October 13, 2012
California
California
McKinley Elementary School children get lesson in renewable energy
By ANTOINE ABOU-DIWAN, Staff Writer | Imperial Valley Press | October 13, 2012 | www.ivpressonline.com
By ANTOINE ABOU-DIWAN, Staff Writer | Imperial Valley Press | October 13, 2012 | www.ivpressonline.com
About 60 McKinley Elementary School students received a lesson in renewable energy from people who deal with the subject every day – Energy Source employees.
McKinley Elementary School Principal Karla Sigmond said she wanted to get her students interested in math and science at an early age.
“We want to use the resources in our community,” Sigmond said. “We want to motivate kids to get into math and the sciences.”
Energy Source Senior Vice President of Resource Development Larry Grogan kicked off the lesson Friday by promising to raffle off a hard hat like his, and Energy Source Office Manager Paola Garcia’s if students promised to sit quietly and attentively, before turning the floor over to Garcia.
Garcia began by asking a seemingly simple question – “what is energy?”
She then explained how all living things as well as machines need energy to function, and went over the different forms of renewable energy, from solar to wind to hydroelectric and geothermal. There was much enthusiasm when she talked about the Valley’s unique geological attributes.
“There’s a fault line that goes through this area and it’s called the San Andreas Fault,” she said.
Garcia explained that the area’s unique rocks were formed by volcanoes, such as Red Hill at the southern end of the Salton Sea, that are no longer active. Grogan passed around examples of obsidian, pumice and rhyolite.
Students said they enjoyed the lecture and learned something new.
“At first I didn’t know what green energy is,” Daniel Jazek said.
Fernando Celio said he was intrigued by the area’s geological activity.
“I learned about volcanic activity,” he said.
And Joakima Martinez, who had the winning ticket for the hard hat, said she learned about different forms of renewable energy.
“I learned about geothermal, solar and green energy,” she said.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/10/13/mckinley-elementary-school-children-get-lesson-in-renewable-energy/