Energy Detectives:
Kindergarten – Grade 3

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Here's what the teachers are saying...

"There is a good variety of activities. The students really connected with Smarty and they enjoyed assuming the detective's role. I would definitely recommend this hands-on, interactive program to other Grade 2 and Grade 3 teachers. I enjoyed learning too!"

"The kids loved the lessons, were captivated, and enjoyed making the observations and recording their findings. They loved the posters and got really excited about energy, where it comes from, and conservation. It was fun and my enthusiasm carried over to the students."

The Energy Detectives program is designed to teach young people, their families and school communities to be more conscious about energy use. "Smarty and the Energy Detectives: The Mysterious Equation" is an appealing story that, combined with engaging lessons and an Energy Detectives Handbook, encourages students to play an active role in energy conservation.

The program is now available in French.

Program goals

This resource addresses three broad goals:

• To educate students and parents about the link between energy use and the need to conserve resources for the future.
• To explore issues of sustainability, stewardship and the environment.
• To provide opportunities for students to demonstrate leadership, teamwork and citizenship through energy conservation campaigns.

Through this program, students not only learn why saving energy is important, they apply that knowledge in their classrooms, schools, communities and homes through energy action plans.

Curriculum connections

The Energy Detectives program supports a number of the mandated curricula as students:

Social Studies

• Demonstrate roles and responsibilities within families and community.
• Think critically, evaluate information and practice effective communication.

Language Arts

• Participate in shared, independent and guided writing opportunities.
• Use oral language in a relevant context.
• Use meaningful strategies before, during and after reading.
• Represent their learning in a variety of ways.

Science

• Develop thinking processes and skills through hands-on activities.
• Inquire and discover during each lesson.
• Explore environmental issues related to science.

Health and Career Education

• Practice decision-making and goal-setting strategies.
• Learn about the importance of effective work habits and transferable skills.
• Become aware of the effects of choices on themselves and others.
• Gain knowledge necessary to make informed choices about their health and safety.

Social responsibility links

The Energy Detectives program supports this goal through activities requiring interpersonal skills and informed decision-making.

The activities provide teachers many opportunities to observe students in a variety of group work settings, those that involve decision-making and action-planning within the students' immediate community. Specifically, the lessons strongly support two of the four social responsibility strands:

• Contributing to school and community
• Recognizing rights and responsibilities

The storybook

"Smarty and the Energy Detectives: The Mysterious Equation" is a 32-page book divided into five chapters and designed for the Grade 2 reading level. This appealing story, illustrated by award-winning artist Kim La Fave, is central to the Energy Detectives program.

Teacher resource guide

10 lesson plans are structured to minimize preparation time and include the following elements:

• Background information to provide relevant Science and Social Studies support;
• Literacy strategies;
• Black line masters, including assessment tools and extension ideas;
• Reproducible pages and colour transparencies;
• An at-a-glance Curriculum Correlation Chart showing how the resource provides B.C. Prescribed Learning Outcomes.

Student Detective Handbook and support materials

Each teacher is provided with a class set of 25 handbooks. Students complete the black line master activities, colour the illustrations and take booklets home at the end of the unit.

Illustrated playing cards, bookmarks and posters are designed to reinforce electrical safety and energy conservation messages.

Register for a workshop

Call BC Hydro School Programs at 604 736 7424.