Stdentsfor Sstainable Energy Inspiring stdents to tackle energy projects in their school and commnity Regina Toolin and Anne Watson Sstainable energy is one of the most critical isses facing or planet today. As the world strggles with flctating oil prices and rising green energy initiatives, stdents need to know that they have the power to effect change. At Montpelier High School (MHS) in Vermont, stdents are accstomed to making sch changes in their school and commnity. Over the last six years, MHS stdents have participated in the Annal Winooski River Cleanp Project, the constrction of a solar-powered greenhose that provides prodce for the school s cafeteria, and a thriving composting program sed to fertilize the prodce and plants grown inside the greenhose. This article describes the sstainable energy projects that MHS physics stdents designed dring the spring semester of 2008. An overview of the project is followed by a description of the planning and implementation processes, examples of specific stdent energy projects, and a discssion of otcomes and lessons learned. We hope that or experiences will inspire other teachers and stdents to ndertake similar projects and create positive changes in their own commnities. Project planning and implementation After completing nits on motion, force, and momentm, the Classical Physics corse at MHS clminates with a nit on energy. Dring the spring semester, energy systems and energy transformation are the big nderlying ideas (Wiggins and McTighe 2003), with a focs on applying energy concepts, eqations, and theories to local sstainability initiatives. Stdents qickly learn that the ability to calclate the theoretical energy prodced by a small wind trbine is jst as important as the ability to bild one. They come to appreciate the importance of calclating energy eqations and applying this new knowledge in meaningfl and relevant contexts. Preparation, planning, and problem-posing Stdent-driven sstainable energy projects were first introdced in the Classical Physics corse in 2004. Given the projects history and reptation, stdents, teachers, and administrators have become accstomed to the excitement it generates each spring. In fact, the projects are often the reason stdents enroll in the corse in the first place. April/May 2010 27
Parents and commnity members are central to project development. Beyond being informed of project goals and objectives throgh a letter and the school website they are invited to participate in project development and to attend final presentations. In 2008, there were 43 stdents 12 females and 31 males enrolled in two sections of the Classical Physics corse. Most were seniors, heterogeneosly mixed in terms of their backgrond and ability. Given the gender ratio in both sections of the corse, we encoraged eqitable participation in grop discssions and project work. At the beginning of the energy nit, we bilt stdents backgrond knowledge and addressed their prior misconceptions. The first three weeks were dedicated to assessing and teaching the fndamental concepts of energy (i.e., kinetic and potential energy and conservation of energy) throgh inqiry, cooperative learning, and direct instrction. Next, stdent projects were initiated throgh a brainstorming activity that examined the qestion How can we redce the need for energy or switch to alternative forms of energy consmption in the Northeast? This activity served to spark stdent interest abot the problems and limitations of energy resorces, which led to qestions abot local efforts to redce energy consmption. For example, after discssing hydropower as an alternative energy sorce, one stdent asked, Don t we have a dam in Montpelier? Do yo think it cold be sed to generate electricity? How mch energy? Wold the cost be worth it? Similarly, after a discssion on the kilowatt sage of electric appliances, one stdent annonced, I bet the school s walk-in refrigerator ses a hge amont of energy. We cold save a lot of energy and money by replacing it. From comments and qestions sch as these, the class developed a men of possible projects to prse (Figre 1). Figre 1 Sstainable energy projects. Project title Goal Artifact or prodct Solar hot water Constrct and estimate payback period of a solar hot Prototype water system. Hybrid cars Compare hybrid car energy se with conventional car Efficiency and feasibility report energy se. Photovoltaic systems Edcate pblic abot photovoltaic systems. Efficiency and feasibility report Wind trbine Constrct power-prodcing wind trbine. Estimate the Prototype payback period. Undershot water wheel Constrct power-prodcing ndershot water wheel. Prototype Estimate payback period in the Montpelier section of the Winooski River. Connecting two segments of Estimate carbon and financial payback of bike path Efficiency and feasibility report Montpelier bike path throgh Montpelier. Pyromex waste gasification Evalate benefits and hazards of a proposed power Presentation to city planner generation system for Montpelier. Refrbishing a derelict