Watt Watchers of Texas: Texas is Too Good To Waste™

Energy Conservation Resources for Middle School

When it comes to saving the planet through energy conservation efforts, it is critical that kids of all ages and grade levels are aware of the benefits of saving energy and how they can do their part.

Young children in elementary school may simply enjoy doing activities that center around easy experiments and provide an interactive experience. High schoolers may enjoy learning more specific aspects of the energy conservation process through themes such as electricity or transportation. Middle schoolers, though, may benefit from a mix of participation and explanation.

No matter what grade students are in, it is never too early or too late to begin or continue their education about energy conservation.

Adults and kids alike should be able to actively participate in the energy saving process, and it is important that everyone understands the many benefits of conservation. For middle school students, it may be a challenge to keep them interested in a discussion about energy conservation, but they would also enjoy some hands-on activities that demonstrate the value of saving energy.
At Watt Watchers of Texas, we understand the importance of teaching middle school children in a way that is engaging and educational. We have a range of activities and resources for teachers of middle school students that we know will be useful as a part of the energy conservation curriculum while also keeping students’ attention throughout the course of the lesson.

Energy Curriculum Resources for Middle School Teachers

Lil’ Tex and Ann, the foundation of our Student Patrol Program, are always looking for kids of all ages to join them in their efforts to stop the Wasters Gang from taking resources away from Texas and its citizens. If your middle school students are looking for a fun and exciting way to make sure that teachers, administrators, staff, and other students are all following the energy conservation guidelines you have put into place, the Student Patrol is perfect for them.
You can hand out Watt Watchers badges for all of your students who are participating and assign them jobs such as checking to make sure the lights are turned off in empty classrooms. Other classes can earn achievement certifications for being conscious of their energy saving activities, and both the school as well as the earth will benefit from your students’ participation. And best of all: everything is free to download as many times as you need!
Watt Watchers also has plenty of free energy education activities designed to supplement an energy conservation and energy efficiency curriculum. They are divided into seven themes (at home, cooling and heating, electricity, food, materials, transportation, and water) as well as grade level (K-12). They range from making a daily menu to hunting for recyclables to graphene emissions and everything in between. Whatever lesson you are working on, Watt Watchers has at least one activity to help you demonstrate to your students the benefits of energy conservation.
No matter the grade level or your students’ age, our activities, lessons, and resources are sure to keep their attention and help them learn energy conservation tips that will last a lifetime.

Why is Energy Conservation Important?

As adults, we understand the benefits of energy conservation, especially when it comes to the monthly utility bills. The more energy we use, the higher the bills. So, it’s an obvious step to reduce our energy consumption in order to save money and help the planet as well. Children, however, may not immediately understand the advantages of energy conservation, so it is critical that they begin to learn these lessons at an early age. And the best way for kids to learn and enjoy the process is through education activities that encourage energy conservation, teach kids about its importance, and show them that saving energy can be fun.
We use these resources every day, and they are essential to our modern way of life. That is why it is everyone’s duty (even kids) to do their part in conserving energy throughout the course of their day. From simply turning off a light when you leave a room to limiting the length of your shower to swapping old light bulbs for new, energy efficient ones, every bit of participation helps.
If your middle school students are ready to take on more energy saving responsibility, Watt Watchers of Texas has resources and lessons to help them find new and creative ways to enhance their energy conservation efforts. And don’t forget to remind students that they should also be discussing the benefits of saving energy with their families and implementing similar energy conservation efforts in their own homes.

Check out these great activities for grades 6-8!

Tracking Down the Wasters Gang: A Watt Watchers Scavenger Hunt

Did you know the Wasters Gang could be hiding out in your home right now? This activity might lead you to them!

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The Pay Me Game

Students have a hard time understanding how much energy they are using if it is not tied to dollar amounts.

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Meter Reading

Regardless of the type of meter you have, meter reading can be kind of tricky.

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Where are the Shale Plays?

Natural resources are not evenly distributed across the United States or even across the State of Texas. Looking at the horizon you can see if you are near the sea or surrounded by timber, but other resources crucial to our daily lives are less obvious.

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Where Does the Sun Shine?

The potential for generating electricity from solar power in the United States far exceeds that of Europe. Deserts are particularly abundant with photons, and flat land lends itself to the physical area required for large-scale solar panel installations. As a result, analysts and producers expect the southwestern United States to continue to be a hotbed of solar activity.

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Where Does the Wind Blow?

The wind corridor of the United States extends from North Dakota south to Texas, where winds blow reasonably fast, and the land is flat and relatively affordable, a compelling combination for the construction of wind farms. In fact, the U.S. corridor ranks as one of the greatest landed wind resources in the world.

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Recycle Signage

Even in places where it is easy to recycle because of school-wide or community-wide initiatives, many people are confused about what and where to recycle. Students can help other students by creating instructive visual signage for waste collection areas.

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What’s in My Lunch?

Students bring their lunch to school for lots of reasons, dislike of school food, special diet, to fit in with other kids, etc. Many times at home, parents have the greatest of intentions when making or purchasing the food that goes into those lunches.

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Garbage, Waste, and Trash

Students will discuss the meaning of garbage, waste and trash. They will then investigate their classroom trash to learn about the variety and amount of trash they produce.

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Junk Art

This activity focuses on the “reuse” theme of reduce-reuse-recycle. Students collect waste materials (paper, bottles, cans, cardboard tubes, fabric, etc) and find other uses for them either practically, for a school project, or as art objects.

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How Many Years to Disappear?

Students may watch the garbage people come by and think that their waste magically disappears. Some may have been to the dump with a parent and some may have a compost pile or “dump” of their own on their land.

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Utility Bill Organizer

We use energy for everything and could not make it through a single day without it. But we rarely even think about how much we use, what kinds of energy there are, the cost, or the pollution consequences.

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Contact Watt Watchers for More Middle School Energy Conservation Resources

Watt Watchers of Texas is founded on the principle of boosting energy literacy for students in grades K-12 as well as helping schools save money through energy conservation efforts. We are a state-sponsored STEM program, and we are proud to provide students, teachers, and families access to energy saving tips, activities, and lessons to encourage energy literacy. Watt Watchers believes that Texas is too good waste, so we make all of our resources freely available for download and use.

If you are a teacher or administrator who is interested in getting your school involved in the Watt Watchers of Texas energy conservation program, contact us today. We have all of the resources, information, and activities you could need to ensure a successful implementation of our program. Your kids will love knowing that they are helping Lil’ Tex and Ann and feel proud to be making a difference while they learn about the environment.

Watt Watchers of Texas
204 E. Dean Keeton Street, Austin, Texas 78712

contact@watt-watchers.com

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Watt Watchers of Texas is a Partner Program of Smart Energy Education.
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