It’s never too early to start learning about energy efficiency. At home and in the classroom, students are using electricity every day. That’s why it’s important to teach young children simple ways to think about energy and how to use less of it. This will instill good habits moving forward and help their families cut their energy costs.

Here are some tips on how you can engage elementary-aged students:

Get Children Excited About Energy Efficiency

While there are many benefits to children learning about energy efficiency, it can be difficult to find ways to introduce the topic. To help students learn energy-saving habits, get them involved in fun activities they can do in the classroom and at home. Here are some ideas for activities to get you started:

Reading stories that address the topic of electricity. This can explain what energy is at an age-appropriate level and how kids can use less.

Encouraging children to play outside when the weather is nice. It’s a great way to get them moving and learn how to have fun without technology.

Introducing energy-saving habits that are easy for students to follow. This can include turning lights off when they’re not being used, opening curtains or blinds in the winter to let the warm sunlight in, and ensuring faucets are shut all the way off to prevent hot water waste.

Bring Energy Efficiency Education Into The Classroom With Generation E

Another great place for children to start learning about energy efficiency is at school. Teachers can take advantage of Generation E’s Kindergarten to Grade 5 resources to engage younger students. We provide these materials to help students understand the basics of energy efficiency and why it’s so important:

Energy Ed and Jenny Jay’s Manitoba Adventure
This activity book will take your students on an adventure around Manitoba. With fill-in-the-blank activities, a crossword, colouring pages, and more, your students will learn about the basic concepts of energy with Generation E’s mascots, Energy Ed and Jenny Jay.

Classroom Checklist
Our classroom checklist is a great way to introduce your students to energy-saving behaviours. They can use this checklist to guide them through daily habits like turning lights off when no one’s in the classroom and unplugging electronics that aren’t being used. Review the checklist at the end of the day to see how energy efficient your class was. Challenge your class to complete the checklist every day for a week, two weeks, or a month, and provide a fun reward to celebrate their hard work.

How To Get Started

Learning about energy efficiency can be an educational and engaging experience, even for the youngest students. When children have fun, they’re more likely to take the lessons to heart. Luckily, all of Generation E’s resources are fun and rewarding—and you can easily access them on our website for free. The materials can be printed directly from the website or teachers can request printed copies from our team.

If you’d like to take your energy efficiency education to the next level, get in touch with our Outreach & Engagement Coordinator! They can visit your class to deliver presentations, coordinate activities, and answer questions about lesson planning.

Reach out to our team today to bring energy efficiency education to a classroom near you!