Speaker
Description
The concept of energy is one that many teachers struggle with. Because of its abstract nature, developing hands-on activities that address the idea of energy can be challenging. Additionally, the core concepts that energy is conserved and can be transformed means that basic ideas related to energy can and should be applied to systems in different scientific disciplines, which many teachers find difficult.
This presentation describes a science outreach project that aims to achieve, through combination of two originally very different activities, something much greater than the sum of its parts: a hands-on experience that attempts to improve students’ understanding of the nature of energy transformation and conservation.
For many years the outreach team of Lakehead University (through projects such as the Promoscience-supported “EcoReach”) have brought activities related to alternative energy to schools. Most of these extension opportunities involve examination of photovoltaic panels, small wind turbines and the energy they can harness. At the same time, another Promoscience-funded project, “Farm Lab”, has brought lessons about garden-based science activities to students that often involve growing vegetables, either in small-scale indoor greenhouses or outdoors in school, campus or community gardens.
Our newest project combines these two types of activities to demonstrate, in a tangible and quantifiable way, how the solar energy captured by a photovoltaic panel and stored in a rechargeable battery compares with that captured and stored in a corn plant.
The activity has been carried out with classes of students in grades 4,5 and 6, grade 9, first- and second-year undergraduate Engineering candidates and teacher candidates in their professional years of Lakehead’s Bachelor of Education program. The basic elements of the activity, successes and failures encountered with different groups and changes that have been made are discussed in this presentation, as well as future directions this project may take.
| Keyword-1 | Energy |
|---|---|
| Keyword-2 | Solar |
| Keyword-3 | Agroecology |