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Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APEconomics, Engineering

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Maine Climate Council

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What it is

This article explores how to make a home or building more eco-friendly and the financial benefits and tax incentives in Maine that come with reducing energy waste, increasing efficiency, and adding renewable solutions.
The incentives for federal and state tax credits are outlined, a downloadable guide for Maine is provided, and the tax forms are linked.

Teaching tips

Positives

This article is short and easy to understand.
This article has a visual that shows many different ways to decrease energy waste and energy usage.

Additional Prerequisites

Students should know what a tax credit is.
Students should understand how emissions from energy use contribute to climate change.

Differentiation

This article could supplement a lesson on the American government's effectiveness at combating climate change.
After reading the article, the teacher could lead a classroom discussion about the Inflation Reduction Act, how this law tries to address climate change, and the political context this law exists in.
This article could enhance a lesson on different types of home-based renewable energies and why they are environmentally friendly.
This article could augment a classroom discussion on what incentivized Maine to create tax credits for home decarbonization and how this policy will impact different groups within the state.
Engineering classes could discuss the best types of insulation, how heat pumps work, and the difference between Energy Star appliances and other appliances.

From the scientist review

This resource contains a guide to assist households in Maine to purchase eco-friendly products for their homes. These products are cost-effective and would help to reduce their carbon footprint. The links therein were reviewed and the resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Subjects: Economics, Engineering
Format: PDF
Language: English
Location: North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > Maine
Provider: Maine Climate Council
Authors: Maine Climate Council
Published: July 6, 2023
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Civ.5.9-12 + 4 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D2.Civ.5.9-12Evaluate citizens' and institutions' effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.
D2.Eco.1.9-12Analyze how incentives influence choices that may result in policies with a range of costs and benefits for different groups.

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.10By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

New Jersey Climate Education Hub

Science

HS-ESS3-4.Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
HS-ETS1-3.Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

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