How Public Utilities Work
The K–12 STEM curriculum that finally explains the systems behind everyday life.
Thirty-four lessons on energy, rates, consumer rights, and careers, designed for students in grades 5 through 12, with grade-band differentiation guidance for mixed-ability classrooms.
Recognized for educational excellence
How Public Utilities Work has been recognized by STEM.org Educational Research™ with the STEM.org Reviewed™ trustmark and the Best In STEM™ distinction. Utility Campus, LLC has been recognized with the STEM.org Accredited™ Educational Experience trustmark.
What students learn
How Public Utilities Work teaches students the systems that power their lives and the institutions, rules, and people that make those systems work. Across 34 lessons, students learn to:
- Read and understand a utility bill: what every line means, where the charges come from, and how to spot a problem
- Explain how electricity, natural gas, and water actually get to a home
- Recognize hazards like downed wires, contact voltage, and gas leaks, and respond safely
- Understand how rate cases work, who decides what utilities can charge, and what rights consumers have
- Compare clean-energy options, electric vehicles, and the trade-offs of grid modernization
- Explore careers across the utility industry, from line workers to engineers to regulatory analysts
See the full 34-week scope and sequence →
Why teachers and districts should adopt it
Aligned to standards you already teach
Every lesson maps to NGSS performance expectations, the C3 Framework for Social Studies, and CCSS-ELA literacy practices.
Three reading levels in one book
A fifth-grade reader and an eleventh-grade reader can use the same material. The instructor guide walks teachers through tiered facilitation for mixed-ability classrooms.
The Complete Curriculum
Everything needed to teach the lessons is included in the workbook. A 200 plus word glossary with real industry terminology, complete assessments and answer keys, and extensive prior knowledge for the teacher.
No prior expertise required
Teachers don’t need an engineering, regulatory, or utility sector background. The instructor guide teaches the teacher one lesson at a time, with answer keys, background notes, and grade-band guidance for every week.
In-book activities, no outside materials
Every activity is in the book. No supplementary readings to find, no videos to vet, no equipment to procure. Each student needs their own copy because of the in-book design.
How Public Utilities Work is available in two editions:
Schools and educators can buy a few Instructor Editions for the teachers and a class set of Student Editions for students.
Two editions
Instructor Edition. The complete curriculum including 34 student-facing lessons, the Sample Bills appendix, the Glossary, the Formula Reference, and the full Instructor Section with prior knowledge notes, answer keys, tiered rubrics, and grade-band differentiation guidance for every lesson.
Student Edition. The consumable workbook for student use. Includes all 34 lessons, activities, assessments, Sample Bills, Glossary, Formula Reference, Flexible Scheduling Guide, and Standards Alignment Summary. Each student needs their own copy.
Learn More About HPUW
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