Website review by Emily Pohlonski, Common Sense Education | Updated October 2015
Energy Kids
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Energy Kids

Kids explore great data, so-so games to learn how we power our lives

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Learning rating
Editorial review by Common Sense Education
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Grades
2–12 This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
Subjects & Skills
Science, Critical Thinking
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Website
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Take a look inside

5 images
Energy Kids features a collection of energy information and resources.
Information includes detailed charts that illustrate the ways we consume energy in the U.S..
Energy Conversion calculators switch between units of measure.
Fieldtrips are text descriptions of energy locations around the country.
In the energy slider puzzle, kids slide portions of an image around to make a picture.

Pros: Kids can access authentic data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Cons: Lesson plans and experiments aren't especially rigorous and don't align with NGSS science and engineering practices.

Bottom Line: Quality energy data and information paired with not-so-great lesson plans and activities.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Energy Kids is best used when teachers create their own lessons to use the site’s data or modify those provided to meet the shift in education described in the Next Generation of Science Standards. Science Experiments provided by Energy Kids are very directed. For example, students are given specific instructions to put beans and water in an airtight bag to see if gas is produced. Then they are asked if this gas could be used as a source of energy. Teachers could tweak this experiment to let students design their own method for extracting energy from garbage. Teachers can also check out the site's Energy Education Resource database, which features free and low-cost resources such as downloadable pamphlets and helpful websites.

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Standards:

Energy Kids is a collection of educational tools provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Resources include text descriptions, graphs, tables, conversion calculators, lesson plans, and science experiments. Depending on how they are adapted, resources can be used with students in grades 2 through 12.

Kids can check out descriptions and statistics of how we use energy in our homes, in transportation, and in industry.  They can also read about the History of Energy, including famous people and timelines laying out how we developed different energy technologies. The Games and Activities section features riddles, energy slang, and puzzles.

This site's biggest strength is that it provides up-to-date data about energy use in the United States. It also links kids to statistics and analysis from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This is particularly helpful since the Next Generation of Science Standards asks middle school kids to construct arguments on the rate of consumption of resources based on evidence from authentic databases. Under the Fieldtrip menu, kids can read reports from the Energy Ant describing locations from around the country, including places like the Trash-to-Energy Plant in Baltimore, Maryland. Unfortunately, though, the site's utility is limited: These “Fieldtrips” are text-heavy descriptions and a far cry from the virtual tours featured on other sites, and kids won't have an opportunity to dive deeply into the data in a way that promotes NGSS science and engineering practices.

Overall, this site's worth a look as a starting point for a teacher's own lesson plan: Take a look at the info available here (especially the Energy Education Resource database) and consider how it might fit well into your existing lessons about energy. Then, use the reports as the basis for your students' own investigations. The games and activities might be fun as a warm-up, but the main educational value will come through what teachers layer onto this data.

Overall Rating
Engagement Would it motivate students and hold their interest? Is it visually appealing? Would it inspire teachers to try something new or change their instruction?

Text-heavy pages aren't especially engaging. Crossword puzzles and word searches on the "Games" page attempt to make the content more fun but have uneven success.

Pedagogy Does the tool help teachers promote a more student-centered experience? Will students gain conceptual understanding or think critically? Does it deepen teachers’ pedagogical thinking?

Learning isn't baked into games like Sudoku or the picture slider puzzle, but the included information and data are up to date and accurate. This might be best used as a reference tool for kids or a lesson starting point for teachers.

Support Can students and teachers get assistance when they need it? Is it created with people of different abilities and backgrounds in mind? Is learning reinforced and extended beyond the digital experience?

Though the information is helpful, it's only available in English, and the text-heavy format might be a challenge for ELLs and struggling readers. Kids can use provided contact info to submit energy questions not answered on the site.

Common Sense reviewer
Emily Pohlonski Classroom teacher
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Key Standards Supported

Earth and Human Activity

  • 4-ESS3-1

    Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.

  • 5-ESS3-1

    Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.

  • MS-ESS3-4

    Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.

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