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The National Academy of the Sciences has launched this new website that gives an overview of the U.S. energy system. It covers 4 main topics: energy uses, sources of energy, the cost of energy (in terms of the environment, national security, and sustainability), and energy efficiency. The site has easy to navigate content and links to source material, and it includes n energy quiz, a glossary, and a source library. The site's producers are also developing curriculum-based materials for high school and middle school classrooms. Two special features--Our Energy System and Understasnding Efficiency--are designed to actively engage visitors and enhance their understanding of energy, including what it is, h ow we use it, and ways to conserve it.

"This lesson will encourage students to examine the trade-offs involved in our use of energy, a topic they will likely revisit throughout their lives. This lesson is built around an interactive called Power Up! in which students choose how to power a city. They will have to choose between various energy sources, taking into account the trade-offs between cost and the environmental impact of each choice. Discussions before and after the game will examine the various options and what students may want to take into account when making their decisions."

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"To engage students in making design decisions that affect the transfer of energy between a building and the outside environment. To help students identify and consider the types of decisions involved in improving a building's energy profile. To analyze the green roof option in economic and community terms."

Thinkfinity resource