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Authors

Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point K-12 Energy Education Program

Grades

5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, AP® / College

Subjects

Science, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering

Resource Types

  • Lesson Plan
  • Presentation Slides
  • Worksheet
  • Video, 5 minutes, 32 seconds, CC
  • Article
  • Interactive Media

Regional Focus

Global, North America, United States, USA - Midwest, Wisconsin

Format

Google Docs, Google Slides

Clean Energy Careers in Solar Energy

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Synopsis
  • In this lesson, students will learn about renewable energy careers such as solar project manager, solar energy technician, and solar site assessor from video interviews with recent Wisconsin graduates and career summaries linked in the presentation.
  • Students will demonstrate their learning through note-taking and a brief discussion at the end of the lesson.
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • The solar career map is an excellent tool for students to use for further learning and independent exploration!
  • Seeing interviews from people in the careers will further engage the students in learning about careers in solar energy.

Additional Prerequisites

  • Students may need the terms photovoltaic, schematic, interpersonal, and others defined prior to beginning the lesson.
  • Students will need to have a basic understanding of what solar energy is and how it works.
  • All social media links on slide 20 are not clickable links.

Differentiation

  • This lesson can be used by guidance counselors or teachers to assist students with career planning or students can use the solar career map to find a career to explore.
  • Students in language arts classes can pick one of the careers mentioned in the lesson or a different career related to clean energy and write an informative paper or speech.
  • Students may want to find local people in these careers and conduct their own interviews.
  • Students can each pick a career to look at and research on the solar career map and then do a turn-and-talk to see what career other students chose.
  • This can connect to science lessons about energy, heat, electron transfers, electricity, and circuits.
  • Math and physics classes can use this resource as motivation for students interested in pursuing a career that requires these types of expertise.
Scientist Notes
The share of our energy grid coming from renewables continues to increase every year. This resource from the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program highlights careers in solar energy production. All sources are cited and all links within are from reputable sources. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
  • Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
    • Language (K-12)
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
    • Speaking & Listening (K-12)
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
  • Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
    • ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
      • 5-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
      • HS-ESS3-2 Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios.
    • ETS1: Engineering Design
      • HS-ETS1-1 Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
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