energy exchange - The NEED Project

THE NEED PROJECT
WWW.NEED.ORG
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010!
ENERGY EXCHANGE
NEED Unveils New Modules and A
New Look for Curriculum Materials
Teachers are used to finding updated NEED materials every year with the most
recent statistics, but when NEED’s curriculum materials reach classrooms this
month, there will be much bigger changes than just the latest data. There will
also be a new design that uses updated photos and improved graphics, and some
new modules on the topics of river transportation and carbon capture and
storage.
NEED
Putting Energy
into Education
“Our curriculum pieces are the foundation of everything we do,” explained
Hallie Mills, NEED’s Curriculum Director. “I love meeting teachers who come to
our workshops. They’re there to learn about energy and how to teach it in their
classrooms, but it’s
especially rewarding
to me to see how
happy they are when
they leave with
curriculum they can
use the very next day
with their students.”
Hallie added that the
new format for the
more than 120
teacher and student
Barry Scott (left) and Tom Spencer test some of the revised
guides will include
activities for the photovoltaics curriculum.
more photos than
clip art, many real
examples of how energy technologies are used, and a fresh layout leading to a
better flow and improved usability. “The credit for the new layout,” Hallie says,
“really goes to Debbie Rhoda from Timberlake Publishing. Deb has been
creating our Annual Report for a number of years, and last year created the
Resource Catalog. We asked her to design a new look for our curriculum and she
has done an outstanding job.”
(continued on page 3)
Youth Awards 2010.
Take a look at pages 9-14 to see some
of the award winners, activities, and
people that made this year’s event
such a big success!
NEED Holds Teacher Training Program in Thailand
This spring, the NEED Project partnered with Chiang Mai University and the
Ministry of Energy in Thailand to bring energy education to Thai educators.
Constance Beatty, Regina Donour and Rebecca Lamb traveled to Bangkok in late
May to present a two-day energy workshop to 40 teachers and Ministry of
Education representatives from around the country.
NEED trainer Constance Beatty shows
Thai educators how an apple battery
works.
Topics covered during the training program included science of energy, energy
sources, electricity, efficiency and conservation, and climate change. Presentations
were made in English and translated into Thai for the audience. The educators had
memorable hands-on experiences including making Energy Expo boards about the
(continued on page 7)
NATIONAL ENERGY EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
800-875-5029
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
NEED Welcomes Two New Board Members . . .
Linda Lung has managed the
Linda Lung
Kristy Allman Monk has
U.S. Department of Energy’s
National Renewable Energy
Laboratory’s education programs
for more than 17 years. She has
extensive background in the
planning and implementation of
student programs, and has
managed teacher professional
development and teacher
research programs, and was the
lab’s principal investigator on the
DOE/NSF National Teacher
Enhance Program.
. . . and One New
Staff Member
Tim Meko
been an Environmental Public
Policy Specialist with American
Electric Power since 2002. She
develops corporate positions on
environmental public policies
including climate change and clean
energy. Her work currently
focuses on advancing carbon
Kristy Allman Monk
capture and storage technology
and its enabling policies. She
coordinates AEP’s environmental
policy development across 11
states.
Tim Meko has been NEED’s first Creative Director since
joining the staff in April. He began his career as an Information
Graphics Artist at the Columbus Dispatch newspaper in Ohio. He
will be responsible for updating the design of NEED’s curriculum
guides, graphics, and website.
NEED National Staff
NEED Board of Directors
Mary Spruill, Executive Director
Officers
Richard Zuercher, Dominion, Chairman
Diane Lear, National Hydropower Association, Vice Chairman
John Weiner, U.S. Energy Information Administration (ret.),
Secretary/Treasurer
Rebecca Lamb, Program Director
Hallie Mills, Curriculum Director
Tim Meko, Creative Director
Karen Reagor, Regional Director, Southeast
Members
Constance Beatty, Kennedy Middle Grade School,
Kankakee, IL (NEED Teacher Advisory Board Representative)
Guy Caruso, U.S. Energy Information Administration (ret.),
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Philip Cochrane, BP
Kristi DesJarlais, ConocoPhillips
Tom Fry, National Ocean Industries Association (ret.)
Kevin Galligan, Cape Light Compact
Linda Lung, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Kristy Monk, American Electric Power
Barry Russell, Independent Petroleum Association of America
Doug Keaton, Director, Career and Technology
Barry Scott, State Program Director
Todd Rogers, Regional Director, Northeast
Amy Constant, Program Associate
Melanie Harper, Program Associate
Vernon Kimball, Program Associate
Samantha Forbes, Training Coordinator
Annie Rasor, Curriculum Associate
Cindy Welchko, Curriculum Associate
Honorary Board Members and Former Board Chairmen
Paul Loeffelman, American Electric Power,
Immediate Past Chairman
Linda Silinsky, Schlumberger Oilfield Services (ret.)
Paula Barnett, BP
Maurice Royster, Equitable Resources
Bob Stewart. National Ocean Industries Association (ret.)
Henry Sullivan, American Electric Power (ret.)
