Free Interdisciplinary Educational Materials Now Available to Foster a More Energy Literate Nation

Alexandria VA - Free, interdisciplinary, educational materials and videos are now available to foster a more energy literate nation, and to answer important questions like: What is energy? Where does energy come from? How much energy do humans use? The Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts for Energy Education project, available on the Department of Energy website, identifies what makes an energy literate citizen, and highlights seven principles to help guide exploration into energy related learning.

The ability to understand energy is not exclusive to a scientific setting; civics, history, economics, sociology, psychology and politics play a profound role in U.S. energy development. To capitalize on this, the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) Center for Geoscience & Society has produced educational materials for both natural and social science classrooms which correspond to the principles developed under this initiative. Materials include: videos (in English and Spanish), student and teacher guides, a “Quick Start” guide to energy literacy, lesson connections, and guidance for aligning energy literacy lessons with the Next Generation Science Standards. In addition, AGI links users to the many resources available through AGI Member Organizations, and educational partners such as the Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development (SEED) and Switch Energy Project.

By adding #EnergyLiteracy and #Energia people can continue the dialogue on social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and various blogging platforms. People can ask experts questions, find additional resources and meet other people fascinated by the role energy plays in society. To access the Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts for Energy Education website go to: http://energy.gov/e/essential-principles-and-fundamental-concepts-energy-education

Increasing energy literacy is a culmination of public listening sessions and expert input from the consortium of federal agencies and recognized energy partners that make up the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The materials were first made available in December 2014, by a joint statement from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Center for Science Education and the American Geosciences Institute. Each organization has brought its own element to these materials to provide a comprehensive and exciting overview to energy literacy.