The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) created Renewable Energy Discovery (REDi) Island. It’s a virtual, renewable energy world where rivers, tides, and waves help power our communities, monitor our environment, and provide clean drinking water. The Foundation for Water and Energy Education (FWEE) partnered with NREL to provide secondary teachers REDi Island-based hydropower lessons and hands-on activities they can use with their students. Lessons enable students to explore the Hydro Hollow, River Ramble, and Hydro Heights areas of REDi Island. Under teacher direction, a combination of virtual experiences, hands-on labs, and student worksheets takes students through human impacts and use of the water cycle, generating electricity with hydropower, using reservoirs to store potential energy, understanding the power grid, and discussing environmental considerations. All lessons are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. They were written by a secondary teacher, edited by curriculum specialists, and reviewed by industry experts. 

Materials are available at no cost to teachers participating in a FWEE virtual training class. Email info@fwee.org to find out when the next available training is scheduled.