Energy seems easy to use, but obtaining it is often not easy on the environment. When we reduce the amount of energy we use, we decrease the pollution that results from producing that energy. In this activity, students conduct an audit of the energy they use in their own homes and create an action plan to reduce energy use.

Thermometer, art supplies, calculators (optional).

National Standards: K-4

• PRI-A: 1.c. Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data and extend the senses.
• PRI-A: 1.d. Use data to construct a reasonable explanation.
• PRI-A: 1.e. Communicate investigations and explanations.
• PRI-F: 3.a. Resources are things that we get from the living and nonliving environment to meet the needs and wants of a population.

National Standards: Grades 5-8

• INT-A: 1.c. Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
• INT-A: 1.d. Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.
• INT-A: 2.c. Mathematics is important in all aspects of scientific inquiry.
• INT-F: 2.b. Causes of environmental degradation and resource depletion vary from region to region and from country to country.