Education Extra
Prince of Peace Catholic School (POP) eighth grade students participated in an amazing “green engineering day” field trip to Southern Research’s STEM Education Outreach Center in Birmingham. It complemented their current classroom studies about energy, and they were able to do hands-on applications of energy concepts! The middle schoolers created their own circuit necklaces with an LED light, studied the effects of angles and temperature changes on solar panels and designed a turbine for a hydroelectric dam. They also competed to create the most energy-efficient solar panels and the most powerful water turbines and measured voltage and current of the turbines to determine the winning design. Innovative POP middle school science teacher Mary Elizabeth Sammis discovered this learning opportunity through her network of local scientists! This field trip is a great example of how POP teachers are always seeking engaging ways to bring their lessons to life. †
