News & Resources
Energy Works Director Emile Lauzzana and Education Director Laura Holladay visited six Detroit Public Schools on Friday April 24, as a planned follow-up to a teacher training workshop that Laura conducted for the DPS schools in March. They were accompanied by Alycia Meriweather, the director of the Detroit Mathematics & Science Center.
All six of the schools had pledged to incorporate energy education into their Earth Day celebrations, and this series of school visits was a chance to see the results. The first stop of the day was at Mark Twain Elementary, which will be receiving a wind turbine installation as part of the Michigan Renewable Schools Program. Wendell Massey teaches science and social studies at the school, and he is using the lessons and materials provided by energy works to help engage his students in energy education – and the school’s upcoming wind turbine installation will help to make Mr. Massey’s lessons even more real for students.
The next stop was Schulze Elementary, where Mrs. Phillips’ third graders were excited to demonstrate what they had learned by doing “Energy Charades,” which is an Energy Works lesson where the students act out the steps required to turn an energy resource (such as coal or wind) into electricity. And they weren’t the only ones – next on the tour was Beckham Academy, where Mr. Williams’ class also performed Energy Charades, while Ms. Skipp’s class down the hall held a great Question & Answer session about energy with the Energy Works visitors.
Loving, Pulaski, and Edison Elementary Schools were also a part of the tour. “The whole day was a rare and wonderful opportunity for us,” said Ms. Holladay. “We have trained hundreds of teachers through our professional development workshops, and yet it is unusual to get the chance to visit those teachers’ classrooms to really see how they utilize the tools we’ve shared with them. It is really heartwarming to see our lessons in action.”
Particularly inspiring was their visit to Edison Elementary. Only one teacher from Edison, Ms. McIntosh, chose to attend the Energy Works training workshop in March – and yet when the Energy Works staff visited Edison, they were greeted by a school-wide assembly, where each classroom got the chance to showcase the energy lessons they had been working on. The students had created informational displays, prepared demonstrations, and enthusiastically answered the visitors’ questions. “This is the kind of teacher engagement that can really make a difference in a school community,” says Mr. Lauzzana. “Ms. McIntosh was so excited about the Energy Works lessons and materials that she took the initiative to share them with all of her colleagues and turn it into a school-wide effort.”
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Energy Activities on display at Edison Elementary.
A student poster from Mark Twain Elementary.
A poster demonstrating energy efficiency and conservation in the home.
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