Sun power enlightens students
By GAYLE PEREZ
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Students at Cedar Ridge Elementary School are getting a powerful lesson on renewable energy as part of the school's gifted-and-talented program. The third-, fourth- and fifth-graders in Kathy Howe-Kerr's GT class are utilizing a portable solar panel unit to learn firsthand how energy is created by the sun and how it can be used in today's world.
"In this class, we are looking for renewable energy and energy efficiency and what better way to teach them but to show them," said Howe-Kerr, a parent volunteer who teaches the GT class once a week. "When you talk about amps or volts, it can go right past them," she said. "But by having this solar panel available to show them, they can actually see what we're talking about and they can better understand it."
The students can actually see how the solar panels collect energy and then convert it into enough power to turn on a light, ring a chime and start up a fan. "It doesn't matter if it's cloudy or sunny, it will still work as long as you point it at the sun," said third-grader Wyatt Harper. "The only way it won't work is if you put a shadow on the panel."
CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/JOHN JAQUES
The students are getting close-up looks at solar energy thanks to the generosity of the local nonprofit group, Smart Growth Advocates. SGA is dedicated to promoting healthy growth in Pueblo. SGA received a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to purchase the portable solar unit, Education Module or E-Mod. "We are excited for this opportunity to help educate our future leaders in what will be the new economy of renewable energy," said Vickie Massam, president of SGA.
The unit can be used by any District 60 or District 70 schools, according to Howe-Kerr, who also is a member of SGA. Cedar Ridge is the first to use the module, which also includes a 20-lesson curriculum. "I knew that I was going to be teaching about renewable energy in this class and this fits perfectly with what I'm teaching," she said. Howe-Kerr added the module easily engages students and is kid-friendly to use.
On Tuesday, the students learned that despite overcast skies and frigid temperatures, the solar panels still collect energy as long as there is daylight. Sounding more like electrical engineers than fourth-graders, Jacob Sloan and Ryan McFarlin described how the panel takes in energy in the solar panel and converts it into power. "This is what you call solar electric power," said Jacob. Ryan added, "the panels use silicon and photovoltaics to move the electrons which create the electricity. It's done fairly easy as long as you have the panel pointed in the right direction."
These types of discussions are exactly what Howe-Kerr hoped would be generated by having the students demonstrate how solar energy works. "It's great. This is just another way to engage them in learning," she said. Howe-Kerr said the unit is available for other teachers in Districts 60 or 70. She said the curriculum is geared for grades 6-9, however, she said it can be adapted to elementary school students. A rental agreement will be required and there will be a $50 user's fee. The fees collected will be used to make repairs to the unit.
For more information, contact Howe-Kerr at 547-4175 or at www.smartgrowthadvocates.org .
