Island Energy Inquiry Lending Library Fall 2011

As Hawaii educators are starting their 2011/2012 school year, we would like to remind Island Energy Inquiry Workshop participants that the Island Energy Inquiry Library Program (IEI-LL Program) is available to teachers who want to use hands-on tools to implement energy inquiry science in their classrooms.

To sign up for a kit, please complete the following survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8NPKXMS

Participants need to have an IEI-LL Participant Agreement on file, abide by the program's policies and procedures, and have a google or gmail account to access online shared forms.

If you have already implemented the IEI-LL tools in your classroom, please share your IEI-LL experiences and ideas here! Mahalo!

Island Energy Inquiry Leadership Seminar

Educators from all over the islands gathered here at our MEDB Lab in Kihei, Maui to learn about and participate in activities related to renewable energy, in hopes of adding these activities to their current curriculum. The Island Energy Inquiry program is led by Diana Papini-Warren, a project manager for Women in Technology and MEDB. This is a compilation of pictures taken by the IEI leaders during the workshop this past June. Each participant was lent their own personal Ipod Touch to take pictures of various renewable energy activities throughout the day. They completed a couple of wind turbine projects and also a solar power activity. Mahalo to Eliza Akana, Ignacio Arcas, Gentry Hirohata, Pam Kohara, Holly Lee, J. Mitchell, Debby Tisdell, and Karen Umeda for participating.

Energy Kit Materials - Where to Order...! What to Buy...!

Aloha Teachers,

Some of you have been asking where to order Energy Kit supplies for your schools. Below is list of some of standard kit items we purchase. We get most of our supplies from Kidwind.org – which was founded by a teacher BTW!

Prices fluctuate and shipping costs are not included on the attached sheets, so check their website and/or call to recheck everything. They are very helpful. They take Purchase Orders or credit cards. You can order directly from their website, however, I find it helpful to call and talk to a person. Re shipping, they can email or fax you a Quote with Estimated Shipping costs, then send an invoice with the exact shipping cost after the order is filled.

Kidwind – Tel. 1-877-917-0079 http://www.kidwind.org/

They are located in Minnesota so it’s a 5 or 6 hour time difference, depending on Daylight Savings Time.

If you find any other great vendors or kit items, please share!
Good luck!
Shannon

Basic Turbine Plus* - Windmill (*A newer model of the PVC Wind turbine we used to order)
http://www.kidwind.org/xcart/product.php?productid=38

5 Volt Solar Panels*
$13 each; $55 5-pack; $115 10-pack
http://www.kidwind.org/xcart/product.php?productid=56

Digital Multimeter*
$12.50 each
http://www.kidwind.org/xcart/product.php?productid=21

Green Science Solar Science Kit*
$12.25 each
http://www.kidwind.org/xcart/product.php?productid=157

Solar Thermal Kit* (for Lending Library)
$50.00 each
http://www.kidwind.org/xcart/product.php?productid=109

Extra Blade Materials*:
Balsa Wood Blades
100 Balsa Sheets for $80.00
http://www.kidwind.org/xcart/product.php?productid=23

Plastic Cardboard Blades (white)
100 Sheets for $60.00
http://www.kidwind.org/xcart/product.php?productid=29

1/4" Wood dowels
200 Dowels for $15.00
http://www.kidwind.org/xcart/product.php?productid=18

**Prices do not include shipping. Also, prices may fluctuate and models may change. Check website or call vendor for current info.

Diana Warren on Bytemarks Cafe Wed. 5/11!

Clean Energy iPad App will be offered FREE! Wed. and Thurs. in celebration of this event

What: Radio Interview: Women in Technology's Diana Papini Warren on Bytemarks Cafe, Hawaii's premiere radio show and technology-related matters.

When: Wednesday, May 11, 5:00-6:00 pm

Where: KIPO Radio 89.3 or Maui KIPM – 89.7.

Hosts Burt Lum and Ryan Ozawa will talk to Diana about the Clean Energy iPad App and Island Energy Inquiry teaching in the State of Hawaii. Farrington High School teacher, Diana Tom-Ogata, will also appear!

SPECIAL OFFER: The Clean Energy iPad App will be available for download FREE! all day Wednesday 5/10 and Thursday 5/11 in honor of this exciting event.
Go to: iTunes: http://bit.ly/CleanEnergyHawaii

Podcasts available at http://www.bytemarkscafe.org/

Video Resources - Teaching Science as Inquiry, Energy, and more

Here are some video resources from UH SeaGrant on “Teaching Science as Inquiry”, solar energy and more...

Link to all videow directly at: http://www.vimeo.com/marinescience

Or by island:
Oahu: http://mse.seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/oahu-lectures
Hawai`i Island: http://mse.seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/hawaii-island-lectures

Upcoming Events

Island Energy Inquiry: Professional Development Course for Teachers Grades 5-12

Registration avaiable at: http://www.womenintech.com/workshops.html
Space is Limited!

Oahu - Registration Closed
February 19 & 26, 2011

Kauai
March 14 & 15, 2011

Hawaii Island
March 18 & 19, 2011

The NEED Project – National Energy Education Development

Great Resource for Teachers!

The mission of the NEED Project is to promote an energy conscious and educated society by creating effective networks of students, educators, business, government and community leaders.

Check out http://www.need.org/

Link to PowerPoints and PDF's for teaching renewable energy concepts!

http://www.need.org/node/156

Siemens Foundation Sponsors National Sustainability Challenge for Students Grades K-12

Students Teams Compete for Prizes Up to $50,000 Joint Scholarship

Siemens Foundations encourages teams of students to become “Agents of Change” using project-based science inquiry approaches to identify, research and recommend solutions to environmental issues in their communities.

http://www.wecanchange.com/

What are some environmental issues in your community that you would like to change?

"WindWise" Curriculum Launched

KidWind and Pandion have partnered to develop a wind energy program for educators and schools. Funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the program includes curriculum, activity kits, teacher training, and will soon offer a “Connect Zone” where educators can share resources.
http://my.kidwind.org/windwise/curriculum

Wind Energy Quiz for Students

BrainPop, a fabulous resource for teachers and students, has a fun, online quiz that ties in perfectly with the Island Energy Inquiry Curriculum Module: Island Breezes Blowing Island Energy.

BrainPop Wind Energy Quiz
http://www.brainpop.com/science/energy/windenergy/quiz/

Island Energy Inquiry Workshops Offfered Statewide!

The first Island Energy Inquiry workshop was offered to Maui, Molokai, and Lanai teachers summer of 2009. During Winter and Spring of 2010, additional workshops have taken place on Oahu, Big Island, and Kauai via a partnership between UH CRDG, MEDB Women in Technology, and HIDOE.

We welcome all teachers statewide to use this blog as a resource!

Teachers, please comment freely here to offer suggestions on how we can make this a more useful resource to you and to share additional energy inquiry resources you have found helpful in your implementation.
Mahalo for your interest in engaging your students in energy inquiry!

Island Energy Inquiry Curriculum

The Island Energy Curriculum is designed to help teachers facilitate inquiry on energy topics for grades 5-12 of Hawaii. The curriculum relies heavily upon the use of the hands-on kits provided at the teacher workshop conducted in July 2009 for teachers of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai.

A virtual copy of the curriculum will be added to this blog soon.