Energy!
We use energy every day and all day long. It comes in many different forms and at many different prices. Seventh and Eighth graders had the opportunity to participate in six different STEM energy labs that explored many different types of energy transfers and transformations. I attended the Need Project conference sponsored by Phillips 66 back in September and received a free kit including electricity labs and instructions. Students spent just over two weeks completing the lab activities and expanding their knowledge of energy and where it comes from. Activities included but were not limited to; using a solar panel to transform solar energy to electrical energy, finding the voltage of an apple, creating hot or cold temperatures through chemical reactions (endothermic & exothermic), and placing glow sticks into ice water, room temperature water, and hot water to see the change in brightness. These labs were a great way to bring real world experiences into the classroom and help students expand their knowledge on where our energy comes from.
Sixth graders have been creating board games about water treatment plants and or sewer systems. The games must include a name, rules, question cards that go along with the water treatment and sewer systems, and be appealing to the eye. Students are working in table groups of 3 or 4 where each person has parts of the game they are responsible for. We will be playing the games in class on Thursday, December 1st. Each group will have an opportunity to play all of the games created in the class. We will rotate every seven minutes in order for students to have time playing all six games. We have discussed the importance of having clear rules so that each group will understand how to play each others games.
.png){kind=logo}