electric car Refrbish an electric car sed by the school. Restored electrical system Montpelier s hydroelectric dam Evalate potential power-generating capacity and Efficiency and feasibility report financial payback of a local dam. Creating an additional bs rote Collect data on stdent interest in a new bs rote in Efficiency and feasibility report in Montpelier Montpelier. Creating an additional bs rote Collect data on stdent interest in and potential Efficiency and feasibility report from Montpelier to Brlington energy savings of a new weekend bs rote from Montpelier to Brlington, Vermont. Montpelier High School s walkin Evalate efficiency of the school s walk-in refrigerator. Efficiency and feasibility report refrigerator Refrbishing a bicycle-powered Refrbish a bicycle generator. Calclate the powergenerating Efficiency and feasibility report lightblb system capacity and payback period. Pellet heating systems Compare and edcate pblic abot pellet heating systems. Efficiency and feasibility report Electric efficiency for homeowners Edcate pblic abot appliance efficiency. Calclate energy savings. Efficiency and feasibility report 28 The Science Teacher
Stdents for Sstainable Energy Project teams were then formed according to common interests that emerged dring the brainstorming activity. Driving qestions (Weizman, Schwartz, and Forts 2008) were generated by each team and served to focs each project. As stdents engaged in problem-posing (e.g., How mch energy does this lightblb se? and How can I make this fan generate electricity? ), they realized that learning new science concepts wold be necessary to move forward in their projects. Whenever more than one grop had a qestion regarding the same concept, we introdced all stdents to the concept throgh a brief lesson. In this vein, project-based science not only provided motivation for learning new material bt also for revisiting old material. In preparing for these projects, standard safety practices were implemented. We identif[ied] risks that [cold] pt stdents into harm s way (Roy 2009, p. 12) and reqired that all stdents wear personal protective eqipment (PPE) when working with tools and eqipment. The safety precations taken for each project were varied. For example, sing power tools to constrct wind trbines and solar panel boxes reqired the se of goggles or safety glasses and gloves (actal constrction may also reqire hard hats), modeling of appropriate eqipment se, and special instrction and spervision by the indstrial arts teacher. Refrbishing the school s electric car also reqired spervision by a certified electrician and teacher to properly install potentially dangeros 12V batteries. For these and other projects, appropriate experts were conslted to ascertain and implement the proper safety precations. However, becase it is ltimately the classroom teacher s responsibility to ensre safe practices, all procedres even those sggested by experts were checked in accordance with board of edcation safety policies, legal safety standards, and best safety practices and approved by the teacher. (Safety note: If stdents are working with acid batteries, an eyewash station within 10-second access is reqired, along with appropriate PPE.) Project implementation Actal project work began in the forth week of the nit and was defined by the following introdction: As American society approaches its limits involving natral resorces, energy has become one of the most important topics of or time. If we are to achieve sstainability, we will need to re-vision the ftre and change or energy policies and practices. This project is an opportnity for yo to be a part of that change. The goal is to research a qestion of interest regarding energy sstainability, draw some conclsions abot yor research based at least in part on yor knowledge of physics concepts and calclations and present yor findings to the class and commnity. We provided stdents with a set of flexible project criteria that addressed essential science standards, concepts, and skills this was key to the sccess of the stdent-initiated projects. Dring a class brainstorming session, stdents helped develop a project rbric. The rbric inclded a detailed description of the project, consltation with a commnity expert, and a discssion of the nderlying physics concepts. (Editor s note: This rbric can be downloaded online [see On the web ].) Stdents were also evalated on the projects professionalism and a discssion of its feasibility and potential obstacles. Commnity experts from local bsinesses played a valable role in contribting to the sccess of stdent projects. Over the last six years, we have developed an expanding list of contacts that incldes parents, representatives from local bsinesses, and the city planning commission. Beyond the list of contacts we provide, stdents have fond their own experts throgh car dealerships, ot-of-state companies, additional parents, and school employees. Stdents also sed the internet, when appropriate, to gather information. Most experts interacted