Leslie Eden, Pennwell
Wendi Moss, Program Coordinator
Dena Foster, Program Associate
Lillian Dean, Office Manager/Accounting
Bonny Spruill, NEED Distribution Center
Cindy Foster, NEED Distribution Center
David Keene, General Counsel (Littler Mendelson)
2
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
NEED Unveils A New Look (continued from page 1)
NEED is also beginning to update the graphics in the materials and make them
more student-friendly and easier to understand. Tim Meko, NEED’s new
Creative Director, has been hard at work updating some of the graphics. Over
the next couple of years, teachers will see even
more changes in the way information is
represented visually. In the future, the
curriculum updates will not stay confined to
the printed materials. Tim explains that “we
know teachers continue to use more and
more technology in their classrooms. We will
be extending the new look to the website
with more interactive modules and easier-touse online materials, including resources for
teachers who are using interactive white
boards technology in their classrooms.”
An advance peek at the new look of
NEED’s publications.There are more
photos, examples of energy use, and a
better flow to make them easier to
use in the classroom.
NEED’s teacher and student guides have
been highly praised by teachers for many
years. They’re especially valuable to
teachers because although some people
think of energy topics as belonging in
science classes, NEED materials are
appropriate in many academic settings,
including language arts and social studies
classrooms, covering the full range of
kindergarten through 12th grade.
In addition to a new layout for all NEED materials, some curriculum pieces
received a more thorough update, changing how the content is delivered.
Much of the change came as the result of a meeting in Dallas in early April.
Hallie pointed out that “we held this meeting to bring together a small group
of our teacher advisory board members to work on some specific items, some
out of necessity and some to improve the guides in substantive ways.”
Hallie added that “A major reason for the curriculum improvements is that
teachers asked for improvements and we responded. When we get
suggestions and requests from teachers, we take them seriously. Many
teachers have been asking for more inquiry-based lessons where students are
investigating questions and drawing their own conclusions.
The meeting brought in teachers who were especially familiar with NEED’s
science curriculum. Hallie said that “Because the inquiry method of teaching is
a best practice, we wanted to update our material based on their teaching
experience. The materials are essentially the same but presented in a new
approach.”
Teacher Bob Hodash added that “The ability for teachers of different
backgrounds, geographic localities, and grade levels to come together to create
curriculum that will be relevant to all teachers is a wondrous thing. Our guides
need to be both instructional and provoke creative thought. Culminating the
ideas and knowledge of a group of teachers into a curriculum guide will create
guides that are better for all teachers and their students.
!
(continued on page 6)
3
!
NEED
Putting Energy
into Education
The NEED Project
NATIONAL ENERGY
EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
P.O. Box 10101, Manassas,VA 20108
Phone: 800-875-5029
Fax: 800-847-1820
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.need.org
The NEED Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
education association providing professional
development, innovative mater ials
correlated to the National Science
Education Content Standards, ongoing
support, and recognition to educators
nationwide.
NEWSLETTER STAFF
Mary Spruill
Executive Director
Hallie Mills
Curriculum Director
Ken Sheinkopf
Editor/Designer
Energy Exchange is published four
times a year by NEED for
educators and students. We
welcome your questions,
comments and suggestions.
Copyright 2010: National Energy Education
Development Project. All rights reserved.
E d u c a t o r s m ay re p ro d u c e
a r t i c l e s a n d a c t i v i t i e s fo r
classroom use.
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
Comments on NEED’s 30th Anniversary From Some of Our Family Members
Phil Cochrane, Vice President, External Affairs
BP Exploration (Alaska), and member of NEED’s Board of Directors
Phil Cochrane
We can’t do anything without energy, yet we are woefully uninformed about the energy choices we
make every day. By educating American students about the sources of energy, their benefits and
their impacts, NEED is filling that gap. The investment in the students of today will help the
leaders of tomorrow make wise energy policies that balance the needs of consumers, the impact
to the environment and benefits to the economy. NEED has been a leader for the past 30 years. We have made real progress and much is yet to come. I am proud of our past and our strategy to
make our vision for the future a reality.
Tabitha (Forbes) Yoo, Project Engineer
THOR Construction, Las Vegas, NV.
Tabitha Yoo
It is amazing how NEED relates to things I am doing in my life currently, even though it has been
almost 10 years since my last direct interaction with NEED. I never would have imagined that
being a camper at the Illinois Department of Economic & Community Affairs sponsored Camp
Keep would lead to my interaction with my school district while in high school, and now as an
adult I am using all the information I gained over those years to directly affect people in my
community. I am currently a Project Engineer working for a construction company in their
Weatherization Division. Our work includes changing out A/C and Furnace Units, repairing leaks
in ductwork, installing CFLs and low-flow shower heads, and replacing inefficient refrigerators.
Here in Las Vegas, the sun is a major factor in affecting energy bills so we also install solar screens
on windows to cut down on the UV rays and heat coming in. All of my past experiences with
NEED have allowed me to have prior knowledge and be ahead of the curve. I am excited to be
back in the energy-saving world.
From the NEED archives:
NEED student leader Grant
Schoeneweis leads activities at
the 1992 NEED Energy
Conference at American
University in Washington, D.C.
!
4
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
Brian Bosso
Brian Bosso graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 2009 with a B.S. degree in chemistry and a minor in bioengineering and
life sciences. He participated in NEED activities for six years and was named “Student Leader of the Year” in 2003.
One of my first experiences with NEED occurred during the summer of 2002 when a small group of students from my
middle school drove to New Orleans for a U.S. Department of Energy conference. While we had previously spent much of
the time doing classroom activities with fellow classmates, this was the first time that we would be able to share our energy
knowledge with adults. We quickly learned some of the energy conservation tips, made a few props, and headed to New
Orleans.
