K-5 Landing Page - Watt Watchers of Texas

Energy conservation is an important topic and needs to be at the forefront of every conversation concerning the best ways to preserve our planet’s precious resources.

At Watt Watchers of Texas, we understand the critical nature of the energy conservation effort, and we want to encourage participation from everyone, including kids. Whether they are in kindergarten or 12th grade or anywhere in between, we believe that children should be aware of the benefits of saving energy, why the effort is important, and what kind of role they can have in the process. It’s not just for adults!

Why is Energy Conservation Important?

Our planet has a very limited amount of non-renewable resources, and humans have been using those resources for a long time. They have been depleted over the years, and it takes much longer for those resources to return, if they ever do. Because of this, it is critical that we discover new ways to harness and utilize renewable resources as well as conserve energy to reduce the depletion of the non-renewable resources.

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.

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.

Energy Curriculum Resources for Elementary School Teachers

Kids spend a large majority of their time at school throughout most of the year, so it is important that teachers have the resources available to them to teach their students about energy conservation. 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.

Student Patrols are one of the most exciting parts of Watt Watchers, and it was designed especially with elementary school children in mind. Students will join forces with Lil’ Tex and Ann as official Watt Watchers in their effort to save Texas by rounding up the Wasters Gang and preventing energy waste. When your students join the Student Patrol, we have lots of downloadable forms and templates to encourage students to always keep an eye out for signs of the Wasters Gang.

In addition to the Student Patrol Program, Watt Watchers of Texas also provides teachers with 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, electrocity, food, materials, transportation, and water) as well as grade level (K-12). They range from making a daily menu to hunting for recyclables to graphing 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.

Check out these great activities for grades K-5!

Watt Watchers Bingo

Is your family saving money by saving energy? Play Watt Watchers Bingo to see how you you’re doing and learn some valuable tips to save even more.

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!

Making Banana Bread

Did your bananas get too ripe before you could finish them? Time to make banana bread!

Food Preservation Techniques and Recipes: Making Jam

Did you find yourself with more fruit than you can eat? Don't let it go to waste—try making jam!

Food Preservation Techniques and Recipes: Freezing and Dehydration

Don't let that extra food go to waste—dry it and save it for later. Dried fruit makes a tasty snack and lasts for weeks.

Food Preservation Techniques and Recipes: Pickling and Fermentation

Historically, people have been pickling eggs, cabbage, carrots and many other food items in order to extend their storage life. Here are recipes for making pickled eggs and kimchi.

The Pay Me Game

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

Hunt for Recycling

One of the ways to reduce overall landfill waste, is to remove materials from the waste stream by recycling. Knowing what to recycle is the first step to more sustainable consumption.

Modes of Transportation

The very first step to thinking about transportation as an energy and resource problem is identifying different modes of transportation. Many forms exist, but they all might not exist in your community. In this activity, students will identify the different modes of transportation.

Make a Daily Menu

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a recommended daily value of 2000 Calories (kcal) across all food labels. From this number and some handy math, manufacturers print the percentage of the daily value of each nutrient provided by the food. However, the 2000 Calorie diet is only a simple benchmark for food standards and labeling, and not always appropriate for every lifestyle, health condition, and individual.

Looking at Food Labels

In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the requirements for food labels leaving manufacturers several years to comply. As a result there may be two different food labels on the products around classrooms, lunchrooms, and homes. Both labels have the same information about food, but the format differs slightly.

Investigating Recycling Signs

Gary Anderson created a recycling symbol in 1970. The three arrows broadly represent the three tenets: recycle, reduce, reuse. They form a continuous circle (more accurately, triangle) representing the ideal of sustainability.

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Contact Watt Watchers for More Energy Conservation Resources for Elementary School

At Watt Watchers of Texas, we are dedicated to helping schools reduce their energy consumption as well as waste so that we can all make a positive impact on the environment. We also want to help schools reduce their monthly costs on utility bills so that they can save that money for something more beneficial to the whole school.

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: Texas is Too Good To Waste™

Energy Conservation Resources for Elementary School

Energy conservation is an important topic and needs to be at the forefront of every conversation concerning the best ways to preserve our planet’s precious resources.

Why is Energy Conservation Important?

Energy Curriculum Resources for Elementary School Teachers

Check out these great activities for grades K-5!

Contact Watt Watchers for More Energy Conservation Resources for Elementary School

Contact Watt Watchers

Póngase en contacto con Watt Watchers