Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/436829
Meet the Falcon Autistic Solar Team (FAST), where students teach their peers about photosynthe- sis, electricity and green forms of energy. The club, named for the school's mascot, consists of teens with moderate to severe disabilities on the autism spectrum. The teens have problems communicating with their peers and expressing their thoughts and feelings. For some, eye contact is diffi- cult. However, when they are excited about a certain subject, their communication skills improve dramatically. Today, the subject they are excited about happens to be solar power. It's a sunny, warm morning in Bakersfield, where the temperature is often in the triple dig- its. FAST members pass out bracelets to the general education students gathered around them for an impromptu science lesson. The beads on the bracelets turn different colors in the sunlight. The audience oohs and aahs at the display. But the demonstration is just warming up. After a few more minutes in the sun, several solar-powered Lego creations — including a car, a Ferris wheel, a doll house and a wind- mill — begin to light up or move. The delicious smell of bread wafts out from a solar-powered oven. FAST students offer explanations and answer questions from fellow students. "I like the solar house," says Marquez Bonner, 17. "Simple solar panels mounted on the roof of the house create electricity which power appliances plugged into the electrical outlet." Joselyn Bermudez warns onlookers that it looks like child's play, but it pro- duces powerful heat. "If I touched the oven, I would burn my fingers," she says. "It gets 350 to 400 degrees pretty quick." The lesson on solar power ends, and everyone receives a piece of bread. Along with chewing and lip smacking, there is talking and laughing. That's the best part of the program for teacher Kevin Crosby, who knows that in addition to communicating science knowledge, his students are gaining valuable skills in communicating with peers. Glowing accolades It all started during a science lesson in 2010. Students were given solar-pow- ered Lego kits, and most didn't think it was a big deal. But when they took their projects outside and saw them move after a few minutes in the sunlight, students lit up with excitement. "At first they didn't make a connection, but once the things they built started moving without any batteries, it was mind-blowing for them," says Crosby, Kern High School Teachers Association. "They realized the solar panels were converting radiant energy into electricity." The students were so jazzed, they formed FAST. They received a "Bright Ideas" grant of $2,500 from PG&E Jose Rodriguez Valenzuela and Aaron Chambers compare notes on solar Lego projects. W I L L I N G N E S S T O S H A R E exper- tise about harnessing the sun's energy has given students with a u t i s m a c h a n c e t o s h i n e a t Independence High School in Bakersfield. A Learning 47 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 5