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Starting Tuesday Feb 4, 1997, 25 Lewis Mills students and 3 teachers began training to become energy auditors. This training took place on 5 consecutive Tuesdays, and all the students (and the teachers) committed to make up all missed classwork. Our teacher was Mr Klinck from Wilson Educational Services.
Most of the students in the STEM training are 9th graders in Environmental Earth Science classes. There are also a small number of 10th, 11th graders. Many of these students are also members
of the EcoAction Team and/or the
Envirothon Team.
STEM began in a classroom in Wallingford CT when the teacher, Carol Wilson
and her students took focused local action to save energy in their schools and wound up saving
$530,000 in energy costs over two years for an investment of $12,000. The State of Connecticut
supported the roll-out of the program, and now schools across the US and Canada have participated
in the STEM program. A STEM Team at the ALL (Accelerated Learning Laboratory) School in Worchester MA has good examples of energy saving ideas on their web page.
In the STEM (Savings Through Energy Management) program there were five six-hour classes making thirty class hours of energy management, education, and hands-on learning. All of these elements were needed to complete the course along with a final examination covering the material we learned.
On the first day of STEM, the course was explained in full detail and what we were to accomplish in the five classes. Basic terms were discussed and STEM notebooks were handed out. After the lecture was over we toured the school looking for obvious energy problems. Then we returned to the media center to discuses what we had found. That night homework was assigned and work was finished.
On day two we began correcting the past weeks homework and we applied our new skills on hypothetical energy problems. These problems could be applied in our school such as adding ceiling fans to the gym, and adding insulation into airspace in some walls in the cafeteria and then calculated the savings that would result. After, we divided the school building of Lewis S. Mills High School into twelve sections and assigned teams of two or three to measure, calculate, and draw their area. This exercise was started that day and was to be done on the students "free time".
Students
were instructed on measuring building height using such methods as
approximation. The brick method (measuring 1 yard worth of bricks then
counting the total number and dividing). We also used the "Erickson
Method" (Mr. Erickson was a consulting engineer and he was six foot two,
you would stand back and squint one eye and predict his height on a pencil
and see how many "Erickson's" tall the building was). Homework was then
assigned.
Day three was mainly hands-on. We worked on the boilers and talked about how a boiler works and what processes occur when the boiler is fired. We discussed how a boiler was cleaned and we talked of heat zoning and how the thermostat and valves were related. Then, we went to the boiler room. We checked the breach temperature, checked the CO2 in the boiler flue gases, and checked the efficiency of the boiler. We also looked at the hot water heater, checked its insulation, and showed students how the boiler works.
After, we discussed the aspects of the boiler, checked the readouts and
calculated the efficiency of the boiler.
Then Mr. Mike Miller (Building
and Grounds Manager) filled out a question sheet about the boiler room and
pipes. We processed the information and talked about how this information
would apply to the building and how it will be used in energy problems in
the school. We were then instructed on how to use blueprints for help,
such as location pipes and finding what walls and panels are constructed
of.
On day four we used the calculated building area and processed it. The information was arranged into a table consisting of the different building materials such as brick, single pained glass windows, double pained glass windows, cement, and blue paneling under the windows. R-values, U-values were calculated, and the surface area was calculated. This information was then used to calculate the annual heating load. There also was a demonstration on Freon heat sticks compared to aluminum pipe and their conductivity of heat. This information we obtained was added to a lecture about how they were used in Canada to help use some waste heat and in air to air heat exchangers. Then we review what we had done and we were told what to expect on the test in the next class.
At class five, review work was done on homework problem and we reviewed once more for the test. Then we took the test for which we were allowed about three hours. After the test was finished, we discussed the final presentation to the board and what energy problems there were in the school.
When the classes were over, the STEM students meet on Wednesdays after school to work on energy problems. Our corps of students has surveyed the building and dedicated work is being done to efficiently evaluate the school. Our work is still in process in order to customize our audit of the building. Our audit should be completed and be presented at a fall board meeting.
At Lewis Mills, the students are completing their analysis of the building with suggestions for energy improvement for presentation to the Board of Education in the Fall of 1997. They are planning a web site for their report at http://www.oocities.org/ CapeCanaveral/7639/lsmstem.htm
STEM Team members helped out at the Har-Bur Middle School Family Math and Science Night where they assisted in building model solar cars and boats,
experimenting with the energy of bouncing balls,
and manned energy exhibits with representatives of Northeast Utilities and the Tunxis Regional Recycling Operating Committee.
The materials available at the exhibit included energy conservation information, recycling and composting lterature, and information from People's Action for Clean Energy.
The student and teacher STEM Team members were helped by Mr Miller, Facilities Supervisor, at every step of the way. He answered the hundreds of questions we asked with patience, professionalism, and good humor. We look forward to working with him in the years to come as the Team finishes its report on Lewis Mills, then moves on to the other Region 10 schools.
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Ray introduced the program,
Russ described the training,
Sam explained two of the energy problems,
and the audience loved it.
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1. Introduce energy auditing as part of the grade nine environmental earth science program. This also includes advanced students in grade 7&8 at HarBur Middle School.
