Classroom science programs

You may reserve classroom programming from Aug. 18 - Sept. 3, 2010, for the 2010-2011 school year. Scheduling will start at 8 a.m. on Aug. 18 Programs are free of charge Programs will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis Teachers who did not receive a program in 2009-10 will be top priority You will be notified by mid-September on whether or not you received a We Energies program Only one program per teacher can be reserved in one school year Only one programming day per school can be reserved in one school year If you do not receive a program, take advantage of our new online science program that will be launched mid-September

Safety and Injury Prevention with Gus!

Grades PK-1
Units: Health Safety
Program length: 60 minutes
Program location: Children's Health Education Center
1533 N. River Center Dr., Milwaukee
Student limit: 60
Cost: Free
Academic standards

By exploring a child-sized home filled with engaging props and real-life scenarios, students learn how to stay safe around electricity and natural gas at home. Plus, with an interactive intersection with street lights and buses, students get to practice how to keep themselves safe in the neighborhood. Make learning safe habits fun for all ages with a life-size firefighter, Carlos, and Gus, the resident safety expert! This program is being offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Teacher Comment: “This program is fun and educational - very engaging!” — St. Lucy School

Register

Energy story time

Grades K-1
Units: Reading, Science, Health Safety
Program length: 30 minutes
Classroom provides: CD player
Academic standards

Discover what happens when a storm knocks out your electrical power. Two unique stories, Mouse House Surprise and King Barkley’s Almost Birthday Disaster, are read to students to teach them how to act safely around electricity and what it means to save energy. Story Time listeners learn where energy comes from and how it is used around the home.

Building electricity

Grades 1-2
Units: Electricity, Science, Health Safety
Program length: 50 minutes
Classroom provides: Magnetic chalkboard

What are energy sources? And how do we use them to make electricity? Through an interactive matching activity, students learn what energy sources We Energies uses to make electricity and power homes. With their own piece of the puzzle, students play a part in demonstrating electricity uses, generation and delivery. Dividing the class in two, students participate in a game show — Is This Dangerous? — to learn who Mr. Ouch is, and how to stay safe around electricity and natural gas.

Hazard hamlet

Grades 1-2
Units: Electricity, Health Safety
Program length: 45 minutes
Classroom provides: 8-foot table near electrical outlet
Academic standards

Reinforce the importance of electrical safety indoors and out with this energized safety model. Students are guided through various scenarios that identify and address electrical dangers. Learning safety rules through shocking results familiarizes students with how to use appliances safely.

Solids, liquids and natural gas

Grades 2-3
Units: Matter, Health Safety
Program length: 1 hour 15 minutes
Classroom provides: a table for presenter materials, board space, 1 pencil/student
Academic standards

Ever want your students to act like a solid, liquid or gas molecule? In this high-energy program, students investigate where natural gas comes from while exploring the properties of matter and uses of natural gas. Performing hands-on activities, using the scientific method, students experiment with different types chemical reactions. During the program, Mercapton is introduced to teach students what to do if they ever smell a natural gas leak in their homes.

Energy lab

Grades 3-5
Units: Electricity, Magnetism, Health Safety
Program length: 2 hour
Classroom provides: a larger table for presenter materials, board space, 1 pencil/student
Academic standards

In our most popular program, students learn how electricity is produced and how it gets to a home or school with real electrical equipment. To help support your electricity and magnetism unit, students work together on teams to conduct circuit experiments with light bulbs, buzzers and motors. Each student will document their experiments in their own Energy Lab booklet, using the scientific method.

Teacher Comment: “This is wonderful! I couldn’t be happier with the presentation. I have already started to spread the word to every teacher I know. The Energy Lab presenter did an excellent job of teaching all children while keeping them very focused and engaged. All of my students loved the presentation and keep asking for the presenter to come back. Also, this presentation aligns expertly with the MPS Learning Targets, which are based on the state standards. Thank you for such a wonderful service to our community and our future.”

Vieau School - Fourth Grade Teacher

Sound off with electricity

Grades 5–6
Units: Electricity & Magnetism, Sound, Health Safety
Program length: 1 hour 30 minutes
Classroom provides: a large table for presenter materials, 1 pencil/student, 1 scissor/student
Academic standards

Did you hear that? In this unique program, students build their own speaker to learn how a magnet and copper wire work together to induce electrical current and create sound. Students analyze which speaker creates the loudest sound, and learn about electrical generation, delivery and safety.

Solar car race —

at the Wisconsin State Fair!

All Ages Welcome
Units: Motion, Science
Program dates: Aug. 5-15, 2010
Program time: 3 p.m. daily
Shine Only
Academic standards

Students, start your solar cells! Children of all ages get a chance to race a solar car powered by the sun at the We Energies Energy Park during the Wisconsin State Fair. Race debriefings will be held prior to the race to teach students about solar electricity and how it's used in Wisconsin. All racers receive a prize, and the top race time receives a trophy for solar excellence.

No appointment necessary.

Print race rundown

Camp energy

Grades 4-8
Units: Science, Health, Safety
Program dates: TBD, Summer 2010
Program length: Varies
Classroom provides: Varies

Camp Energy is a hands-on summer program that provides students an opportunity to make energy connections beyond the classroom. Indoor and outdoor workshops could include measuring wind speed, building boats made of fly ash, or other programs from the Classroom Science Program list. If you would like to offer energy safety programs as part of your summer school session, sign up for Camp Energy to come to you.

Energy - just the facts

Grades 6-8
Units: Science
Program length: 1 hour
Classroom provides: Overhead projector, TV with DVD player

Get your students thinking about energy in a whole new light with this explorative program on energy fundamentals. With a presentation-style program, students will survey renewable and traditional energy sources from multiple perspectives to learn differences and similarities, how electricity is made, and what impacts their individual consumption contributes to the use of energy sources.

Energy & the environment

Grades 9-12
Units: Science, Safety
Time required: 1 hour

Investigating energy in the classroom and want to find out what's happening at a Wisconsin Utility? This program reviews generation and distribution, and the latest news on the We Energies environmental control technologies and renewable energy efforts. Students will learn what they can do to be energy efficient, and safe around electricity and natural gas.