Students form expert engineering teams working for the (fictional) alternative energy consulting firm, Greenewables, Inc. Each team specializes in a form of renewable energy used to generate electrical power: passive solar, solar photovoltaic, wind power, low-impact hydropower, biomass, geothermal and (for more advanced students) hydrogen fuel cells. Teams produce poster presentations making a case for their technology and produce an accompanying PDF document using Adobe Acrobat that summarizes the presentation. This activity is geared towards fifth-grade and older students, and Internet research capabilities are required. Some portions of this activity may be appropriate with younger students.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Domesticated edible insects are a sustainable protein source that has been gaining global attention. P. brevitarsis is one such species, and their larvae can also eat decaying organic waste and turn it into a plant-growth promoting mixture. But organic matter like this is high in lignocellulose, which is difficult to digest. In fact, these larvae lack the enzymes needed to break lignocellulose down on their own. So, researchers checked their microbiome for microbial genes able to fill in the gaps. The researchers established a comprehensive reference catalog of gut microbial and host genes. Between the two sets of genes, lignocellulose-degrading enzymes were abundant and highly diversified. P. brevitarsis larvae also selectively enriched their microbiome for lignocellulose-degrading microbes and had physiological adaptations that assisted in lignocellulose degradation..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This is a three-credit course which covers topics that enhance the students’ problem solving abilities, knowledge of the basic principles of probability/statistics, and guides students to master critical thinking/logic skills, geometric principles, personal finance skills. This course requires that students apply their knowledge to real-world problems. A TI-84 or comparable calculator is required. The course has four main units: Thinking Algebraically, Thinking Logically and Geometrically, Thinking Statistically, and Making Connections. This course is paired with a course in MyOpenMath which contains the instructor materials (including answer keys) and online homework system with immediate feedback. All course materials are licensed by CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.

In this project, students will have the opportunity to explore how to calculate biomass for trees through a real-life outdoor activity. To find the project, go to this website. ​​​​​​​

Students learn and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable energy sources. They also learn about our nation's electric power grid and what it means for a residential home to be "off the grid."

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Take. Make. Dispose. Long the mantra of modern industry, this linear model of economic growth is unsustainable. It has drained the planet of natural resources and amplified the climate-altering effects of human activity. Fortunately, it’s not too late to turn it around. The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outlines a plan of action for preserving peace, people, prosperity, and our planet. Central to that plan is the promotion of a new industrial model of reduction, reuse, and recycling. Scientists from Sweden are taking up that cause in an unlikely but impactful place: inside plants. Biomass is a highly underutilized natural resource. Currently, humans use only about 3.5% of net growth of global biomass. It’s not hard to envision how adding more biomass to the world’s current energy mix could substantially offset harmful fossil fuels..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is the gold standard for pathology tissue storage, making FFPE tissue libraries rich repositories for identifying and analyzing the bacterial microbiomes that stretch across the human body. Unfortunately, various facets of the FFPE process can compromise the integrity of tissue for this type of analysis. including DNA damage, susceptibility to contamination, and the lack of suitable DNA extraction methods. A new study proposes a system called Protoblock for standardizing and optimizing FFPE tissue-based research. A Protoblock is generated by embedding a known number of fixed cells in a molded agar matrix. After the agar solidifies, the block is processed following routine FFPE protocols and verified by microscopy. Experiments confirmed the quality and condition of DNA purified from Protoblocks, revealing important calibration information, such as how DNA damage evolves over fixation time. and how host DNA and sample prep method might bias bacterial analysis..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students use real-world data to evaluate various renewable energy sources and the feasibility of implementing these sources. Working in small groups, students use data from the Renewable Energy Living Lab to describe and understand the way the world works. The data is obtained through observation and experimentation. Using the living lab gives students and teachers the opportunity to practice analyzing data to solve problems or answer questions, in much the same way that scientists and engineers do every day.

Students analyze real-world data for five types of renewable energy, as found on the online Renewable Energy Living Lab. They identify the best and worst locations for production of each form of renewable energy, and then make recommendations for which type that state should pursue.