Our excitement continued to grow until we finally reached the conference and were able to perform. While a little
nervous, our performance went smoothly. We were even rewarded with the audience’s smiles and ovation. Looking back
at the experience, it seems that the performance was not merely to inform the teachers about conservation, but also to
instill the belief that they, too, could excite their students while learning about energy.
During the next few years, I saw the enthusiasm continually grow in NEED participants. Students seem to never want to
stop learning about energy, whether they are mining for coal in chocolate chip cookies, singing some of the energy songs, or
learning about different types of energy with the happy and sad bouncy balls. And due to the diversity of the curriculum,
there is even an activity for the hardest-to-please student. The Youth Awards Program helped foster the enhancement of
individual groups’ activities by allowing them to see what other groups were doing. It is the imagination of the students
that the NEED Project hopes to catch. As the future scientists, engineers, or policy-makers, these students need the
knowledge, excitement, and imagination in the formulation of solutions for the inescapable energy and environmental issues
Melanie Harper Melanie Harper is a Program Associate,Texas Coordinator, for NEED. She retired
from teaching last year after 30 years as a primary through secondary science teacher.
I went to my first NEED conference for educators held in Westport, MA, back in the early 1990s. I
remember being so blown away by the curriculum and activities. It was “love at first sight,” and still is!
Melanie Harper
!
Serving on NEED’s teacher advisory board was a great experience for me. Not only was it a
wonderful way to give thoughts, ideas, and work with energy curriculum needs for the classroom, but
to network with fellow teachers from other states who have become friends.
I am a retired teacher who used the NEED curriculum at multiple grade levels during my teaching years. Now working for
NEED, I am honored to provide that curriculum to teachers for use with their students in classrooms. It is a great way for
me to stay connected to education.
I enjoy facilitating workshops for the TXU Energy Solar Academy, for Encana and others. I love to see the smiles on
teacher’s faces at workshops as they work through energy investigations and select the kits they will receive for their
classroom use with their students. It is very rewarding for me.
Energy education is vital for our country now and in the future. The NEED curriculum provides the necessary materials for
students to learn about energy in fun innovative ways that will help them make wise energy decisions in the future. It is a
great program!!
New and Expanded Programming Underway for 2010-2011
We’re pleased to announce that Kansas City Power and Light joins NEED as a partner to provide energy education
programming to schools in the KCP&L service area beginning this fall. The Science Museum of Virginia and Dominion are
working together with NEED on lessons for a new exhibit launching soon at the Museum on Virginia’s energy development
and use. National Fuel and NEED continue to partner on the National Fuel Energy Detectives program for Western New
York. Encana programs are planned and underway in Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, and Louisiana. The PECO “Energizing
Education Program” had a second successful year and plans for year three are underway. For more information about any of
these programs and and other programming, visit the new www.need.org.
!
5
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
NEED Unveils New Modules (continued from page 6)
Hallie noted that she “was so impressed with the work all
the teachers put into this meeting. They came to the
meeting prepared to get things done, and the result is that
they made some extremely valuable changes that will
improve the curriculum materials. As a result, teachers will
find many great materials of benefit to use in their
classrooms. In the EnergyWorks team, for example, I
watched the group and saw they had all the materials out
and were testing the activities and developing the new
expected outcomes for teachers, testing investigations,
doing science experiments, and rewriting text. They were
having great discussions about the best questions to
motivate students to continue investigating, and they were
so thorough in everything they were doing.”
Another teacher who took part in the meeting, Linda
Fonner, said that “The NEED Project resources have always
been so beneficial to the classroom teacher in educating
teachers and students. The new look and approach are
making a fantastic resource even better. Students are
presented with updated information every year compared
to antiquated textbooks. Resources are being developed to
promote an inquiry-based approach. NEED has always
been great and now it is greater and even stronger!”
Elementary and middle school teachers worked together during the
Teacher Advisory Board meeting to revise and update NEED’s
EnergyWorks curriculum.
The new curriculum materials will be available to teachers this
fall. Visit www.need.org for more information.
Thanks to The Teachers Who Made These Changes Happen
The planning meeting for the curriculum updates and changes brought the teachers together to focus primarily on the
Primary Science of Energy, Science of Energy, Secondary Science of Energy, Photovoltaics, and EnergyWorks. Teachers participating
in the meeting were Constance Beatty, Kennedy Middle Grade School, IL; Loree Burroughs, Latee Don Pedro Elementary,
CA; Amy Constant, Fox Road Elementary School, NC; Nina Corley, Satori School, TX; Regina Donour, Letcher County
Central School, KY; Linda Fonner, New Martinsville School,WV; Bob Hodash, Sierra Middle School, CA; Linda Hutton, Kitty
Hawk Elementary School, NC; Michelle Lamb, Twin Groves Middle School, IL; Barbara Lazar, Bosque School, NM; Robert
Lazar, Cleveland Middle School, NM; Leslie Lively, Short Line School, WV; Mollie Mukhamedov, Floresta Elementary School,
FL; Ramona Nelson, Tennessee Energy Policy Office, TN; Don Pruett, Sumner High School, WA; Josh Rubin, Woodside High
School, CA; Gina Spencer, Pembroke Elementary School,VA; Tom Spencer, Grassfield High School and Technology
Academy,VA, and Wayne Yonkelowitz, Fayetteville High School, WV.
