Connect! Transform the Future
Program Overview
Created to complement the themes of the Electropolis 3D film and the Plan It Green: The Big Switch! game, National Geographic Education designed educational materials to bring students in Grades 4-12 content about energy sources, energy efficiency, and energy conservation. These free, online education resources are standards-based materials created for teachers and informal educators to use to engage students in science, social studies, and geography concepts related to energy.
These educational materials were developed for students spanning Grades 4-12; however, it's important to note the complexity of the energy topics addressed. Questions about energy cannot be easily answered, and energy-related decisions require the work of many experts to address economic, political, environmental, social, and other factors. Be mindful of the complexity of issues around energy topics in both the national and global energy conversation as you engage students in these topics. Students may benefit from an explanation of this "big picture" of the complexity of energy topics and then narrowing the focus as you engage them in specific energy-related issues with individual activities.
Educating youth about energy and energy solutions will be necessary if future generations are going to help solve our energy problems. Being armed with a greater understanding of energy allows us to make wiser choices in our personal lives, as well as in our communities. This collection of rich multimedia activities gives students a clear view of the benefits and challenges of our energy choices at a local to global scale, and their importance in our decision-making about energy today, tomorrow, and in the future.
A National Collaboration
The Center for Science is a national collaborative network focused on advancing science and technology, starting with the nation's youth. For Connect! Transform the Future, six of its leading science centers have partnered with National Geographic and GE to educate students about energy, engage them in a conversation about the future of energy, and inspire them to be the next generation of scientists and engineers. The Center for Science includes:
Energy Literacy Principles
The Connect! Transform the Future collection was designed with the energy literacy principles at its core. These principles provide a framework for energy education for learners of all ages. If understood and applied, the principles help individuals and communities make informed energy decisions.
Energy Education Advisory Board
- Dennis Dimick, Executive Editor, National Geographic magazine
- Martin Storksdieck, Ph.D., Director of the Board on Science Education (BOSE), National Research Council (NRC)
- Matthew Inman, Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, Department of Energy
- Dr. Jennifer Milne, Energy Assessment Analyst, Global Climate and Energy Project, Stanford University
- Kathleen O'Brien, Ph.D., Manager, Electric Power Systems, GE Global Research
Film
National Geographic Entertainment’s Electropolis 3D is coming to theaters in early 2014. This enthralling show asks viewers to imagine what happens when the energy grid we rely on stops working.