Ready-To-Use Middle School Science Activity

What alternative energy sources could you use in your school? Where are old energy sources being used in your town, and how would you change them?  Explore energy with your middle level students in this STEM exercise for grades 6-8. We’ve got you covered with middle school science classroom strategies, activities, resources, and graphic organizers.

Looking for different level and subject-area activities? 

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High Level Science: Timeline of the Earth

SOCIAL STUDIES ACTIVITIES: Exploring Hispanic Heritage

Elementary Level Social Studies: Life in Mexico (Grades PreK-2) AND Mayan Exploration (Grades 3-5)

Middle Level Social Studies: Latin American Travel Agent

High Level Social Studies: Biographies of Independence

In each activity, we share suggested resources from Britannica’s newest classroom tool, LaunchPacks: Science. You can get free 30-day access now by taking a Packs: Science free trial, or you can use the activity, questions, and free, downloadable graphic organizer with your own classroom resources.

Grades 6-8 Science Activity: Alternative Sources of Energy

Overview: Students will read about, and compare and contrast, alternative sources of energy.  Students will also write about how these energy sources can impact their environment / community.

Suggested Resources:

• LaunchPacks Science: Alternative Sources of Energy for Grades 6-8

• Graphic Organizer: Reason-Claim-Evidence II

Strategy: Claim-Reason-Evidence

Activity: Students will read through each article and compare and contrast each of the alternative energy sources listed in the pack (this can be done in small groups, whole group, or individually).  Students will then use Graphic Organizer: Reason-Claim-Evidence II to create a first draft about this topic:  Replace the old energy sources in your town with several of the alternative energy sources that you’ve just learned about.

Suggested Questions:

• How will these alternative sources of energy help the environment in your town?

• In what other ways can switching to alternative sources of energy help your local community?

• Do you think switching to alternative sources of energy will be a net positive or a net negative?

Possible Extension: Illustrate or make a model of your town with the new sources of energy in place.