Meet the Energy Expert is a very easy activity to undertake and will reap great rewards.
Simply, you invite a local expert and in advance provide him/her
with a script of questions. This will help the very busy
individual focus his/her thoughts and preparation time. A single
student (teacher) reads the script and is the host the day the
experts comes to class. Very easy.To make things even easier, we have also included a sample letter of invitation. This letter will provide all the details you and the expert will need to know. Call the expert a few days after you mail or email the letter of invitation to answer questions and to provide more information.
Learn more about each interview by reading the synopses below. Each synopsis has a
link to a script and a letter of invitation
Click here to learn more how to conduct the activity.
Energy Stories from The Greatest
Generation
Our great grandparents received telegrams and today’s student gets a
text message. It’s all because of energy powering technology.
Interview one or more members of The Greatest Generation (1930 on)
about their teenage years and that of their parents and
grandparents. Learn about travel, kitchens, lighting, and home
entertainment.
Click here for interview script
and Power Point Presentation.
From Wellhead to Gasoline Tank
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Learn what happens to crude oil from the time it is pumped out of the ground until it is pumped into your car. Most of us know that crude oil is formed from the decayed remains of ancient marine life, but few of us ever learn what is done to the crude oil to get it ready for our car’s gasoline tanks. To secure an expert contact your local gasoline or heating oil distributor and ask them for the wholesale marketer's contact information. NFEE is working with petroleum jobbers nationally and at the state level to promote local jobber participation.
Click here for script and PowerPoint Presentation.
Hey! It’s Comfortable Inside.
Heating and cooling the space inside a building is usually its
biggest energy task. The design of the building will determine its
energy requirements and indoor environment. Choosing the best
heating and cooling system will save energy and money. An architect
or a building or heating and cooling contractor can provide
important information and answer students’ questions.
Click here for script, PowerPoint
presentation, and video.
Hardware Store Aisles
You could spend an entire
morning going up and down the aisles of a hardware storr learning
about energy management. Close your eyes and visualize
insulation, appliances, doors, furnace filters, and windows. Each
item with its own energy story.
Invite a representative from a local hardware store or electric utility to come to school. You will be able to hand him an interview script to assist him as he talks about and displays a few of those items. You and your classmates will appreciate his/her presentation the next time you go hardware store shopping. The class visit can also serve as the foundation for a later field trip to a hardware store. A second sample letter proposes a field trip rather than a class visit.
Click here for interview script.
Energy Car Talk
For many Americans the energy used by their cars equals or surpasses
the energy consumed by their home. Learn how to maintain your
family’s car to keep it running efficiently, and as a result,
running better and longer. What about your own future car purchase
sooner or later? What energy choices might you have? An automobile
expert from a local service station or auto dealer can provide you
with
all of the answers.
Click here for interview script and PowerPoint Presentation.
Solar Energy - Sunrise or Sunset?
Increasing the contribution of solar energy in the nation's energy mix has been a challenge for the past 35 years. While the growth rate for solar energy has increased, today solar energy provides less than 0.1 percent of the nation's energy. Will solar energy, especially electricity from solar energy, ever make a significant contribution in the meeting the nations's energy needs?
Click here for script and PowerPoint presentation.
The Politics of Energy
A good energy source is promoted and supported by government but so is a poor energy choice,. How could that be? The answer is energy politics. Is it legal? Do politicians vote against a bill that their constituents want? During the interview, learn how some government policies of the past have brought us to today's energy mix of sources and efficiency. This would be great for a social studies class or for a community program.
Click here for interview script and PowerPoint Presentation.