Boy Looking at windmill

Clean Energy
Lesson Plans

Free, classroom-ready lessons that meet
California Next Generation Science Standards
and help students explore renewable energy.

Boy Looking at windmill

Clean Energy Lesson Plans

Free, classroom-ready lessons that meet California Next Generation Science Standards and help students explore renewable energy.

Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) commissioned Inside the Outdoors Foundation, a program administered by the Orange County Department of Education, to develop engaging, hands-on classroom resources to inspire the next generation of clean energy leaders.

Designed for educators, the ready-to-use lesson plans help students learn about renewable energy, engage in conversations around environmental stewardship, understand clean energy’s impact on communities and think critically about the role they play in creating a greener, more sustainable future.

Each lesson is interactive, collaborative and meets the California Next Generation Science Standards, making them easy to incorporate into your existing curriculum while bringing real-world clean energy topics into the classroom.

Inside the Outdoors Foundation logo

Clean Energy Lesson Plans

01

Universal Lesson (all grade levels):
Energy, Climate and Community Decisions

Designed for learners of all ages, this lesson explores the connections between clean energy, climate and the choices communities make to create a greener, more sustainable future. The plan includes a presentation, data collection sheet, a thought-starter wonder sheet and pre-designed graphs for teacher use.
02

Fourth Grade Lesson: Energy and the Environment

Designed specifically for fourth grade students, this lesson helps to build foundational knowledge of clean energy and renewable resources. It also introduces climate and data analysis exercises through teacher-led, hands-on learning opportunities presented as a data collection worksheet, a resource classification activity and a wonder sheet.
03

Middle School Lesson: Energy from Environment: Uneven Distribution of Energy Resources

Created for middle school students, this lesson takes students through an engaging and investigative activity. Students explore the relationship between clean energy and how it powers the communities we call home. They participate in interactive mapping that helps them to connect renewable energy to their own life.
04

High School Lesson: Energy Storage, Community Trade-Offs and Infrastructure Decisions

Students take on the role of community decision-makers as they evaluate energy options, analyze evidence and develop recommendations for real-world clean energy challenges. The lesson includes a presentation, claim-evidence-reasoning worksheet and an interactive community energy decision-making challenge.
If you’re looking to enrich your students’ understanding of clean energy, register here to review and download lesson plans.