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Renewable-Energy Cooperative

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Grades 6-875-90 minSource: Creative Dad Company

Students compare real renewable energy options, like solar, wind, and battery storage, for one local site. They weigh how much power each could make against the cost to install and store it. It mixes time outdoors with spreadsheet-style decision making.

Budget levels

Amazon prices checked Oct 9-10, 2026 and may change

Materials links go to Amazon. Prices are estimates and may change. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases.

Quick Start

Digital downloads only.

$0 to buy. Printing noted separately.

Student time: one class period, one day.

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one class period on a single day.

Scale back: Fit it into a shorter period, use fewer effects, or run a demo instead of a build.

Scale up: Add one extra effect, or spread the share-out across another day.

Ambiance video

Ambiance video coming soon from Creative Dad Studio

  • storage cost cardsPrintinguse what you have
  • decision matrix templatePrintinguse what you have

Full Experience

Required materials for the class.

$57.56 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups). Exceeds $25 per class.

Classroom cardboard or boxes can lower the cost.

Student time: one day.

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one school day.

Scale back: Fit the build into one period with fewer effects.

Scale up: Spread the work across days, or add more effects.

  • Small DC motor and cardboard for turbineRequired1 x 6 motors + 1 x 25 sheets6 motors + 25 sheets$6.99 + $16.49AmazonAmazon
  • box fanRequired1 x 1 fan1 fan$34.08Amazon

Total Transformation

The bigger kit, with every optional item included.

$57.56 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

Student time: one day (one session, one-day event).

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one session, a one-day event.

Scale back: Shorten the event, or run a demo for a smaller audience.

Scale up: Spread the build and the event across days, or invite a bigger audience.

Materials

Small solar panel; Multimeter; Real site (yard, roof line or open field); Small DC motor and cardboard for turbine; box fan; storage cost cards; decision matrix template

Materials links go to Amazon. Prices are estimates and may change.

As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases.

  • Small solar panel

    Small solar panel

    No link

  • Multimeter

    Multimeter

    No link

Steps

  1. Scout a real site and predict how much sun and wind it gets during a typical day.
  2. Write criteria (meets the site's estimated daily energy need, payback under 15 years) and constraints (budget, space available, noise limits, impact on birds and land), citing how solar panels and turbines convert light and moving air into electricity.
  3. Measure solar: connect a small panel to a multimeter and record voltage at different angles and times of day.
  4. Measure wind: build a small turbine from a DC motor and cardboard blades, hold it in the site's wind or a fan at set distances, and record voltage. Use a wind app or flag to note wind conditions.
  5. Model storage: estimate how many batteries would be needed to cover nights or calm days, using simple cost and capacity cards.
  6. Score at least three options (solar only, wind only, solar plus storage, or a mix) in a decision matrix using your measured data and the criteria and constraints.
  7. Present a one-page energy plan with estimated cost and payback time to a stand-in town council, showing the matrix.

Standards mapped

  • NGSS · MS-ETS1-2

    Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.