Monday: Ice Breakers and Department of Energy

We were led in a great team bonding game where pairs of Argonauts had to mime an action and make a noise to depict a form of energy. The other Argos had to guess what it was. What a great ice-breaker! It got us moving, playing and learning in a very interactive way. It put the focus straight on what we were all there to explore – energy! All teachers can effectively use this activity to simultaneously cement new knowledge and build teamwork. A major factor in the students learning today was based on the students setting questions at the beginning of the day, guiding what they wanted to learn. I saw minds click during the course of the day as students realized they were coming up with solutions and forming new avenues of inquiry.
           
Hybrid cars! Hydrogen fuelled cars! Why are we not seeing everyone driving these cars now? The Argonuats wanted answers! We were all so excited to look and ask questions that we were lucky not to trample our guide.

It was a great session. Every question was a good question and students were driven (excuse the pun) to get answers. One question turned into 12 more questions. The cars were attractive and appealing. Who doesn't want 4-wheel drive? Who doesn't want a car that only costs the equivalent of 60 cents a gallon?
           

Tuesday: Six Flags

Today I learnt a lot about being a more effective teacher. I saw that students, when given tools in a real life situation, could take up their own investigations and solve them themselves through collaborative team work. As teachers we want to make sure every student has every piece of information and we want to walk them through every step of a task to ensure they all know everything. Then when we give the students a test we find out they do not know the answers and all we did by controlling every aspect of their learning was to disenable their own power to self discover and thus construct their own learning.

So, I say to myself - guide, provide the tools and real life problems and then back off. Today, the real life problems the Argos encountered were a major factor in their success in solving the physics formulas behind the roller coasters' workings. They could see that understanding the use and transformation of energy by roller coasters is a vital step in the engineer's job. This made them more intrigued in solving the physics behind the roller coaster.

Thursday: Fort Martin Coal Power Plant

Huge, overwhelming, black, dirty and impressive! All these words describe the coal power plant. Did you know that 1 kilowatt can supply enough energy for 800 houses year-round, and that this plant produces 1107 kw? This is why the plant is so enormous. The plant is taking steps to build scrubbers, which help to reduce the SO2 emissions. We all got to put our head in the enormous scrubbers and visualize what the end product would really look like. It helped the Argonauts understand the enormity of the process and that there are no quick solutions, it takes research, planning and time.

The engineers from the plant were extremely knowledgeable in what they do and were always willing to answer the Argonauts' questions. I think the enthusiasm of the students rubbed off on them, they certainly were a lot of fun. Thanks guys!

Theme Song of the Day: Feeling Hot Hot Hot.

The Argonauts gathered excitedly for their final meeting. Red collared shirts were received by all to celebrate a successful Boot Camp graduation. Tears were shed at saying goodbye and hugs traded. We all knew it was not an end. We had all worked together in an environment of inquiry and shared learning. We had learnt a lot, but we had a trillion questions we were determined to go in search of in the future Missions. How is this generation going to work to create and supply energy to be efficient, safe for people and the environment, and re-usable? Argonauts, are you ready for the challenge?

Q&A with Argo Melissa:

As a visitor to the US, how was it to meet a US Congressman?

He was very diplomatic and impressive. He seemed to understand the pressing concerns of the environment in burning coal. I was impressed by the questions that the students posed to him during our talk in the Capitol steps.

How was going to an American baseball game in the nation's capital?

We had lots of fun. It was a great time to unwind and have fun with one another. It was a chance to bond with my fellow Argonauts. We made jokes, did the wave in the stadium, and chanted for our favorite team. I couldn't believe the magnitude of the event – there were fireworks, and food from all over the world. I had a great time.