Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/63126
Carol Kato's students display magnets that remind families not to be an energy vampire. and for schools to be thinking green," she says. "It is defi- nitely a way of helping the planet." In addition to learning how to work on electric and hybrid vehicles, students work with alternative fuel. Pat- terson recently obtained a device that will convert french fry oil, donated from local restaurants, into biodiesel fuel. "There are better opportunities for students when they are learning green technology," says Patterson. "My students will definitely have a leg up in the auto- motive industry." Worm poop In Kathryn Peters' class at Walnut Grove High School in Pleasanton, students study the "Four R's": Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. The rotting takes place in worm bins where leſtover lunch food is composted. "Recycling food waste is so easy, and fiſth-graders during a Valentine's Day lesson titled "I Love Worms." "You are sitting next to rot now. And it doesn't smell bad, does it?" Students learn that worms like eating coffee grounds and " she explains to fourth- egg shells, and go from making "worm poop" to fertilizer called "vermicompost." Each student is handed plastic gloves, a pile of worms mixed with dirt from the composting bin on a paper plate, and a magnifying glass to study the process. in a way that is developmentally appropriate" because younger students could become traumatized to learn that global warming is causing polar bears to drown or increases cancer rates, says Peters, a member of the Asso- ciation of Pleasanton Teachers (APT). "You want to engage students and help them feel "It's important to teach them about the environment a connection so they will ask questions and consider the results of their actions. My intention is to make them become stewards of their environment. It's won- derful, because students have a natural appreciation for being outside." PV on a Stick The Walnut Grove district has solar panels on many buildings, and students can go to the school's website and see in real time how much power is being produced and consumed. In 2008, the Pleasanton Unified School Dis- trict became one of the first and largest school districts in the nation to go solar. It began when the district mounted a 1-kilowatt solar cell on a pole in the playground. It's called "PV on a stick." The PV (photovoltaic) cell converts solar radia- tion into electric current using semiconductors. That performed well, so the district worked out a deal with April 2012 / www.cta.org 11