with stdents via e-mail or phone. Others, sch as the certified electrician, actally came to the school to help with stdent projects. Prior to contacting any organization, stdents were instrcted on proper etiqette and procedres for contacting and interacting with professionals. They were also directed to report any isses encontered to the classroom teacher; isses were few and were mostly limited to lack of phone call or e-mail response. Stdents did not give ot personal information or meet anyone in person withot teacher approval. Project example All of the stdent-designed projects were engaging and informative. However, one project deserves a closer look it was condcted by a team of three stdents that stdied the efficiency and feasibility of restoring the hydro-trbine at the Lane Shops Dam in Montpelier (see photos, p. 30). The team s goal was to research the dam s operation and calclate the energy efficiency, environmental impact, and payback period needed to restore the hydro-trbine; the payback period refers to the time necessary to recop the initial investment. Consltation with the town planner revealed the hydro-trbine s basic components and operation as well as essential data to calclate energy efficiency, impact, and payback. The team obtained the yearly average flow rate and height of the dam to calclate the nmber of kilowatt hors (kwh) that wold be generated by the dam per year (Figre 2, p. 30). Throgh information obtained from the team s expert (i.e., the town planner), stdents fond that Montpelier wold reqire approximately 476 million kwh per year for its electricity needs. Stdents calclated that the restored dam cold prodce 893,000 kwh per year April/May 2010 29
Figre 2 Energy calclations for the hydro-trbine at the Lane Shops Dam in Montpelier. Yearly average flow 3.88 m³/sec = 3,880 kg/s = mass rate Gravity 9.80 m/s² Height 3.35 m Efficiency 0.800 (80%) coefficient (α) Formla Power= Mgha/t = J/s = watts Calclation 102,000 W = 893,000 kwh per year Project assessments Performance, self-, and peer-assessments are integral to evalating stdent nderstanding and achievement in the project-based classroom. In the early phases of the project, stdents were engaged in a brainstorming session to determine the essential criteria for project performance. The following qestions smmarize the otcome of this session and became the rbric criteria (see On the web ) by which stdents were evalated for the sstainable energy project: What are yor driving qestions and goals? What is yor plan? What are yor reslts? What are yor recommendations? What is the science behind it all? Who are yor references and consltants? How well do yo convey yor ideas? Photo cortesy of Lke Martin The Lane Shops Dam in Montpelier. There were varying degrees of frstration along the path to sccess for stdents involved in the energy projects. For those who bilt prototypes, for example, trial and error was often the best teacher. In analyzing class evalation data for the project, 14 ot of 16 project teams met or exceeded all standards for the project. Another essential featre of project-based learning is the opportnity for stdents to participate in an openended srvey to assess overall project goals and objectives. In or classes, this inclded the following qestions: What did yo find most valable abot yor project work? What recommendations wold yo offer to improve the project? What makes this project different from others yo have done in this or other classes? Photo cortesy of Anne Watson A stdent measres the height of the Lane Shops Dam. enogh electricity for 218 working cople hoseholds, 290 single person hoseholds, or 165 hoseholds with two children. Finally, if the estimated cost to restore the dam was $500,000 with a kwh cost of $0.13, stdents determined that abot $116,000 per year wold be saved by the restored hydro-trbine with a payback period of 4.3 years. In the srvey, stdents reported being motivated by their ability to bild a hands-on model and to discover the relevance of their projects to global and local energy isses. A stdent engaged in the walk-in refrigerator project (Figre 1, p. 28) wrote, It was a real-world project. We had the ability to improve the efficiency of an aspect of or school. A stdent involved in the home electrical efficiency project (Figre 1) was excited by the fact that little changes cold really add p and save a lot of money. Still another stdent who took part in the pellet stove project (Figre 1) commented that her project wold help to make the world a better place on a small scale. Stdents had varios responses to the qestion What makes this project different from others yo have done in this or other classes? Many appreciated that the projects had to do with the real world and that it connected to a real-life sitation. One stdent smmed p her experience with the following qote: It meant something to me. I was passionate abot the otcomes. And, the otcome was not jst a grade. 30 The Science Teacher