2. Include energy auditing as part of the applied algebra and geometry curriculum.
3. Demostrate uses of technology for collecting, compiling and analyzing data. (CBL probes, CAD, statistical programs, data analysis programs.
4. Train students as energy auditors and trainers.
5. Train teachers as energy auditors and trainers.
6. Offer energy effeciency services as a public service.
7. Complete energy audits over the next five years of all of the schools in region #10.
8. Integrate math, sciecne, and technology in an STS project with emphasis on school to work approaches.
This project will use trainers from Wilson educational services to train 25 student leaders, math science and technology teachers and a representative of the school facilities staff in the STEM (Saving Through Energy Management). Students will lead groups in the completion of an energy audit at Lewis S. Mills and will help train students to complete energy audits in other buildings and their homes. All students are required to complete the environmental earth science program. Energy and energy auditing will become a basic part of that program. Support will be provided through mathematics classes and the technology areas. Auditing services will be offered to the comunity and a culminating energy fair will be held at the end of the year to inform the general public on energy conservation and energy issues.
(return to top)Who: 25 students selected from environmental earth science grade nine and advanced science grade 7&8.
How involved: trained as trainers and group leaders.
Who: 2 science teachers
1 math teacher
1 school staff person (if possible)
ow involved: Science teachers will develop activities to integrate energy topics into the curriculum. Will instruct all students in energy auditing activities. Will supervise energy auditing activities.
Math teacher will work with the entire math department to integrate energy activities into the curriculum. Will train other math teachers. Will support science instruction.
School staff will lend assistance where needed.Benefits: immediate- improved curriculum and instruction long term- energy audits completed, community involvement, improved energy efficiency, application of school to work approach
(return to top)Benefactors- students and community cooperation and collaboration- studetns; teachers from math, science, and technology; custodial staff and community
The curriculum plan will include guest speakers from utilities engineering firms, district and town building committee and environmental groups.
Culminating activities- the energy fair or energy symposium where students would share what they have learned with the community.
(return to top)Science- Currently there is no energy unit included in the environmental earth science program. In the revised curriculum being developed this program will have energy, energy conservation and the environmental impact of energy use as an important emphasis.
Math- Both applied algebra and applied geometry programs have strong connections to an energy auditing project. Gretchen Mosca the math coordinator for region #10 has reviewed the STEM materials and feels it supports the work that is being done in that department.
Technology- The technology areas look at transportation, manufacturing, building design and construction. All of these areas relate directly to energy and energy conservation.
(return to top)There are many opportunities for service associated with the STEM program.
1. The auditing service to the district schools. Lewis S. Mills High School, HarBur Middle School, Harwinton Consolidated and Lake Garda Schools.
2. Auditing services offered to the general public. Small commercial operations as well as homes.
3. Energy infomation seminar for the general public. Student groups would have displays and presentations on energy issues and on energy conservation. These would include training on how to weather strip homes, planning for solar heating, using CAD to design energy efficient home improvements and getting the most from energy dollars through good management techniques.
(return to top) 1. Energy curriculum which looks at what energy is, how we use energy, using energy efficiently,
and conserving energy. This will be an activity based unit which includes the following topics.
Heat energy, temperature and heat, measuring heat, heating systems, insulation, cooling
systems, energy auditing, heat engines, thermal pollution, fuels, Energy resources, alternative energy
, air pollution, the greenhouse effect, water and land pollution.
2. Energy auditing services to the community which will allow for more effecient use of energy.
3. Energy awareness seminars to educate the general public.
(return to top) 1. The school district will have ongoing energy awareness through auditing process.
2. Any buidling or home in the area served by region #10 schools district may have an energy audit.
3. General public can benefit from information supplied through energy symposia.
Academic skills
1. apply the scienetific process in a meaningful way.
2. see first hand the connections between science technology
and society.
3. apply math to real life problem solving
4. connect science content to real life applications
Critical skills
1. Recognize the various components of an issue
2. Analyze the various components of an important issue
3. Recommend actions based on information compiled
4. Communicate understanding to a wide audience
Creative skills
1. design displays for the the energy fair
2. prepare presentations for symposia
3. write up the reults in a way that is understandable and
appealing to the general public (write for a general
audience)
4. advertise the energy fair and seminars
Partnerships-
1. Volunteer classroom presenters from industry and business on energy and related topics
2. Volunteer from engineering societies and firms to help with implementation of the energy seminars, audits, fair and reports
3. The school district will provide cxlericle support office supplies and substitute teachers where needed.
4. The community will supply volunteers labor to demonstrate proper installation of energy saving devises and materials.
5. local business will supply materials such as caulking to be distributed at the energy fair
Continuing project
1. Student trainers of students. Grade 10-12 students will help train grade nine students.
2. Curriculum revisions include the energy unit and energy auditing activities.
3. Energy fair an annual evenet in conjuction with the environmental fair which has been a tradition at Lewis Mills for five years.
Assessment
Completion of energy unit including activities
Twenty five students who have completed training
three teachers who have completed training
Energy audit of Lewis S. Mills completed
Evaluation surveys from those who have attended the energy fair.
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