Foundations of Energy
The Lone Star State leads the country in natural gas, oil, and wind power, and our energy reserves stretch to the next century. CNBC and many other organizations have ranked Texas as the best state for business and credited our energy sector with powering our economy. Simply put, Texas powers the nation.
Foundations of Energy is a Texas Education Agency-approved high school CTE course to educate young Texans about the energy industry from a science-based, unbiased perspective (PEIMS Code: N1300263). These materials are fun and age-appropriate for high school students — and curriculum and supplies are free for Texas educators to use. Each unit is built on the student learning ladder of Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. Hands-on activities for each rung of the ladder will help students understand and be proud of the role Texas energy plays in improving our world.
While these activities are geared towards high school students, many of these lessons and activities can be modified for younger students as well.
Foundations of Energy covers three key components of energy in the Lone Star State:
1. Fundamentals of Energy Science: Students will learn how energy is produced, distributed, transformed, and consumed. Energy is essential to our modern lives, but it is mostly invisible and therefore mysterious to most people. We don’t see the electrons that turn on our lights or where the gas that powers our cars comes from. Students need to know how we get our electricity and fuel in order to become smart consumers of energy, to vote intelligently on matters of energy policy, and to open their minds to careers in the energy business.
2. Quality of Life: Students will learn how modern energy technologies have radically improved our quality of life not just in Texas, but the world over. Global health and life expectancy have increased and our air and water are far cleaner than they were thirty years ago, even as energy production has increased. China, India, and other countries have begun to import Texas natural gas and American environmental technologies.
3. Economy & Job Opportunities: Energy production and transmission employs nearly hundreds of Texans in good-paying, upwardly mobile jobs. Oil and gas production also funds billions of dollars a year public and higher education, roads, and first responders through taxes and royalty payments. In addition, local property taxes on energy producers fund at least the equivalent of one teacher in about 80 percent of our school districts, making energy a critical component of our education system, not just our economy.
Check out these modules linked below.