How I Would Use Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is currently powering projects in the most remote places on the planet. Homes in the middle of the dense Amazonian forest and the wild grassy plains of Mongolia today enjoy the comforts of electric lighting thanks to the adoption of modern renewable energy technologies.

It's always good to occasionally take stock of how fortunate our lives are. Ask your children to imagine life in these far and remote places. What would they uses these new renewable energy sources for? They may just surprise you with ideas that may spur on the next energy revolution. Let's go green creatively with this printable design challenge!

Printable & Activity Objectives

In this activity, your child will learn about how remote communities are using renewable energy today and explore other ways to use this green technology.

It will help your child or student:

• Foster greater creativity and encourage them to think from a different perspective through role-play and imaginary or make-believe scenarios.
• Provide them with an early introduction to renewable energy.

Understandably, it can be quite challenging to teach a complex matter such as renewable energy to young kids. These printable worksheets may be a nice first step to pique their curiosity about it.

How to Get Started

Simple steps to start:

• Go through some of the basic concepts of renewable energy. Common areas to cover would be types or sources (solar, wind, hydro, geo-thermal and biomass), benefits versus fossil fuels and downsides. Here are a few easy videos to start with:

Here's a super fun (and more in-depth) explanation animated with LEGO®.

• Read about how remote communities are now benefiting from the use of renewable energy. The following videos are slightly longer and more for an adult audience but are worth watching (for parents).

Here's a video about how a rural South African village built their own internet service provider powered by solar energy.

Here's a a longer and more in-depth look of the impact of renewable energy transforming the life and livelihoods of families living in rural Kenya.

• Ask your kids to list down all the basic necessities they need if they stayed in a remote location. Mark down those that require electricity and those that don't. Then get started with the design challenge!

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What's in the Printable Worksheet Pack

This printable worksheet pack consists of 5 printable design challenges to help kids imagine what they would build in different remote locations if they had renewable energy sources.  

What's included:

• 1 page - location: desert, renewable energy source: solar
• 1 page - location: under the sea, renewable energy: hydro/tidal turbines
• 1 page - location: snowy mountain, renewable energy source: wind
• 1 page - location: farm, renewable energy source: biomass
• 1 page - location: Arctic, renewable energy source: geothermal

Tip: If you child has trouble creating something new, ask him/her to draw a home or a campsite.

Click on the download link below to get started. Please note that this printable pack is only for paid members.