Spanish Lesson: ¿Dónde se usa la energía renovable?
Lesson Plan
45 minutesGrades5Spanish
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Written by Lorissa Clark, Sustainable Jersey for Schools
About this lesson
In this lesson, students explore types of renewable energy in different regions of the United States.
Inquire: Students view pictures of different locations and describe the renewable energy that would be the best fit.
Investigate: Students interpret maps that rate the potential for renewable energy in different areas of the United States, including Puerto Rico.
Inspire: Students use a website that shows the types of energy currently being used in their region of the United States and suggest possible alternatives.
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Suggestions
- This unit can be taught in conjunction with a unit on weather, geography, the environment, the house, or energy, or as part of a unit on Puerto Rico.
- Before the map stations activity in the Investigate section, the maps should be printed out in color and posted in different areas of the room.
- If printing options aren’t available, teachers can have maps displayed on laptops throughout the classroom.
- Teachers should model the activity before having students go to the first station.
- Teachers can use a timer to ensure groups move to the next station after 3-4 minutes.
- Teachers can leave 5-6 colored pencils at each station that match the color needed (red, green, blue, or pink).
- Teachers can use this article in Spanish to find more information on renewable energy opportunities.
- Teachers can use this YouTube video in Spanish to connect renewable energy to Puerto Rico’s frequent power outages.
- Teachers may connect the lesson to popular culture by showing an image of Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny performing at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show while standing on a broken utility pole. Use the image to prompt discussion about how extreme weather and infrastructure damage affect communities. Show only the image, without audio, as the song lyrics are not appropriate for an elementary school setting.
- In the Inspire section, students can discuss which regions of the United States and Puerto Rico use the most renewable energy and why they think those regions are most successful with renewable energy.
Prerequisites
- This is lesson 2 of 3 of our 5th grade Spanish Unit: La energía renovable.
- This lesson is intended for students in the novice-mid to novice-high proficiency levels in the language.
- Students should be familiar with the geographical location of states on a map.
- If needed, teacher can model or guide students in how to read one of the maps or identify data on a map.
Differentiation
- To simplify the Investigate section, teachers can choose two maps to focus on, such as wind and solar, and create multiple stations for each map.
- Advanced learners can label all the states on the map prior to going to the stations, and after the activity, explain why certain areas would benefit from different types of renewable energy.
From the scientist review
Los estudiantes adquieren conciencia sobre las fuentes de energía renovable y cómo impactan en el medio ambiente. También examinan mapas y gráficos de energía para aprender más sobre las combinaciones energéticas que han adoptado otras naciones y para obtener las justificaciones de esas elecciones. Examinamos la lección y encontramos que cumplía con nuestros requisitos de credibilidad científica.
Students gain an awareness of the sources of renewable energy and how they impact the environment. They also examine energy maps and charts to learn more about the energy mixes that other nations have adopted and to get the justifications for those choices. We examined the lesson and found that it met our scientific credibility requirements.
Students gain an awareness of the sources of renewable energy and how they impact the environment. They also examine energy maps and charts to learn more about the energy mixes that other nations have adopted and to get the justifications for those choices. We examined the lesson and found that it met our scientific credibility requirements.
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About the teacher writers
Lorissa Clark
Lorissa Clark holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from The College of New Jersey and a Master of Arts in English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education from the American College of Education. She has been teaching since 2006 and has 20 years of experience teaching Spanish and English as a Second Language to students in grades K–12. Lorissa holds K–12 teaching certifications in Spanish and English as a Second Language and has extensive experience designing curriculum, integrating technology into instruction, and supporting educators through professional development.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools
Sustainable Jersey is a network and movement of municipalities, schools and school districts working collectively to bring about a sustainable New Jersey. Acting with state agencies, non-profit organizations, foundations, academia and industry, Sustainable Jersey researches best practices for what communities could and should do to contribute to a sustainable future.
