Putting Energy into Education
NEED curriculum incorporates activities to help synthesize energy information and create valuable connections between science and social science and the application of knowledge to decision making. Students undertake problem-based learning activities and explore possible opportunities and challenges for many energy decisions.
NEED materials are correlated to the Disciplinary Core Ideas of the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts and Mathematics, and also correlated to each state’s individual science standards.
NEED updates most of its curriculum each year to reflect the most current, available energy data and technologies on all topics. We invite you to visit our “New with NEED” curriculum section.
In 2024, we added a new guide to our primary level suite of curriculum called My Future Energy Career. This guide has young students start practicing soft skills and building literacy skills while learning about types of energy industry careers.
Noteworthy updates were made to our H2Educate, Energy on Stage, and Energy Jeopardy curriculum guides. We also added a few new holiday energy-themed supplementary resources and continue to translate NEED resources into Spanish.
STAY TUNED! 2025 will bring two new guides to NEED's transportation suite of curriculum and we are excited to provide updates and new offerings at the Primary (K-2) level.
Since 1980, NEED has worked with thousands of partners across the country to design energy education programs that fit their needs. NEED continues to expand curriculum offerings, working with partners to create curriculum on additional energy topics and expanding offerings on existing content.
2024 provided many opportunities of partnership including:
- Partnering with NextEra to create wind energy curriculum to use as they develop wind projects across the country
- Creating a virtual field trip and solar curriculum for AES Hawaii
- Creating wave energy activities for Colorado State University
- Designing STEM challenges for the Constellation Youth Energy Summit
- Designing STEM and sustainability challenges with Exelon for the Exelon Foundation STEM Academies and Boys to STEM Academies
- Creating a tool kit for in-house, community outreach with Ameresco
- Continuation of our partnership with Performance Services to offer the Schools Going Solar guide
- Designing a Careers in Clean Energy set of tools and resources for workforce development for Ormat
- Adapting NEED's Great Energy Debate game for a Global Energy Debate game to use at Society of Petroleum Engineers education programs around the globe
- Designing curriculum and test preparation strategies for students taking the Construction and Skilled Trades Test
- Creating Home Energy Challenge curriculum and activities for Eversource for use with families across Eversource service areas in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire
If you are interested in partnering with NEED, please email info@need.org
My Future Energy Career
Designed for Primary Level (K-2)
Move beyond traditional community helpers and introduce students to a variety of careers that may be found in the energy industry. While learning about each career, students will practice specific job-related skills, practice soft skills needed to succeed in the workforce, as well as build and practice literacy skills.
Free PDF download and also available as an e-publication.
Energy Jeopardy
Grades 3-12
Students will enjoy NEED’s spin on the popular trivia game show. Jeopardy categories that help to reinforce your energy unit include: More MPGs, Famous Americans in Energy, Leading Nations, and more!
Free PDF download or view as an e-publication.
Optional: Energy Jeopardy Question Sheet and Score Sheet.
H2 Educate
Grades 6-12
Intermediate and secondary students are introduced to hydrogen as an important energy carrier —as a fuel for electricity generation, transportation, and industry. Students conduct experiments in electrolysis, learn about atomic structure and the periodic table, make molecular models, simulate how a fuel cell works, and explore a hydrogen fuel cell car kit. The kit was updated to include a combined Teacher/Student guide, an electrolysis apparatus, materials for small-scale electrolysis experiments, sodium sulfate electrolyte, molecular modeling materials, fuel cell simulation materials, and a model hydrogen fuel cell car kit with a detailed manual.
Free PDF Download or viewable as an e-publication.
New way to download NEED's free curriculum!
For the past several years NEED curriculum was hosted on a separate website via the platform Shopify. In 2024, the NEED website underwent a makeover. We not only wanted to provide a fresh look to the site, but the goal was to also make utilizing NEED materials and resources easier and more accessible. Now instead of being taken to a separate site, our "Shop" page stays connected and makes the downloading of curriculum less cumbersome.
We continue to provide great supplementary resources to accompany NEED guides! You can find these resources with their corresponding guide on the NEED Shop page, or on our PowerPoint and Supplementary Resources webpage.
2024 Top Downloads
