So while the government and corporations are talking about the need for alternative energy sources, Lakeview Middle School students in Dan Wray's Science Plus class are studying them.
The advanced science students are working with circuit boards, windmills, solar-powered model cars, fuel cell model vehicles and solar-powered mini-houses.Funding for the equipment came from a Warsaw Education Foundation Red Apple Grant. The monetary grants are presented each year to Warsaw educators for projects that advance enrichment opportunities, provide innovative and inventive teaching and promote academic exploration in Warsaw Community Schools. A community non-profit organization, the Warsaw Education Foundation champions academic innovation and excellence in Warsaw Community Schools.
Wray said his students began studying alternative energy sources before Christmas, putting the cars, circuits and houses together. They also compared the various energy sources. Monday, the students troubleshot their projects. They will test them and begin looking at results this week. Once completed, Wray said, he will share the Science Plus students' work to his other classes.
For the last couple of years, Wray said it occurred to him that this generation will have to vote on and make decisions on energy issues. Because of that, he believed they needed to study the issues more.
While Wray is careful not to draw any conclusions about global warming, he said the world will be out of easy-to-get fossil fuels soon, and eventually out of fossil fuels altogether.
Students in the class were broken up into groups to study the energy sources.
Jason Ferguson and Chris Stetzel were working on building a circuit board Monday. Ferguson said they decided to make a random number generator. They were close to finishing on Friday, but ran out of time.
"It's a lot easier but it just takes more time than I thought it would," said Ferguson.
"And you have to think," said Stetzel.
"The diagram is less complicated than I thought it would be," said Ferguson.
At a nearby table, students Melody Holladay, Evan Cultice, Collin Parker and Emily Propp were working on a fuel-cell car powered by light and water, a solar car and a windmill.
"We're learning different ways to power things," said Parker.
Holladay said the fuel-cell car was faster than the solar car. It uses water and doesn't have gears.
Propp said it was complicated, but fun to see them work.
At another table, Jessica Hand, Ben Fullmer, Jonathan Schram and Mary Southworth were working on a solar-powered house. They were building the power station Monday afternoon.
"This is probably our third day" of working on it, said Fullmer.
So far, Fullmer said, they've learned about how energy is converted by sunlight, and about cooperating and working together. The hardest part of the project, Schram said, is finding the right parts and following the directions.
Kelsea McDonald, Taylor Cone, Sara Worth and Josh Wilson were working on a solar oven at another table. Once completed, Cone said, they will be able to toast small food items like eggs or apples.
"We're still trying to figure it out," Cone said. "We're still in the building process."
McDonald said the instructions were the most difficult part of the project. "They're kind of vague," she said.
Cone said they have to figure out some of it on their own, with a little trial and error.
With the struggling economy, Cone said it's important for them to study alternative energy sources. "It's important to think about going green," he said.
McDonald said it may cost more to start up alternative energy sources, but, in the long run, more money will be saved.
Cone said the hands-on projects also were better than just having a normal class. "It's better than learning the periodic table," said McDonald.
Barb Smolen, executive director of the Warsaw Education Foundation, was impressed with what the students were learning and working on.
"I think it's sort of relevant to what is going on in our world today," she said after watching and talking to the students.
