PROGRAM OVERVIEW
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
HANDS-ON LESSONS
EXPANDED INFORMATION
EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS
EDUCATOR ASSESSMENTS

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TEACHER TOOLKIT

Entergy Solutions and NTC invite you to utilize these e-learning resources to teach your students about the importance of STEM while exploring their career pathway opportunities. The digital materials below are designed to excite your students about understanding this vital subject.
Want to know the best way to use the related games, handbooks and other lessons to educate your class? Watch this short video and learn how to add Connect2Next: Pathway to the Future to your curriculum!


PROGRAM OVERVIEW  

Our live in-school theatrical programs are an excellent way to teach students about a variety of important topics. Theatre has the power to spark imaginations and educate simultaneously! This 35-minute performance features two talented actors engaging the audience with interactive activities and humorous sketches that keep students and staff both laughing and learning.

The Connect2Next: Pathway to the Future teaches viewers about the following educational points:

  • How to identify your interests
  • What career clusters are
  • How to build a strong skillset
  • What the Clean Energy career field is

During the performance, your students will learn important lessons about natural resources and how to minimize humans’ impact on the environment. You can use the lessons and activities on this page to prolong the engagement for months to come.

Educational Standards  

We know your class time is extremely valuable. That’s why we ensure that all of our digital e-learning materials are aligned with state and national educational standards. It’s important that the Connect2Next: Pathway to the Future program adds to your existing curriculum and keeps students on track with their ongoing learning.

See below for details about how each digital activity aligns with educational standards and corresponds with your state’s curricula.

Educational Standards

STUDENT ACTIVITIES  

The Connect2Next: Pathway to the Future student activities page features games, educational lessons, downloadable PDFs and more! Access in the classroom or at home to learn more about STEM and career pathways!

Student Activities Page

Student Guide

This downloadable PDF features in-depth articles relating to the subject. The guide is written in a way that appeals to both students and parents, allowing students to bring the guide home to share.

Explore the Student Guide

Explore the Student Guide (SPANISH)

HANDS-ON LESSONS  

Your students can enhance what they learn from the program with these fun, hands-on lessons and experiments. These lessons can be done in the classroom or easily adapted for students to do at home with their families.

Follow up with your students to make sure they enjoyed and learned from these activities.

Lesson 1: Printable PDF

Harnessing the Sun’s Energy

Objective
Students will investigate a solar panel’s ability to produce volts and amps by collecting data on series vs. parallel circuits and angles of light collection.

Purpose of Activity
Read or Listen, Identify Details, Apply Skills

21st Century Skills
Critical Thinking, Collaboration

Cognitive Level
Strategic Thinking, Extended Thinking, Skills and Concepts

Class Time
50 minutes

Materials

Procedure

  1. Show pictures of solar panels. Find ones that the students may be familiar with in your area. This link has more pictures.
  2. Ask the students to write down three observations and then ask three questions. Have them ask most of their questions without providing answers.
  3. The students then answer the questions on the student sheet.
  4. Demonstrate the use of the voltmeter. Use 20 mv for most solar panels.
  5. Students should experiment with three different ways to increase the electric output from the solar panels. One test should establish the best angle for the solar panel, and the other two should test various combinations of the panels.

Critical Thinking Questions

What are some constraints to using solar energy?

  • Cost of solar panels, amount of electricity the panels can produce, number of days of adequate sunlight.

Why is solar energy attractive?

  • The energy source is free, solar energy produces little or no emissions, current energy sources do produce emissions, solar energy costs less than other sources.

Adapted from: https://energy.utah.gov/energy-education/curriculum/

Lesson 2: Printable PDF

Building Batteries

Objective
Students will investigate the construction of batteries based on how different materials react with one another to produce electricity.

Purpose of Activity
Read or Listen, Identify Details, Apply Skills

21st Century Skills
Critical Thinking, Collaboration

Cognitive Level
Strategic Thinking, Extended Thinking, Skills and Concepts

Class Time
2 hours

Materials

Procedure

  1. Demonstrate building a battery using the materials listed. Students may perform this in groups if you have enough equipment. A battery can work in a single beaker with copper and zinc and salt water typically producing the greatest voltage.
  2. Ask students to write questions that they have about the phenomenon.
  3. Tell students that they will research battery types, evaluate them and communicate their findings.
  4. To help them summarize what they have learned in the experiment, they could access these websites: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/batteries.html or https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/how-does-a-battery-work/
  5. Students could communicate their learning in a variety of ways: a poster, a slide for a class PowerPoint or a short written report.

Critical Thinking Questions

What are some uses for batteries?

  • Toys, scooters, e-bikes, cars, etc.

Why are scientists searching for new ways to store energy in batteries?

  • Batteries are portable, batteries are inexpensive to produce and recycle, they can be used in many devices.

Adapted from: https://energy.utah.gov/energy-education/curriculum/

EXPANDED INFORMATION & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES  

You’ve covered the basics of STEM and career pathways. If you really want to dig deep with your class, explore the expanded information and additional resources below.

These materials provide even more insight into the history, science, usage and importance of STEM and career pathways. There are also helpful links and tips.

Solar Power

Electromagnetic radiation is produced as the result of fusion reactions in the sun’s core. Some of the solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere as heat, and some of it falls on the Earth’s surface as light and heat. Solar cells, called photovoltaic cells (PV cells), convert the visible light directly into electricity. Solar cells produce direct current, just as a battery does. They can be used anywhere a battery is used. Many solar cells make up a solar panel. When a large amount of electricity is needed, many solar panels are connected to make a solar photovoltaic array.

The potential of photovoltaic (PV) cells as a renewable electricity source is enormous. Understanding the PV effect and the history of solar cells can provide a useful perspective on research and development in energy technology. PV cells are made of a semiconductor, a material that conducts electricity (but not as well as a metal). In PV cells, it’s most commonly silicon. Pure silicon is nearly an insulator – very little electricity will flow through it. When light particles, called photons, hit the cell, its energy frees electron-hole pairs.

If an external current path – like wires attached to each side of the silicon – is provided, electrons will flow. This electron flow provides the current. The electricity produced by a PV cell is direct current, like that produced by batteries. An inverter is often used to convert the direct current into alternating current, like that obtained from a standard outlet.

Adapted from: https://energy.utah.gov/energy- education/curriculum/

EDUCATOR ASSESSMENTS  

Follow-up formative assessments to gauge your students' learning are especially important with e-learning. Below are some suggestions for how you can assess your students’ performance quickly and effectively.

These assessments are easy for you and your students to complete and help ensure your class is getting the maximum educational value, retention and engagement from the related digital activities.

Middle School Educational Assessments Livestream Hands-on Lessons Digital Games Interactive Activities PDFs & Print Materials
Draw a concept map X        
Write three things another student may misunderstand about the topic X X      
Journal reflection X X     X
Submit screenshot of completed activity     X X  
Hand in completed activity         X
Have students make collages relating to the topic X X      
Have students host their own talk show relating to the topic X        
Each student rolls a die and briefly answers aloud a question based on the number rolled:

  1. I want to remember …
  2. Something I learned today …
  3. One word to sum up what I learned …
  4. Something I already knew …
  5. I’m still confused about …
  6. An aha moment that I had today
 X        
Present students with an analogy prompt:
“The concept being covered is like ____ because ____.”		 X X      

EVALUATION

We value your feedback and suggestions highly. Listening to educators with firsthand experience of our programs helps us keep improving our digital resources, making them as helpful as possible for you and your students.

Please complete this quick, two-minute evaluation to share your thoughts. Enter the code you received on the half sheets from our actors or call us for your access code.

Thank you for your time and valuable feedback.

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