NEED Hosts Several Summer Workshops
NEED hosted several successful workshops this summer in partnership with Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas;
at Hydrovision 2010 in Charlotte, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory and the Idaho
STEM initiative; in Panama City, Florida with Gulf Power, at the Georgia Association of Career and Technical Education
conference thanks to support from the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority; at the Virginia Wind Symposium with
support from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, and at the Lucerne County (PA) Energy Expo with
Encana. It was lots of energy and lots of fun for all the participants.
2nd Nuclear Conference Held in July
The 2nd Nuclear Energy Conference was hosted July 25-29 in Charlottesville,Virginia, thanks to the support of The
Lenfest Foundation and Washington and Lee University. Fifty educators from more than 20 states joined NEED
facilitators and nuclear energy professionals for five days of nuclear energy education and discussion. Educators
participated in mock Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearings and in field trips provided by Dominion and AREVA.
!
6
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
NEED Holds Teacher Training in Thailand (continued from page 1)
different energy sources, creating their own science of electricity models, and mining for chocolate chips in cookies.
The workshop general sessions were simultaneously translated from English into Thai. However, not all the breakout
sessions had a translator, so laughter abounded as hand signals, body language, and trial and error helped to get through
the kit activities.
Earlier this year, representatives from Thailand’s Ministry of Energy as well as Chiang Mai
University (CMU) visited two classrooms in California. They observed NEED teachers
Jennifer Trochez-McClean and James Wilkie using NEED’s curriculum with their students,
and were very impressed. As a result, they invited NEED to Thailand to train teachers in
NEED’s curriculum and education strategies. Thailand is committed to efficiently use their
energy resources and they see NEED as a partner to help with that commitment. A
group of 13 teachers and other energy representatives from Thailand attended the
National Energy Conference for Educators in Dallas in July to continue what was started
in May.
Workshop participants measure the
electrical output of their generator
at the workshop.
This workshop is the first step in the building of a local energy education initiative.
Thanks to the work of Associate Professor Thongchai Fongsamootr of the Energy
Research and Development Institute at Chiang Mai University, there are plans to create a
curriculum that specifically addresses Thailand’s energy situation and Thai teachers’ needs
in the classroom using NEED’s strong science background as a platform to work from.
NEED looks forward to a great relationship with CMU and the Ministry of Energy to
bring energy education into Thai schools. EIA Wins Recognition For Its Energy Kids Website
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has won several national awards for its energy
education websites. In May, the National Association of Government Communicators selected EIA’s
“Energy Kids” website (www.eia.gov/kids/) as the first recipient of its “Best in Show” award and also
as the first winner of its “Best Website” and “Shoestring Budget” categories. EIA’s adult education
website, “Energy Explained,” received a second-place award in the “Best Electronic Publication”
category. EIA Administrator Richard Newell noted that both websites use “plain language and clear
graphics to help explain a sometimes complex, but vital subject.” Earlier in the year, the Center for
Plain Language awarded a “ClearMark” Award of Excellence to EIA for the “Energy Explained” site,
and the American Institute of Graphic Arts chose “Energy Kids” as one of the 50 strongest examples
of print, narrative and interactive design produced in the Maryland,Virginia, and D.C. region during the
past two years.
EIA’s Energy Ant wins
several major national
awards for websites.
2010 Technology Summit Held in July
NEED hosted its 2010 Technology Summit in Providence, Rhode Island, July 28-30. Members of the NEED Technology
Committee met to determine the best ways to integrate educational technologies into NEED curriculum. Plans for deeper
integration of probe/data logger technologies, interactive whiteboards, social media, and animation are underway. Watch for
exciting technology connections to come soon. Special thanks to the following committee members: Tom Spencer
(Chesapeake Public Schools,VA); Constance Beatty (Kankakee School District, IL); Joanne Spaziano (Cranston Public
Schools, RI), Loree Burroughs (Mariposa Unified School District, CA); Michelle Lamb (Kildeer Countryside District 96, IL);
Lesley Fastovsky (Westerly School District, RI); Linda Fonner (New Martinsville School, WV); Wayne Yonkelowitz
(Fayetteville Middle School, WV), and Robert Dimuccio, Scott Sutherland, Cliff Boyle, Pamela Alvarista, Doug Jackovny, and
Ellen House (Hope High School, RI).
!
7
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
Teacher Talk . . . with Linda Fonner
Linda Fonner is a fifth-grade teacher in New Martinsville,WV.
The NEED Project is such a teacher-friendly, student-oriented program that I just cannot imagine teaching energy education without
it. Over the years, I have used a variety of NEED resources depending on student knowledge, current events, and state objectives.
There are a few favorite NEED activities that I use in my curriculum, including:
•
Energy on Stage, This Week in Energy Conservation, Rock Performances, and Energy Chants: In
recent years, all five of my science classes have put together energy shows in which they incorporate energy sources and
conservation of energy. The students have performed the shows in front of parents, neighbors, local energy personnel, and
school employees. Every year I do it a little differently, but my favorite way is
the community show where students perform what they learned and what
they know for parents and others from the community. The audiences are
always amazed at how much 10-year-olds know about energy as compared to
how much most adults know. I also like to do these activities for the lower
grades so my fifth-graders can do activities with them to help meet their
standards requirements. I especially like the way these activities really make a
difference to some students who have trouble with reading. Being involved
with the songs, dances, and other activities, they actually can learn better than
just reading the material in a textbook. Ninety-four percent of my students
scored at mastery or above on standardized testing questions dealing with
Linda works with her students in a NEED
renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Some years we do two shows.
activity she developed about circuits using
We have added in energy surveys, use of kilowatt meters, and have presented
an Energy Ball. By connecting hands in the
our findings on interactive whiteboards for our audience. You can learn more
circle, the energy has a completed path -- a
about these shows at http://wvde.state.wv.us/professional-development/model“human circuit” to light up the ball.
classrooms/videos/?vid=get-energized.flv .
