Episcopal Knightly News

  EPISCOPAL
  • Home
  • Blog and news
  • About us
    • Who We Are
    • Episcopal Identity
    • Leadership and Governance
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Our Program
    • Academics
    • Athletics
    • Arts
    • Spirituality
    • College Counseling
    • Student Support Services
  • Admission
    • Welcome to Admission
    • Affording Episcopal
    • Dates & Deadlines
    • Visit Episcopal
  • Giving
    • Spirit Mind Body Campaign
    • Quest Center
    • The eFund >
      • 2019-20 Donor List
    • Tributes and Memorials
    • Give Online
    • Development Team
  • Camps
    • Sports Camps
    • Summer Arts and Recreational
  • e-Resources
    • Student Resources
    • Parent Resources
    • Teacher Resources
    • Library Resources
  • Reopening Plans
  • School Store
  • Alumni
  • Parents' Guild
  • Squires
  • LAUNCH
  • Lunch Menu
  • Contact

Hands-On Lesson on Renewable Energy

4/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sometimes a lesson is so much more than what it appears. A perfect example is the fifth grade project-based unit on renewable energy. Students could have simply learned about solar and wind energy in a textbook, but teachers Margaret Boudreaux, Nicole Engstrom and Christy Talbot had much more in mind. The teaching team planned a powerful lesson complementing the concepts in the book “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by Bryan Mealer and William Kamkwamba.

The book tells the true story of a boy named William Kamkwamba whose ingenuity changes the lives of everyone in his village in Malawi. William used scrap parts to build his own windmill to generate electricity and running water. All he had to inspire his creation was a library book filled with photos of windmills, yet he was able to generate power.
​
At Episcopal, Mrs. Engstrom introduced students to a dynamo flashlight. Students had to take the gadgets apart and determine how they function. As the students disassembled the flashlights, their natural curiosity was peaked and there was excitement in the room. Later in the lesson, Mrs. Engstrom and the students spent time outdoors harnessing the sun. Students used tiny solar panels to collect solar energy on a bright, sunny December day. The students were rewarded for their efforts when their tiny fans began to spin and their lights began to blink. To round out the lesson, students worked in groups to generate as much energy as possible with their own water wheels and windmills. 
Picture
Picture
The fifth grade renewable energy project showcased the expertise of a variety of experts, including an ExxonMobil chemist and Upper School physics teacher Dr. Xiaoyue Jiang. In addition, Academic Technology Coordinator Betsy Minton assisted with flashlight deconstruction. It was a project-based unit that tapped into the strengths of many.
​
Throughout each component of the lesson, the teachers found ways to relate the project back to William Kamkwamba’s own experience. As students explored the dynamo flashlight, Mrs. Engstrom reminded them that William used a similar method for generating electricity. As students explored the scientific concepts involving renewable energy, there was an underlying reminder that they can solve problems and make the world a better place. Even if the young students don’t realize it now, the lesson fits well within the framework of an educational institution that encourages students to ask questions, delve deeper and learn more while focusing on the beneficial impacts one person can have on others.

Like William Kamkwamba, Episcopal fifth graders are tomorrow’s leaders. William’s story has become an inspiration for many. Now the boy who couldn’t finish high school because of his family’s lack of funds has graduated from Dartmouth College. He has served as a TED Speaker and a Global Fellow with ideo.org. He is proof that anyone can make a difference. Just imagine what these fifth graders can do!
Episcopal has a tradition of encouraging environmental stewardship. Click here to read more about environmental education efforts. To read about the fifth grade planting project at the Bonnet Carre spillway, click here. 
​
Happy Earth Day!

​​The Episcopal 2020-2021 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the school, contact us at enrollment@ehsbr.org or 755-2684.
inquire
take a tour
apply
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.


    Follow @EpiscopalBR

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Admission
    Athletics
    College Bound 2017
    College Bound 2018
    College Bound 2019
    College Bound 2020
    College Bound 2021
    Counselors Corner
    Diversity
    Episcopal Alumni
    From The Library
    Giving
    Head Of School Messages
    Lower School
    Middle School
    Project Based Education
    Science
    Spirituality And Service
    Sports
    Student Work
    Technology
    The Teachers' Lounge
    Upper School
    Visual And Performing Art

    Tour our Campus

    Subscribe to our mailing list

    * indicates required
    Email Format

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015

About Episcopal

Head of School Corner
Who We Are
​
Episcopal Identity

Our Program

Academics
Lower School
​
Middle School
​
Upper School
​
College Counseling 
Athletics
Visual & Performing Arts

Admission

Admission Team
​Dates and Deadlines
​Affording Episcopal
​
Visit Episcopal
​Online Payment Portal

Resources
Employment Opportunities
​​
Employee Portal 

Giving Opportunities 

Giving
The Capital Campaign
The e Fund
Legacy Giving
Tributes and Memorials
Give Online 
Development Team

Explore
Blogs and News
Alumni Affairs
Parents Guild

Contact

Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
3200 Woodland Ridge Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Phone: 225.753.3180
​
communications@ehsbr.org

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required
Email Format
Photos used under Creative Commons from Ben Taylor55, EpicTop10.com, EpicTop10.com
  • Home
  • Blog and news
  • About us
    • Who We Are
    • Episcopal Identity
    • Leadership and Governance
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Our Program
    • Academics
    • Athletics
    • Arts
    • Spirituality
    • College Counseling
    • Student Support Services
  • Admission
    • Welcome to Admission
    • Affording Episcopal
    • Dates & Deadlines
    • Visit Episcopal
  • Giving
    • Spirit Mind Body Campaign
    • Quest Center
    • The eFund >
      • 2019-20 Donor List
    • Tributes and Memorials
    • Give Online
    • Development Team
  • Camps
    • Sports Camps
    • Summer Arts and Recreational
  • e-Resources
    • Student Resources
    • Parent Resources
    • Teacher Resources
    • Library Resources
  • Reopening Plans
  • School Store
  • Alumni
  • Parents' Guild
  • Squires
  • LAUNCH
  • Lunch Menu
  • Contact