BRAD LOWELL

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Talking with Brad Lowell about 5th and 6th Grade Science

Brad Lowell is in his fourth year at Sycamore as a Middle School Science teacher after 25 years teaching in the Hamilton Southeastern district and has a rare talent for tying together two seemingly disparate ideas to show, creatively, how something works. One of his units of study is Renewable Energy. Lowell says current climate data provides endless possibilities for exploration and, in his words, “begs for creative solutions.”

TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE TO TEACH THE STUDENTS ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY.

Brad Lowell: In our climate unit, we talk quite a bit about renewable energy. For example, students build and test wind turbines. They research the best locations for turbines. The student-built designs then spin a generator and teams compete to see whose design could generate the most current. We also have students build floating structures and want them to find clean renewable marine energy sources (wind, waves, currents) to incorporate in their designs. In 6th Grade, they tackle solar energy as they design solar hot water heaters to heat their Martian habitats.

WHAT TOOLS DO THEY USE IN THIS UNIT THAT THEY LIKE BEST?

BL: In 5th Grade, they use Sphero robots, RVR robots, 3D scanners, 3D glasses, and 3D printers. In the Renewable Energy and Architecture and Engineering units, we have utilized those Spheros. For one example, we studied common brick bond patterns in construction and then used the robots as “Angry Birds” to test the strength of their block castle designs.

IN A LARGER SENSE, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SHOW THEM?

BL: I’m trying to take relative and current knowledge and apply it to the natural world. My hope is that students identify problems and work toward constructing creative solutions. •