•
Wind Energy: Students use a small classroom wind turbine. They make the blades for it out of recycled materials and
then test the blades to see the amount of energy produced. They then re-design the blades to try and increase the amount
produced. Wind is in the forefront these days in many areas. Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths out there about the
technology, and students are learning and educating their parents. What I like best is when students build their own turbine
blades, test them, redesign them, and retest again trying to improve on electricity production. They do the kind of work
that engineers do.
•
Home Energy Survey: In this activity, students go through their home with their parents to assess their energy usage.
I let students sign out kilowatt meters to test items for the amount of energy used. The survey results are compiled and
then shared with parents at a classroom presentation.
•
Global Energy: My students kept in touch with a plant manager from a local utility who was in charge of a coal power
plant in China. They compared and contrasted the plant there with the one in our area. We use a program called
Thinkquest (www.thinkquest.com) that it is free to school systems. At this site, students can develop their own web pages
easily and communicate with students in other countries. They ask them questions, send them surveys, and exchange
information with them. I put an energy unit on this site so the teachers can see the NEED unit and material we work with.
I love the multi-country aspect of it and it is a great way for our students to get to know people from other cultures.
•
After-School Energy Club: This group at our school made an energy time-capsule which included current gasoline
and electricity prices, current news articles, and their thoughts about energy. They buried it on the school property with a
plaque giving the information to open it in 25 years. This club also visited a local hydropower plant and coal power plant.
What I have found is that the students who stay after school are a combination of many different types of students.
The NEED materials are an integral part of all of these programs for us, and I try to keep using them in different ways to get
more students involved and excited about the energy sources.
!
8
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
2010 National Youth Awards for Energy Achievement
NEED is pleased to announce the following
winners of this year’s Youth Awards, who were
honored for their achievements at the National
Recognition Ceremonies in June in Washington,
D.C.
Junior Level
Bullitt Lick Middle School (KY), Junior Level School
of the Year
Primary Level
Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central (NY), Junior Level
Rookie School of the Year
Central College Math & Science Magnet (OH),
Primary Level School of the Year
St. Isidore School (NE), Junior Level Finalist
Cleveland Middle School (NM), Junior Level Finalist
Urbita Elementary School (CA), Primary Level
Finalist
Heritage Middle School (OH), Junior Level Finalist
Lillie Burney Elementary School (MS), Primary
Level Finalist
Senior Level
Huntingdon Primary School (TN), Primary Level
Finalist
Sandwich High School (MA), Senior Level School of
the Year
Adair County High School (KY), Senior Level
Rookie School of the Year
Elementary Level
Sue H. Morrow Elementary School (NV),
Elementary Level School of the Year
Northbrook High School (TX), Senior Level
Rookie School of the Year
Ulis Newton Elementary School (NV),
Elementary Level School of the Year
Oakwood High School (OH), Senior Level Finalist
Summit View Elementary School (KY), Elementary
Level Rookie of the Year School
Fayette Academy (TN), Senior Level Finalist
A.K. Sutter Elementary School (FL), Elementary
Finalist
Special Category
Sumner 4-H (TN), Special Category School of the
Year
Eastham Elementary School (MA), Elementary
Level Finalist
Westerville Energy Education Partnership (OH),
Special Category Project Finalist
Forestville Road Elementary School (NC),
Elementary Level Finalist
White Pine School (TN), Elementary Level Rookie
Finalist
!
Hope High School (RI), Special Category Project
Finalist
9
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
Congratulations To The 2010 Youth Awards Winners
PRIMARY LEVEL SCHOOL OF THE YEAR: Central
College Math and Science Magnet School, Westerville, OH.
Project Adviser: Koleen Foley.
Students explored the layers of earth, pretended to drill for oil,
and investigated ways to conserve non-renewable resources and
better ways to care for renewable resources. They studied
glaciers and icebergs and brainstormed ways to help create
positive changes in the environment. Students also created big
books on recycling, energy conservation and composting to
share with family and friends, collected food waste from the
cafeteria for composting, designed posters for our school and
decorated grocery bags for Earth Day.
ELEMENTARY LEVEL SCHOOLS OF THE
YEAR: Sue H. Morrow Elementary School,
Henderson, NV, and Ulis Newton Elementary School,
Henderson, NV. Project Adviser: Lena Cook.
Students learned about how energy forms and sources
through hands-on experiments and NEED’s Energy
Infobooks, they also learned how energy is wasted at
home and school and reinforced their new knowledge
playing energy games. Students led and participated in
a variety of outreach projects. They shared energy
chants with other classes and taught second graders
about recycling. Students constructed energy source
exhibits about alternative fuels. They also went to
Lowe’s and encouraged conservation by giving away
bookmarks, pamphlets and Energy Star Pledge sheets.
JUNIOR LEVEL SCHOOL OF THE YEAR:
Bullitt Lick Middle School, Shepherdsville, KY. Project
Adviser: Robin Handloser.
