Developing balanced energy curriculum for middle level students

An increased need for energy-based educational materials is emerging in order to meet Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and address a societal need for greater scientific understanding of energy and environmental issues. Energy issues are complex and most students and teachers bring many misconceptions to the classroom. Presenting energy in a balanced, scientific framework that makes connections between where energy comes from, how we use energy, and the impacts of energy use can help address pre-existing misconceptions. The Sequestration Training and Education Program (STEP), a technology transfer center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy-National Energy Technology Laboratory housed at the Illinois State Geological Survey-University of Illinois, contracted a team at the University of Wyoming (UW) to develop a balanced energy education curriculum for middle level learners. The STEP energy curriculum was developed to address misconceptions about the subsurface, engage students in experiences that built new knowledge, and provide a balanced perspective through structured reflection. While the NGSS were not released until April 2013, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2011) was used to shape unit development and the NGSS will be tied to the final product. The UW researchers both piloted the curriculum in several 9 (super th) grade classrooms during 2012-2013 school year and implemented an accompanying professional development (PD) workshop for in-service teachers in July 2013. Results from these pilot studies will be presented. Additionally, this session will highlight the development of the curriculum, PD framework, lessons learned, and future directions.