Renewable Energy Exploration with Pre-K 4’s

Ms. Krista and Ms. Lauren’s pre-k 4 students dedicated a lot of time during the second trimester exploring renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydroenergy!

First up was wind! They used straws and wind force to move objects such as marbles, feathers, and pom-poms, noticing how much power it required to move each. They also made kites out of plastic bags, which they were able to fly by creating their own wind power. They could feel the wind's resistance and "pull" as they took off running down the hill and through the field. They also created wind-powered paintings, once again, using straws and drops of watercolor that we moved with our breath.

Next up was hydropower. Students brought in a variety of objects from home, making predictions about whether they would sink or float. They noticed if they were solid or not, heavy, or light, and what material they were made of; discussing what caused certain objects to become buoyant. Students also created a water wheel, testing it out with spray bottles using a variety of settings from mist to stream, and noticed the difference it made in making the waterwheel move. Its final test was taking it to the waterfall to see what happened with a constant flow of water pouring over it.

Finally, the class explored solar energy. They used the Lucy School sun oven to cook an apple, checking it throughout the day and noting the oven’s temperature compared to the temperature outside. Students also used cyanotype paper and gathered materials to create solar prints. By harnessing the sun’s energy, it proved to be a great way to capture a negative image of our gathered materials.

The class had so much fun investigating, discovering, and creating with these renewable energy sources!