The BLMS NEED Team began as a student choice
seminar class, learning the Science of Energy experiments
and before they could blink, they were scheduled to
teach 60 adults at a NEED Educator Workshop. In
addition to teaching Science of Energy, they worked with
small teacher groups modeling Electrolysis and Methane
Steam Reforming from NEED’s H2 Educate. They soon
taught more workshops, including a district-wide one
reached 10 teachers and 68 kids who will start NEED
Teams at their schools.
!
10
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
SENIOR LEVEL SCHOOL OF THE YEAR:
Sandwich High School, East Sandwich, MA. Project
Adviser: Gilbert Newton.
To educate people about renewable energy and energy
efficiency building applications, students set up an energy
fair at the Oak Ridge school, made a movie for the Energy
Film Contest, and volunteered their time at elementary
schools teaching the children about energy. The goal was
to spread awareness about conserving energy and
promoting renewable energy because if society is not
educated on energy, we will not be able to save the
energy sources we have left before it is too late.
SPECIAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR: Sumner County 4-H,
Gallatin, TN. Project Advisers: Clint Parker, Gwen Groves, and
Bridgett Garrison.
4-H’ers enjoyed teaching their peers energy education through
fun-filled activities, including touch and see squares, making it
“snow” in school using sodium polyacrylate, twirling sound tubes,
and playing with tops and whirly wheels. They also captained the
SS Energy, a steam-powered putt-putt boat! More than 500
families filled out their TVA energy surveys and received free
energy conservation kits. 4-H also partnered with CEMC through
Project Help raising $1,150 for members of our community
members who have difficulty paying their electric bills.
STATE PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: Colorado
During the 2009 - 2010 school year, the State of Colorado
trained more than 1,000 educators and provided hands-on
energy kits and classroom curriculum to teachers and
students across the state. Encana resources provided
teachers with the opportunity to learn about energy
resources in Colorado and to explore new transportation
options with the Encana Compressed Natural Gas car. The
U.S. Department of Energy’s Windpowering America and
Wind for Schools Program provided NEED wind curriculum
and training to schools. ConocoPhillips sponsored workshops
highlighting energy sources and energy efficiency, and although
Colorado Springs is 1,000 miles from the ocean, the National
Ocean Industries Association sponsored an Offshore Energy
Workshop there. NEED worked with the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory to visit classrooms as part of the Encana
Energy Expo for the Western Slope.
!
11
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD: Tom Fry, Retired President of the National Ocean
Industries Association (NOIA)
Tom Fry
Tom Fry is a valuable and long-time NEED partner. As President of NOIA, he encouraged his staff and the
NOIA membership to engage with NEED teachers and students and to provide the best possible support
for classrooms across the United States. Because of his leadership, students in inland states have the
opportunity to learn about the nation’s offshore resources and to consider careers working offshore.
At heart, Tom is always a teacher. Whether mentoring the NOIA staff, serving as a valuable advisor to the
NEED staff as a member of the Board of Directors, or by participating in NEED workshops and fielding
questions from teachers and students, he is always engaging, always dedicated, and always committed
personally and professionally to NEED.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD: Ramona Nelson, Tennessee Department of Economic
and Community Development
Ramona Nelson
Ramona Nelson is Program Director of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community
Development (ECD)’s Tennessee Energy Education Network (TEEN), which provides energy resources
and professional development for the state’s K-12 teachers. She incorporated NEED into a
comprehensive curriculum for energy education in schools and student-led community outreach
activities that promote energy efficiency and conservation. Ramona has also been instrumental in ECD’s
partnership with the University of Tennessee’s 4H Program for the “Energizing Tennessee 4H” project.
She represents TEEN on the board of directors of the Tennessee Science Teachers Association and the
Tennessee Environmental Education Association. She is also a member of the Tennessee Educators of
Aquatic and Marine Sciences, the Every Child Outdoors Tennessee Coalition, and the Tennessee
Outdoor Classroom Symposium committee.
STUDENT LEADER OF THE YEAR: Erin Shoaf, Fayette Academy, Somerville, TN
Erin Shoaf
Erin’s leadership has been recognized by many individuals and organizations. She has given more than
1,000 hours of service to NEED in the three years she has served as Co-Chair of her school’s Ecology
Club. Her consistent leadership and dedicated service to the cause of energy education and
environmental stewardship earned her the President’s Volunteer Service Award Gold Medal, the
President’s Environmental Youth Awards Commendation for Outstanding Leadership in Environmental
Stewardship, the 2009 John Wilder Fayette County Citizen of the Year award, a Volvo Adventure in
partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme Diploma, and numerous other
commendations. In 2010, Fayette Academy again received top honors in the Tennessee Department of
Economic and Community Development Youth Awards Program. NEED is honored to have Erin join the
National NEED team as a Student Leader in 2010.
NEED ENERGY LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNER: Ryan Flynn
This annual award recognizes a student who demonstrates outstanding leadership skills. Ryan received
a $1,500 college scholarship to assist him in pursuing his educational career goals. Ryan was recognized
for his work at Scituate (RI) High School where he taught hundreds of students and teachers. He is
now at the University of Rhode Island, where he is pursuing a degree in engineering. He continues to
assist with NEED workshops. Applications for the 2011 NEED Energy Leadership Award are available
at www.need.org.
Ryan Flynn
!
12
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
Students Enjoyed Another Great Youth Awards Weekend!
