Past projects 1
Exploring Environmental Science through Inquiry
Funded Nov 14, 2012Thank you so very much for your generous donation towards the purchase of the "Exploring Energy Resources" Lab Kit. My students had a wonderful time while working on the lab. The lab kit truly gave them hands-on experience with energy resources such as hydrogen, solar, and wind power. Without your donation this would not have been possible.
The lab kit allowed my students to "do science", which was a very meaningful learning experience for all of them. They were engaged throughout the entire lab and kept talking about it for weeks afterwords. Students who were absent the day of the lab were excited to stay after school to make it up (that is not something that typically happens with high school students).
Given the issues surrounding nonrenewable resources such as oil and coal, I believe research in the field of renewables is more important than ever. With the use of this lab kit my students created hydrogen gas through electrolysis by using the apparatus supplied in the kit. At another station my students had the opportunity to use small photovoltaic cells to measure the voltage of various light sources. My students compared sources such as fluorescent and incandescent bulbs to natural sunlight. One of their favorite stations was the one where they created blades for a wind turbine. Each group got very into this station and it turned into a productive competition to see which group could create the most successful turbine. The students used everything from paper, to foil, to plastic cups to create the blades. They then used the multimeter in the kit to measure the voltage produced as the turbine was set in front of a fan. To their surprise, the students found that the simpler designs performed better! Also included in the kit were samples of coal which the students had the chance to hold and analyze.
As the students worked at the various stations, I moved from group to group facilitating the learning that was taking place. The lab gave me the opportunity to ask each group thought provoking questions and to assess their understanding. Throughout the experience students were also asking me intriguing questions. My favorite moments were the times when one student would ask a question and another would chime in and answer, which often resulted in a group discussion. These moments were proof that meaningful learning was taking place.
The learning that took place throughout the lab experience was also enduring. Since the day of the lab students have frequently referred back to the experiences they had that day. As we finished the Energy Unit and have since moved on to other units such as Climate Change, my students often refer back to what they learned about renewable resources that day.
As a teacher, it is experiences like these that I live for, as I feel that lab left an everlasting impression on them. Thank you so very much for making the experience possible for my students. I truly appreciate your generosity and so do my students!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeTrolio