Discovering Energy Outdoors - In Nature and on Your School Grounds!

​Thank you for utilizing the hands-on resources lending program through the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education. We hope the following resources will be useful to you and your students. Click over to the Lending Program site to learn more about kit contents and to sign up to borrow a kit.

The resources below support use of the Energy Audit Kit.

Tool Instructions and Videos​

Infrared Thermometer (pdf)  |  How to use an infrared thermometer (video)

Light Meter (pdf)  |  How to use a light meter (video)

Watt Meter (pdf)  |  How to use a watt meter (video)

Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer  |  How to use a temperature/humidity sensor (video)

Flicker Checker  |  How to use a flicker checker (video)

FLIR ONE camera attachment (pdf)  |  How to use a FLIR ONE infrared attachment (video)

FLIR ix Handheld Infrared Camera (pdf)

Digital Thermometer (pdf)

  Activities for Discovering Energy Outdoors  

Exploring Energy Outdoors video and lesson series (Grades K-3, 4-6, families at home, afterschool settings)  This series of four outdoor-based, hands-on activities explores how wind and solar eneryg are formed and work. Each activity includes a video, hands-on activity for students, materials/supply list, take-home activity page for caregivers, and full KEEP lesson.
Taking Temperatures (Grades K-4)
Students use a thermometer to investigate how shading, coloring, and other factors affect temperature.
Detecting Schoolyard Food Chains (Grades K-4)
Students research organisms in their schoolyard and create simple food chains involving those organisms.
Energy Use in an Ecosystem (Grades 5-8)
Students survey different environments and investigate how sunlight, soil moisture, temperature, and wind affect living elements-plants and animals-in an ecosystem.
Shoebox Solar Cooker (5-8)
Students will be able to explain what role colors and/or materials play in solar energy production and energy efficiency.
Puzzling Wisconsin’s Biological Communities (Grades 9-12)
Students identify different Wisconsin biological communities based on hearing a series of energy-related clues.
Food Chain Game (K-4/5-8)
By playing an outdoor tag game, students simulate the transfer of energy between organisms in a food chain.
Energy Lessons for Teaching Outdoors (K-4, 5-8) PDF handout featuring complete list of KEEP lessons for teaching about energy outdoors. Download and share with educators.