The Hawaiian-themed cruise on Sunday night is always a highlight of the weekend for the students,
as well as for their teachers and parents.
Students have to successfully toss the ring
before receiving an energy equation to solve
during Friday Night’s Energy Carnival.
Students arrived early at the National Recognition
Ceremony to receive their awards for energy
achievement.
Members of the Philip A. Sharp Middle School group -- and their friend Energy Ant -- all had a
great time at Youth Awards.
!
13
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
Youth Award participants refuel each night at dinner so they have energy for evening
activities.
Elementary Students learned the NEED Clap which can be
found in NEED’s Games and Icebreaker.
High school students built model oil reservoirs and learned
about enhanced oil recovery.This activity can be found in the
new Carbon Capture and Storage Guide available this
fall.
Students had fun trading and dancing on Saturday night.
!
14
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
NEED NEWS
Thank You, Keith Etheridge and Dena Foster
Keith Etheridge
As we begin a new school year, we say farewell to Keith Etheridge. We are
grateful to Keith for his years of service as a workshop facilitator and later as
Training Director. Keith’s wit and facilitation skills touched many teachers as
they began their involvement with NEED, and he is often credited with
getting teachers energized to return to their classrooms and begin teaching
as much about energy as possible. We wish Keith and his family – Lauri,
Dylan and Nikita, who have joined us at so many NEED events – well as he
embarks on his next adventure. NEED also says goodbye to Dena Foster
who has worked at our headquarters helping with workshops and
curriculum. We wish her well as she moves to Austin, TX.
Dena Foster
Walmart Foundation Gives $1.2 million for NEED Solar Schools Program
A donation of $1.2 million to NEED from the Walmart Foundation will
provide photovoltaic (PV) solar panels for 20 schools in Chicago,
Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Seattle. According to
Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation, “The Walmart Solar
Schools Program will help educate the next generation on the opportunities
and benefits of using more renewable energy.” These installations will be
accompanied by hands-on energy kits and the inquiry-based curriculum that
will be provided by NEED. It is estimated that every year, the 20 PV
installations will generate approximately 150,000 kilowatt hours of
electricity, save the schools more than $15,000 in energy costs, and prevent
more than 100 tons of greenhouses gases from entering the atmosphere.
The grant will also help create and sustain green jobs, and all PV panels used
in the program will be made in the U.S.
Students at Senn High School in Chicago
learn about solar energy during the
Walmart Foundation's Solar Schools
Kick-Off Solarbration!
NEED Recognized by ENERGY STAR Program As One of the Top Pledge Drivers in
the 2009-2010 “Change the World, Start With ENERGY STAR” Campaign
The NEED Project ranks fourth among all the nation’s non-profit organizations participating in the current
“Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR” campaign, which encourages Americans to save energy and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by changing to CFL bulbs and other ENERGY STARrecommended strategies. As of mid-April, NEED’s efforts to promote energy and
environmental savings have resulted in 9,709,085 lbs. of greenhouse gases saved. In
addition, two NEED activities ranked first and second in the “education” category. The
Kentucky NEED Project was first with 38,240,698 lbs. of greenhouse gases saved, and
St. Isidore NEED Group was second with 6,133,782 lbs. saved. In last year’s campaign,
The NEED Project’s efforts saved about the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions
as this year, resulting in an estimated 5,719,836 kWh of electricity saved, worth an
estimated $753,808 in energy costs.
!
15
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
In Memoriam: Lena Cook
Lena Cook, a well-known NEED teacher who taught in the Clark County (Nevada) School District for 31 years, passed
away on June 30, 2010.
She received NEED’s Distinguished Service Award in 2009 for her outstanding career as an educator. She taught sixth
grade language arts during the first five years of her career, then spent 26 years as a G.A.T.E. (Gifted and Talented
Education) Specialist. Lena first learned about the NEED program in the 1980’s when a NEED
instructor came to a G.A.T.E. meeting to discuss the program. She thought this would be a great
method to introduce her students to the topic of energy and environmental issues.
Lena believed in NEED’s approach for teaching energy education. She always encouraged her
students to reach out to their peers and community members to teach others about energy
through a “Kids Teaching Kids” approach. Over the years, her energy student groups conducted
in school-activities. Some of these activities have included teaching peers about energy,
conducting school energy competitions, creating and analyzing student energy surveys,
spearheading school-wide recycling programs, conducting energy carnivals, acting in energy
plays, participating in energy games, engaging the school in a variety of “Green” activities, plus
numerous other motivating energy events.
Lena Cook
Lena strongly believed in guiding her students to become energy leaders. Some of her proudest
moments came when her former students stayed energy-connected as they moved through
middle school, high school, and beyond. Many of her former “energy” students have joined leadership clubs in middle
schools and have returned to work with her students, other students have initiated energy clubs in their high schools,
and other former students have even gone on to make a career revolving around their energy background.
The NEED family will miss Lena’s involvement in our programs and activities. We join her family and the many students
she impacted throughout her distinguished career as we mourn the loss of this dynamic educator.
NEED Teacher Honored As “PG&E Solar Schools Inspirational Educator”
On July 17, Greg Holman, a sixth-grade science teacher at Paradise
Intermediate School in Chico, CA, threw a ceremonial first pitch
prior to the San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets baseball game,
with nine of his former sixth-grade students on the field behind him.
