Student Energy Board Helps Young Scientists Know the Details
ND Energy's Student Energy Board (SEB) spent a morning at Madison STEAM Academy in South Bend to supplement its fourth grade energy curriculum with stations that demonstrated energy concepts in an interactive way. SEB members were Cameron Gorsak, Bobby Wellendorf, Breanna Belz, and Rory Burke.
Additionally, senior John “Jack” Feger worked with fourth grade teacher Ashley Boege as part of his Energy Studies Minor capstone project on “Details Matter” in an effort to help students become more observant. For example, when analyzing whether or not a sketch of a circuit was opened or closed on a state test, students failed to notice the position of the switch. Understanding the flow of electricity is one component of learning, but attention to detail is an essential skill in the application of the knowledge.
Our Neighbors: The Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers
After weeks of meeting in small working groups to brainstorm about ways to explain energy to fourth graders, 15 members of GreeND and ND Energy’s Student Energy Board spent a Friday morning at James Madison Primary Center in downtown South Bend translating physics into reality. Small groups of junior researchers rotated around to different stations, using infrared thermometers, solar cars, ultraviolet flashlights, fluorescent crayons, and a radiometer to better visualize and experiment with energy transformation. They were encouraged to dream big and become the next generation of scientists and engineers who would work toward evolving clean, renewable energy choices.
Student participants were Erin Lenke, Tessa Clarizio, Brittany Benninger, Caroline McCutcheon, Jacqueline Zawada, Haley Christian, Audrey Immonen, Greg Campion, Anna Scartz, Katherine Conlisk, Beruchya Dao-Bai, Bobby Wellendorf, Shane Anderson, Erika Kim, and Marion Delaney. Those who helped plan the activities included Justin Blake, Erika Black, Rory Burke, Matthew Magiera, Alex Baumann, Tansy Wang, Joseph Levano, Kevin Weaver, Matt Schaefer, Chris Hume, and Matt Chamberlain.
Madison Primary Center Visits Notre Dame
It was a beautiful April day on the Notre Dame campus and the air was full of energy, in more ways than one. As part of an ongoing partnership with Madison Primary Center in downtown South Bend, ND Energy faculty, staff, and students welcomed about 100 third graders to campus for the day to teach them about science and college life in general.
The day began with groups rotating to four stations. At the first station in Stinson-Remick Hall, they experienced Energy Theater, pretending to be the sun, trees, apples, wind, fire, and other elements of the energy cycle. The second station took advantage of all of the nearby construction and the science and trades involved. The third and fourth groups spent time in Fitzpatrick Hall examining different kinds of rocks and minerals. The fossils and quartzes were big hits.
Stage two involved a walk across campus to the Jordan Hall of Science and a lesson on planets and stars in the Digital Visualization Theatre. While walking through Jordan, there were many comments on the display cases and skeletons at the Museum of Biodiversity. The dinosaur skull and cat skeleton drew a lot of comments.
The day was capped off with pizza in Geddes Hall and conversation with Notre Dame undergraduate students. Most third graders had no concept of college or Notre Dame beyond sports. Many of them thought that Stinson-Remick was a hospital or hotel. Staff and faculty were asked if they were the principal and when told that Notre Dame had a president, they thought it was Barak Obama.
The Start of a Long-term Relationship
ND Energy began partnering with Madison by first visiting the students during the fall to teach them about renewable energy and then inviting them for a day on campus. Although the schools are less than two miles apart, most Madison students only come to campus through university-sponsored outreach programs and rarely do Notre Dame students get the opportunity to visit area schools. This experience resulted in both sides learning a lot and developing what has become a long-term, standing relationship.
As a struggling school, Madison was poised to make a strong turn around after earning STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) certification from the state of Indiana. By forming partnerships within the local community, such as with Notre Dame and ND Energy, Madison is able to use hands-on STEM activities to peak the students’ interests and natural curiosities.