The University of Northern Iowa’s (UNI) Center for Energy & Environmental Education, the Iowa Energy Center, the Iowa Math and Science Education Partnership, IPTV and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are sponsoring a new series of sessions for teachers this spring focused on energy education. The series of classes, offered through UNI and IPTV, follows the inquiry learning format recommended for science education in Iowa's Core Curriculum. A six-session student series is also being offered.
Led by presenters William Stigliani, a professor and Pat Higby, an energy educator, K-12 teachers participating in the Energize Me! course will discover new resources and activities for teaching about energy efficiency, wind energy and solar energy. Participants will also have the opportunity to review cutting-edge teaching materials such as model solar cars, model wind turbines and Kill-a-Watt meters. The kits used in the course can be borrowed for use in the classroom.
Teachers attending all nine ICN sessions and complying with the coursework requirements can earn graduate credit. Coursework requirements include completion of a portfolio of the experience using the workshop materials in the classroom and a summary of an interview with an energy expert in your local area. Grant support covers the $50 tuition for teachers participating in these sessions! Upon successful completion of the course, teachers will receive reimbursement of their tuition due to grant support from the Iowa Math and Science Education Partnership. Sessions can also be taken individually without charge but participants will not receive graduate credit.
Although all graduate credit seats for the spring course have now been filled, if you would like to participate in a course like this for summer or fall, please register for the waiting list. You will be contacted with dates/times and more information if a future course is secured. In addition, teachers may still register for individual sessions. Times and dates are listed below:
Energize Me to Teach about Energy Efficiency I
March 3
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Energize Me to Teach about Energy Efficiency II
March 24
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Energize Me to Teach about Energy Efficiency III
March 26
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Energize Me to Teach about Wind Energy I
March 10
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Energize Me to Teach about Wind Energy II
March 31
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Energize Me to Teach about Wind Energy III
April 2
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Energize Me to Teach about Solar Energy I
April 7
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Energize Me to Teach about Solar Energy II
April 21
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Energize Me to Teach about Solar Energy III
April 23
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
In addition to the teacher workshops, student ICN sessions related to the series are also being offered this spring. These sessions include Solar Model Cars and Solar Models Cars II, in which students design and keep their own solar model cars, and Wind Energy and Energy Efficiency II. Teachers and their students may go to all sessions or individual sessions. The dates and times for these student sessions are listed below:
Introduction to Wind Energy
March 10
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Wind Energy II
March 21
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Introduction to Model Solar Cars
April 7
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Model Solar Cars II
April 21
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