Greg received this honor for being named the 2010 PG&E Solar
Schools Inspirational Educator of the year for his commitment to
teaching about renewable energy in conjunction with PG&E's Solar
Schools Program.
Following the pitch, PG&E president Chris Johns and Giants pitcher
Barry Zito presented Greg with a plaque honoring him for his work
securing grants from PG&E's Solar Schools Program to obtain a
solar generator for Paradise Intermediate. His students also hosted a
number of public events to bake cookies using solar ovens, raising
money to purchase solar ovens for schools in Africa.
!
16
!
Greg Holman (center) receives his award as PG&E
Solar Schools Inspirational Educator from Chris Johns,
president of PG&E, and Barry Zito of the San Francisco
Giants.
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
Primary Lesson
Primary Energy Chants
Renewable Chants and Hand Motions
Wind: (Energy is flowin’ in the WIND) Make big arm circles, mimicking a windmill, as you say this chant.
Solar: (SOLAR ENERGY—sun shine bright, SOLAR ENERGY—give me light) Begin with arms over head in a big circle,
swaying from side to side during “SOLAR ENERGY.” Spread arms out wide during “sun shine bright.” Repeat motions for
second part of chant.
Hydropower: (Falling water, HYDROPOWER, HYDROPOWER) During “Falling water,” move your hands together from
under your chin to the front of you, mimicking a water fall. Spin your hands like a turbine as you shout, “HYDROPOWER,
HYDROPOWER.”
Geothermal: (Geo-Earth, Thermal-heat—GEOTHERMAL—Earth-heat) Hold arms in a circle in front of you during “GeoEarth.” Cross arms and hug yourself for “Thermal-heat.” Shout “GEOTHERMAL,” then repeat the motions quickly for “Earth
heat.”
Biomass: (Wood, plants, garbage—BIOMASS) Start with your hands down, then move them over your head and out like a
tree. Hold your nose at “garbage,” then shake hands in front of you as you shout “BIOMASS.”
Nonrenewable Chants and Hand Motions
Coal: (COAL in the hole—makes light in the night) During “COAL in the hole,” point down with thumbs, hands in fists.
During “makes light in the night,” point thumbs upward in rhythm with the cadence of the chant.
Natural Gas: (Burn clean, burn fast—NATURAL GAS) During “Burn clean,” bring one hand up in front of you, palm facing
inward. During “burn fast,” bring other hand up to first hand. During “NATURAL GAS,” move hands upward together to
make the shape of a flame.
Uranium: (URANIUM—URANIUM—Split goes the atom) Clap twice during “URANIUM, URANIUM.” During “Split goes
the atom,” clap and bring hands out and up, representing the splitting atom.
Petroleum: (Pump, pump—PETROLEUM) Place hands together in fists in front of you. During “Pump, pump,” partially
extend fingers twice and return to fist. During “PETROLEUM,” fully extend hands and move them upward, representing oil
shooting from a well.
Propane: (Put a little pressure on me—PROPANE) Begin with hands wide apart and bring palms closer together at each
word of the chant.
For more information about energy and each energy source, download the Primary Energy Infobook from NEED’s website,
www.need.org. For an extended activity using the chants, download Games and Icebreakers from
http://www.need.org/needpdf/Games%20&%20Icebreakers.pdf.
!
17
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
Secondary Lesson
Energy Flow Analysis
Energy has been a frequent topic in the news lately. What do you know about the energy sources we use in the United states? Do you
know what energy sources we utilize? Do you know how much energy we produce? How much we import? How much we need?
Look at the Energy Flow diagram below. The left side of the diagram shows energy production by source (supply) and import figures
for 2008. The right side of the diagram shows energy consumption figures by energy source and sector of the economy.
1. Calculate the total domestic production, imports, supply and consumption. Write the amounts in the appropriate boxes on the
Energy Flow diagram.
2. On a separate piece of paper calculate the following:
What resource contributes most to the U.S. energy supply? (Don’t forget to include imports). What percentage of the overall supply is
this resource?
What percentage of our U.S. energy supply is imported?
What percentage of energy resources is exported?
What percentage of U.S. consumed energy comes from renewable energy sources?
What percentage of U.S. consumed energy is nonrenewable?
How is our energy used? Calculate the percentage of energy consumed by each sector.
Energy measurements are often converted to Btus, or British thermal units, allowing different sources to be compared equally. One
Btu is the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. One Btu is
approximately the amount of energy released by the burning of one wooden kitchen match.
!
19
!
!
THE NEED PROJECT
WWW.NEED.ORG
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
The NEED Project
P.O. Box 10101
Manassas,VA 20108
Phone: 800-­‐875-­‐5029
Fax: 800-847-1820
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #201
DULLES VA
NEED Receives DOE Hydrogen Program Award
On July 8, NEED Executive Director Mary Spruill accepted an award from
the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Program for NEED’s work in
hydrogen education. The award, presented at DOE’s Annual Merit
Review, was presented as part of a luncheon with all of DOE’s hydrogen
grantees and partners representing universities, private companies, the
research and development community, and other groups. NEED was
also honored with an additional year of funding for its H2 Educate
program to bring additional hydrogen workshops to local communities
this fall.
Follow NEED on Twitter! Become a Fan on Facebook!
Want to see what NEED is “tweeting” about? Follow us @need_project.
Become a Fan on Facebook, too. Check out The NEED Project on Facebook.
For a detailed calendar of upcoming NEED events
and workshops, visit www.need.org/calendar.