Students are introduced to the concept of electricity by identifying it as an unseen, but pervasive and important presence in their lives. They are also introduced to the idea of engineers making, controlling and distributing electricity. The main concepts presented are the science of electricity and the careers that involve an understanding of electricity. Students first review the structure of atoms and then learn that electrons are the particles behind electrical current and the motivation for electron movement. They compare conductors and insulators based on their capabilities for electron flow. Then water and electrical systems are compared as an analogy to electrical current. They learn the differences between static and dynamic forms of electricity. A PowerPoint(TM) presentation is included, with review question/answer slides, as well as assessment handouts to practice using electricity-related terms through storytelling and to research electricity-related and electrical engineering careers.

As of January 2023, 575 utility-scale biopower plants were operational globally, with a total capacity of over 29,000 MW, less than 0.5% of worldwide power generation. An additional 6,000 MW are under construction. China is believed to significantly underreport its true biopower capacity, perhaps as high as 22,000 MW, primarily from agricultural residues and waste-to-energy facilities. Brazil, another major player, relies largely on sugarcane byproducts.

Prime movers are devices that convert natural sources of energy into mechanical energy to generate electricity. Historically, hydropower from water turbines and steam turbines played major roles. Gas turbines emerged as a more efficient and cost-effective option. In recent years, solar cells and wind turbines have made significant advancements, providing competitive and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional energy sources.

Students use conductivity meters to measure various salt and water solutions, as indicated by the number of LEDs (light emitting diodes) that illuminate on the meter. Students create calibration curves using known amounts of table salt dissolved in water and their corresponding conductivity readings. Using their calibration curves, students estimate the total equivalent amount of salt contained in Gatorade (or other sports drinks and/or unknown salt solutions). This activity reinforces electrical engineering concepts, such as the relationship between electrical potential, current and resistance, as well as the typical circuitry components that represent these phenomena. The concept of conductors is extended to ions that are dissolved in solution to illustrate why electrolytic solutions support the passage of currents.

Boston relies on fossil fuels for over 70% of its energy needs, with natural gas and refined oil being the dominant sources. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Boston is increasingly focusing on low-carbon energy sources such as nuclear power, hydropower, wind, and solar energy.

Geothermal power has a long history, with Native Americans and ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans utilizing its benefits. Today, countries such as the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, and New Zealand are leading the way in building new geothermal power projects to harness clean and sustainable energy from the Earth's heat.

ountries worldwide, including Germany, Spain, China, the United States, and others, are rapidly expanding their solar power infrastructure. China has been a particularly prominent player, contributing nearly one-third of new capacity additions.

The wind energy industry started in the 1980s in Southern California and several European countries. Today, the United States, Europe, and countries like India, Australia, Japan, Canada, China, and Brazil lead in new wind power capacity. Currently, wind power generates around 7% of global electricity, with onshore systems dominating but offshore capacity expected to grow in the future.

Students teams each use a bar magnet, sheet of paper and iron shavings to reveal the field lines as they travel around a magnet. They repeat the activity with an electromagnet made by wrapping thin wire around a nail and connecting either wire end to a battery. They see that the current flowing through a wire produces a magnetic field around the wire and that this magnetic field induced by electricity is no different than that produced by a bar magnet. The experience helps to solidify the idea that electricity and magnetism are deeply interrelated.

Students build their own simple conductivity tester and explore whether given solid materials and solutions of liquids are good conductors of electricity.

In this lesson students are introduced to Architect, Jeremy Peang-Meth. Mr. Peang-Meth was asked to design a local, renewable energy source for building located in the heart of New York City. While the tall buildings surrounding the site caused some obvious problems, there were also some benefits to the site. Students are asked to consider the constraints posed by the location of the building and then, based on their analysis of those constraints, to find a roof location that will provide good energy capture from the wind. After they have made that choice, students are invited to view Mr. Peang-Meth’s solution as he presents it in the provided video.

Windmills have been used for hundreds of years to collect energy from the wind in order to pump water, grind grain, and more recently generate electricity. There are many possible designs for the blades of a wind generator and engineers are always trying new ones. Design and test your own wind generator, then try to improve it by running a small electric motor connected to a voltage sensor.

In this activity, students develop an understanding of how engineers use wind to generate electricity. They will build a model anemometer to better understand and measure wind speed.

Students learn how engineers transform wind energy into electrical energy by building their own miniature wind turbines and measuring the electrical current it produces. They explore how design and position affect the electrical energy production.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Con Edison examined the future vulnerability of electrical infrastructure. Based on the results, they took action to increase their resilience.

From 1900 to 2022, global electricity generation grew remarkably from 66.4 TWh to 29,165 TWh. Fossil fuels maintained a stable share of around 60% throughout this period, while renewables like wind and solar saw rapid growth from the 2000s. The 1960s saw a rise in oil power plants, but energy price shocks in the 1970s shifted focus to natural gas and nuclear generation, with significant investments in gas power plants from the 2000s onward.

Students are introduced to the role of electricity and magnetism as they build speakers. They also explore the properties of magnets, create electromagnets, and determine the directions of magnetic fields. They conduct a scientific experiment and show cause-effect relationships by monitoring changes in the speaker's movement as the amount or the direction of the current change.