Maniac’s STEAM workshop - Sustainable Energy

About Maniac’s STEAM workshop - Sustainable Energy

The Energy sources incursion is a STEAM education program designed to engage students in learning about energy and sustainability.

In this workshop students are introduced to different types of energy resources (geothermal, hydropower, biomass, solar, wind power and fuel cells) by engaging in various activities to help them understand the transformation of energy (solar, water, wind and chemical reactions) into electricity. It uses the theme of renewable energy to harness students’ interest in and concern about climate change and rising energy costs.

Recommended Ages: 5- 12 (all ages allowed based on parents discretion, taking child’s ability and parent involvement into account)

Children are allowed to explore how to power an electrical circuit by solar panel, how a wind turbine works, power a clock with fuel cells and investigate the workings of a water turbine.

Children then participate in an energy sources STEM challenge: They can pick one (or more if they have time) of the following activities to complete:
- Wind Power - Create a wind turbine that can lift a weight
- Hydro Power - Create a water wheel that can lift a weight
- Solar Oven - Create an oven to melt something

Learning Objectives

After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Describe different sources and uses of energy.
- Define renewable and non-renewable energy.
- Provide examples of common types of renewable and non-renewable resources.
- Understand and explain, in general terms, how passive solar heating, hydropower and wind power work.
- Understand the benefits and disadvantages of using renewable resources.