Ian Forsyth Elementary School is energized!

Energy, it is all around us! Students in Grades 1, 2 and 3 at Ian Forsyth Elementary School in Dartmouth learned all about energy on a day when the wind and sun were showing off their power. Outside, the wind was gusting strong and cold, the sun was piercing the brilliant blue sky, whilst inside the students talked about energy and electricity and demonstrated that they are also a force to be reckoned with. The students were full of brilliant insights into why we need to be mindful of using nonrenewable fuel sources – they reminded everyone that the Earth is our only home and we cannot just go live on another planet, like Mars! They also knew that when you leave a room you should turn off the lights, when you are done with the TV you should turn it off and put it on a smart strip or unplug it, and don’t hold the fridge open if you can’t decide what you want to eat!

A week later, it was Ms. Tenwolde’s Grade 4 class’ turn to talk about energy and electricity. Wait, say WATT? Yes, they learned the unit to measure electricity and then used the energy meter to determine how many watts different types of lights bulbs, a kettle, and hair dryer use to run. Can you guess how many watts the hair dryer used on the “high” setting? If you guessed 1300, that’s right! The hair dryer uses electricity to convert it to enough heat to dry your hair. Make sure you use it wisely! Can you guess how many watts the LED Christmas light string used versus the “old-fashioned” incandescent bulb Christmas light string? Less than a watt compared to 17 watts! That just demonstrates how you can really save energy (and money) through technology alone!