Students become familiar with the online Renewable Energy Living Lab interface and access its real-world solar energy data to evaluate the potential for solar generation in various U.S. locations. They become familiar with where the most common sources of renewable energy are distributed across the U.S. Through this activity, students and teachers gain familiarity with the living lab's GIS graphic interface and query functions, and are exposed to the available data in renewable energy databases, learning how to query to find specific information for specific purposes. The activity is intended as a "training" activity prior to conducting activities such as The Bright Idea activity, which includes a definitive and extensive end product (a feasibility plan) for students to create.

Students use real-world data to calculate the potential for solar and wind energy generation at their school location. After examining maps and analyzing data from the online Renewable Energy Living Lab, they write recommendations as to the optimal form of renewable energy the school should pursue.

Students use real-world data to evaluate whether solar power is a viable energy alternative for several cities in different parts of the U.S. Working in small groups, they examine maps and make calculations using NREL/US DOE data from the online Renewable Energy Living Lab. In this exercise, students analyze cost and availability for solar power, and come to conclusions about whether solar power is a good solution for four different locations.

The lesson is a short and simple account about renewable sources of energy. Students will learn about what nonrenewable sources of energy are and why we should avoid using them. They will be able to identify renewable sources of energy around them. They will be able to identify installations pertaining to renewable sources of energy such as wind mills, solar panels. They will realize the importance of energy conservation and may make changes in their lives to save energy. This will also help save on energy bills.

EME 807 overviews a wide range of contemporary technologies in the context of sustainability and examines metrics for their assessment. The course explores the main principles that guide modern science and technology towards sustainable solutions. It covers such topics as resource management technologies, waste and wastewater treatment, renewable energy technologies, high performance buildings and transportation systems, application of informatics and feedback to sustainable systems, and more. Learning in EME 807 heavily relies on real-life examples and taps into current practices of technology analysis. This course goes beyond understanding the background, fostering critical thinking and challenging the students to draw connections between social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainable technologies.

Stanford University’s Understand Energy Learning Hub provides free access to Stanford course content on energy resources from fossil fuels like oil and coal to renewable resources like the wind, the sun, and efficiency; energy currencies like electricity and hydrogen; and energy services such as transportation and buildings. Explore the Hub and build your energy literacy to address climate change and sustainability issues, engage on equity and human development challenges, participate in energy industry markets and technology innovations, and make informed energy decisions.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The termite gut is the world’s smallest bioreactor and the most efficient system for breaking down biomass. To learn how this mini-digester might one day be scaled up to a technologically meaningful level, researchers examined the structure and function of the gut microbiomes from 11 termite genera which were grouped by diet into plant-fiber feeders and soil feeders. Both groups had similar bacterial flora. But subtle differences did emerge, with each termite species harbouring a unique set of genes encoding for breaking down plant biomass. Future metagenomics studies could help refine the specific functions of different bacterial genes within the termite gut, allowing for better insight into the termite–bacteria relationship and teasing out capabilities that could help bring these microscopic reactors to the macroscale..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"As a precursor to biobased chemicals, biomass holds enormous potential for meeting the needs of the circular economy. To get the most out of biomass, a new study proposes borrowing tools from machine learning. During anaerobic fermentation, biomass fuels the growth and proliferation of various microorganisms. These microbes, in turn, form organic molecules that can be processed into specialty chemicals, but the conditions and microbes most conducive to this process aren’t always known. To find out, researchers examined bioreactors designed to form medium-chain carboxylates from xylan and lactate. As expected, reducing the hydraulic retention time, or the average time soluble compounds reside in a bioreactor, boosted the formation of useful medium-chain carboxylates. The key was to identify the organisms responsible for this boost. For that, the team used machine learning models designed to link the change in hydraulic retention time to distinct sequences of microbial DNA..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, with human activities such as logging being a major cause of this loss. One way China is addressing this problem is through so-called mountain closure, that is, by stopping all anthropogenic activity within degraded forests. But precisely how mountain closure affects ecosystem renewal isn’t well known. To answer this question, researchers have turned their attention underground, to fine roots. By following the status of these structures, they’ve shed light on how forests renew themselves over the decades after human activity is stopped. Plants use fine roots to acquire water and nutrients from soil, which gives them a crucial role in terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycling. Because soil composition is key to ecosystem productivity, changes in fine root abundance are one indicator of a forest’s health. This prompted the researchers to use fine roots to assess how forests fare after closure..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.