time you flip a light switch? Do you know, “What Makes a Light Work?” You won’t be able to run a power plant after watching this video, but you will better understand the generation of electricity and “What Makes a Light Work?” (wmv file)

The Bakken Library and Museum

The Bakken Library and Museum, Minneapolis, Minn. focuses on electricity and magnetism, using history, the arts and exploration to bring science to life. Students, teachers, scholars and the general public are the primary audiences of the Bakken Library and Museum.

Energy Quest

Energy Quest is the award-winning energy education website of the California Energy Commission. The site provides parents and teachers with various energy and environmental education materials and resources. By using the site, students will learn about energy and how to save it. This fun site features large text, lots of illustrations, coloring pages, games, puzzles and more. Lightning bolts indicate whether an activity is easy, medium or difficult on the Energy Quest website.

Everest Quest

Everest Quest was designed for teachers and students in elementary and middle school grades to follow the progress of Ed Hommer and his team on their 2001 American-Canadian Mt. Everest Expedition. Hommer had a dream of becoming the first double amputee to reach the summit of the world’s tallest mountain, Mt. Everest. Unfortunately, the expedition was forced to end its quest in October after running out of time and into bad weather, and later that year Ed died while climbing Mt. Rainer. Still today, schools from across the country continue to utilize the site. Included in this site are over 30 lesson plans that address core learning objectives in reading, math, science and social studies at the Everest Quest website.

For Teachers

Get Charged

The Get Charged! Electricity and You educational outreach program is a unique educational tool sponsored by Touchstone Energy cooperatives and Discovery Channel School. The unique educational tool provides a real-world understanding of the power and purpose of electricity, as well as the importance of electric cooperatives in bringing power to rural America. The Get Charged! curriculum kits provide the tools educators need to teach middle/junior high school (grades 5-9) students about electricity. For more information about the Get Charged! curriculum kits, contact your local Touchstone Energy cooperative.

Lignite Energy Council Teacher Education Seminar

Elementary and secondary teachers can attend the three-day Lignite Energy Council Teacher Education seminar in June at Bismarck State College where they explore North Dakota’s energy industry. Teachers get a first-hand look at lignite mining operations, reclamation sites and coal conversion facilities and hear presentations about the lignite industry. In addition, teachers receive resource guides and educational materials. Teachers earn one continuing education graduate credit from the University of North Dakota.

For more information, contact Renee Walz at the Lignite Energy Council at 1-800-932-7117.

Teen Power

Great River Energy offers Teen Power™ a state-of-the art interactive learning tool for middle school and high school age students. The program utilizes research from energy industry leaders.

The program consists of six modules including: energy, lighting, heating ventilation and air conditioning, water, office equipment and building envelope. The program is free to participating schools. In addition, it offers teachers a new outlet for approaching students with instruction in math, technology, science and English. Students learn to work together, while emphasizing the responsibility to use energy wisely.

Wind and Solar Energy Teacher Workshops

Teachers learn about wind and solar energy and explore methods to turn a classroom into a renewable energy investigation laboratory at the Laurentian Environmental Center’s Renewable Energy Education workshop. Teachers receive continuing education credit from Hamline University in St. Paul. Most workshops are held at the center’s facilities in Britt, Minn.; some workshops are held at the Midwest Center for Wind Energy in the heart of the Buffalo Ridge near Hendricks, Minnesota. Great River Energy and the Department of Commerce contracted with the center to develop the curriculum. You may want to check with your electric provider to see if it will sponsor your attendance at the workshop. For more information, contact Sue Hankner at Laurentian Environmental Center at 218-749-1288.

More Resources

Great River Energy School Group Tours

If your school or youth group would like to tour one of our generation facilities, please call: 763-441-3121 (in Minnesota) or 701-442-3778 (in North Dakota). Great River Energy does not allow unscheduled tours.

Department of Energy Website

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/ On this site you'll find links to educational and training resources on energy, particularly energy efficiency and renewable energy.

You may also want to visit the U.S. Dept of Energy's Energy Information Administration's website.

EIA publishes a written resources as well as providing info on line. Energy Education Resources: Kindergarten through 12th Grade is a printed and on-line list of generally available free or low-cost energy-related educational materials. The entries are listed alphabetically by organization title. Each entry includes the address, telephone number, and description of the organization and the energy-related materials available. Most of the entries also include website and E-mail addresses. In the back of the book there is a subject index cross-referenced by number to the alphabetical entries.