Virtual Student Workshops

VEEP’s Energy Teaching Partners are here to support teachers, students, and home school families. We have adapted our traditional resources to be used in the COVID-responsive classroom, at home, or in a hybrid between the two. Our educators will collaborate virtually with teachers, classes, student groups, and home school families.  We can provide lessons and curriculum, join classes for virtual presentations and workshops, and provide support with equipment for hands-on learning to reach your learning goals.  

Grade range: K–12  Time commitment: varies

Our educators are available to discuss the options. Schedule a meeting with a VEEP educator who specializes in your grade band.

A note on cost

• *Indicates programming that we can bring to NH Schools for FREE through NHSaves.
• Our other programming is available on a sliding scale from $0-$100 per class supported.  (If you have funds budgeted to do this work, it will help VEEP’s long term stability to receive payment.  However, we are aware that many schools are facing budget crises this year, and we can provide some support to any class that needs it for free thanks to generous support from Efficiency Vermont, VLITE Foundation, Putnam Foundation, NH Charitable Foundation, VT Gas Systems, and additional funders.)

Possible Curriculum topics:

Conservation Kids | grades K-3*

Young students gain a basic understanding of energy and the importance of conservation and efficiency. Hands-on activities help students explore transportation, basic home appliances, and the difference between human energy and power plant energy, with a focus on simple conservation behaviors that students can do at home or school.

Sun FUNdamentals: Light & Shadows | grades K-3

Introduce your youngest students to solar energy, light, and shadows with this unit for K–3 that incorporates engineering principles in engaging, hands-on lessons, using NGSS and Common Core as frameworks. The FUNdamentals engineering lessons focus on design with an emphasis on students sharing their ideas and methods. In a lab style environment, students simulate the sharing community between engineers and scientists to create a community of learners. 

We offer three different Sun FUN lessons. These three lessons can also be borrowed as a kit and curriculum to engage students in a deeper exploration of light, shadows and engineering. Choose from:

Sunlight Shines on the Earth: How Does Light Behave with Materials?

This workshop explores the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light. Students make observations, collect data and make claims with evidence to answer how light behaves with materials.

Designing a Model Tree to Shade Earth’s Surface

Given the challenge of four animals who are in need of shade, students design and test a tree canopy for a model tree. Students have the opportunity to revise as they investigate how to slow the warming effects of sunlight.

Designing Light-Blocking Structures

Working with limited materials, students design and build a structure to be covered with paper to reduce the warming effect on an area. Students will draw the outline of the shadow and can investigate how a shadow changes over time.

Wind FUNdamentals: Using Wind to Do Work | grades K-3

Introduce your youngest students to wind energy with this unit for K–3 that incorporates engineering principles in engaging, hands-on lessons, using NGSS and Common Core as frameworks. The FUNdamentals engineering lessons focus on design with an emphasis on students sharing their ideas and methods. In a lab style environment, students simulate the sharing community between engineers and scientists to create a community of learners.

We offer three different Wind FUN lessons. These three lessons can also be borrowed as a kit and curriculum to engage students in a deeper exploration of wind energy and engineering. Choose from:

Introducing Wind Power

Beginning with an interactive reading of I Face the Wind, students will explore wind as moving air. Next students will develop a model of how a pin wheel works by exploring 2 different types of pinwheels to gather evidence for their understanding. 

Designing and Testing Sails

Students are asked to explore two different materials that might be suitable as a sail material. Working with limited materials, students will design and test a sail for a boat on a string track. Students collect data and discuss how the boats performed before working on revisions for their sail.

Designing and Improving Windmills

Beginning with, what material is best suited for a wind blade, students will design and test wind blades that will be used on VEEP’s windmills, to lift weight. Students collect data and discuss how the windmills performed before working on revisions for their wind blades.

Magnetism | grade 3

Students explore magnets, understanding magnetic force through hands-on experiments with magnets, paperclips, and other metals. This workshop lays the foundation for learning about electricity in later grades.

Electricity & the Environment | grades 4-10*

Students learn about electricity and how it powers our world. They will engage in explorations that let them learn more about electrical generation and efficiency.

Renewables by Design: An Intro to Energy Engineering | grades 5-10

Students are challenged to think like engineers tasked with reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. This workshop helps students develop their understanding of renewable and non-renewable sources of energy and to adapt renewable energy design parameters to produce the greatest amount of electricity and positively affect the environment.  Through a series of hands-on wind, solar, and hydro stations, students test variables, collect and analyze data, and start to construct explanations and solutions from the evidence.

Home Heat Transfer | grades 6-12*

Students explore how they can use less energy to heat their homes while still keeping it a comfortable temperature. This curriculum demonstrates the concepts of thermal energy transfer and familiarizes students with different insulation materials, including the materials' roles in heat transfer and slowing heat loss, and challenges them to build an energy efficient structure to keep heat in.

Modeling Climate Science | grades 6-12

Middle school students develop their understanding of factors that have caused a rise in global temperatures over the past century with emphasis on the major role that human activities play. Students test and compare bottle models of two “Earths” — one with room air and one with added CO2 and water vapor — to collect evidence and formulate a claim about the relationship between greenhouse gases and Earth's average air temperature, then participate in a scientist meeting to discuss their claims and add to their understanding of the effects of greenhouse gases.

Smart Technology & Climate Change | grades 9-12

High school students explore electricity use and smart meters to answer this question: How can new technologies in electrical metering reduce electrical usage and subsequently reduce CO2 emissions? Students measure power and calculate electrical energy usage of a variety of small appliances and create connections between electrical usage, electrical generation and related carbon dioxide emissions. Students are then introduced to new technology in electrical metering and are given the opportunity to examine the applications and implications of this new technology.

Green Energy Careers | grades 10-12*

Students investigate home electricity use and create connections between electrical usage, electrical generation and carbon dioxide emissions. They’ll do a hands-on analysis of the benefits available from efficiency improvements and how those can relate to job skills and career opportunities. 

Eco-Driving | for drivers' ed classes

Bring an Energy Educator to your driver’s education class for a lively presentation on maintaining and operating your vehicle in ways that save the most energy.

Requests are honored first come, first served. Note that you may sometimes need to book a few weeks in advance, depending on the availability of our educators.