Stdents for Sstainable Energy Elements of project-based learning. Good project-based learning experiences inclde a rich, complex driving qestion that is relevant to stdents lives, prodction of artifacts, stdent-centered learning, collaboration, accontability, se of technology, appropriate safety considerations, interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary inqiry, extended time frame, and reliable performance-based assessment. This list is adapted from Colley 2008 Otcomes and lessons learned Engaging in stdent-initiated projects often reqires teachers to relinqish the role of expert and let others step in. In the project-based classroom, the teacher becomes a manager or coach who learns alongside stdents and directs them toward worthy and credible resorces. Often, the most sccessfl projects involve a commnity expert who is as invested as stdents are in the project. Teachers shold be prepared to help stdents generate a sizeable list of experts and resorces. When new project topics emerge, stdents shold be encoraged to find the appropriate sorce on the internet or in the local commnity. With gidance, stdents learn to critically evalate sorces of information. To effectively manage the implementation of a vast nmber of stdent projects over time, teachers mst be on board with every project and commit to giding stdents throgh each phase. The establishment of milestones throghot a project is essential. Milestones help stdents readily complete project tasks and help teachers provide freqent formative assessment and feedback. Teachers considering sch projects for the first time might have mltiple stdent grops work on the same qestion. This allows grops to compare project plans and reslts and ths learn from one another. Projects of this natre can be condcted on a limited bdget. Or entire bdget for 16 projects was approximately $150. Feasibility stdies sch as those described in Figre 1 can be condcted with little to no expense. Materials needed to bild prototypes can be donated or acqired at a local hardware store for a small cost. Most of the projects ndertaken in 2008 entailed residential-scale changes. By inviting parents and the commnity to listen to project presentations, stdents had the opportnity to speak directly to an adience for whom their work was most meaningfl. Ultimately, it is the parents and adlts who make decisions abot whether to by a pellet stove or solar hot water heater, or condct a weatherization adit. Throgh these presentations, families in the Montpelier commnity became more edcated abot local isses and ths were more likely to make informed decisions abot home-based energy consmption. Stdents who addressed crrent civic concerns, sch as restoring the local dam or the waste gasification project, were invited to share their reslts with related decisionmaking committees. This helped the commnity s decision makers to be more informed; it also commnicated to stdents that their edcation is valable and that adlts do care abot what they have to say. In addition to learning important physics concepts, stdents came to nderstand the applications of these ideas to important commnity, national, and global isses. Condcting long-term, standards-based projects that are interesting and relevant is essential to science teaching and learning today (Krajcik, Czerniak, and Berger 2002). The projects described in this article are a means to engage stdents in tre scientific inqiry. By posing and answering qestions that are relevant to their own lives and commnities, stdents ltimately prodce tangible prodcts that can have meaning far beyond the walls of the science classroom (Colley 2008). Regina Toolin (rtoolin@vm.ed) is an assistant professor of secondary edcation at the University of Vermont in Brlington, and Anne Watson (annew@mpsvt.org) is a science teacher at Montpelier High School in Montpelier, Vermont. Acknowledgment The athors wish to thank Montpelier High School (MHS) teachers Tom Sabo and Karen Smereka and the MHS Earth Grop for their leadership and participation in the Annal Winooski River Cleanp and the MHS composting and solar-powered greenhose projects. NSTA connections For more information on energy, see the Energy: Energy Transformations NSTA Science Object. NSTA Science Objects are online, inqirybased content modles for teachers that are free of charge. For more information, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/prodcts/science_objects.aspx. On the web Sstainable energy project rbric: www.nsta.org/highschool/ connections.aspx References Colley, K. 2008. Project-based science instrction: A primer. The Science Teacher 75 (8): 23 28. Krajcik, J., C. Czerniak, and C. Berger. 2002. Teaching children science: A project-based approach. Boston: McGraw Hill College. Roy, K. 2009. Taking responsibility for safety. The Science Teacher 76 (9): 12 13. Weizman, A., Y. Schwartz, and D. Forts. 2008. The driving qestion board. The Science Teacher 75 (8): 33 37. Wiggins, G., and T. McTighe. 2003. Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Spervision and Crriclm Development. April/May 2010 31