Rick Schneider Middle School students are getting energized this fall with the support of a $10,000 grant from the British Petroleum (BP) “A Plus for Energy” educational program.

A Plus for Energy is a program designed by BP to recognize teachers who apply innovative energy activities in their classrooms by awarding cash grants of $5,000 or $10,000.

“We are so ecstatic about this grant,” said Schneider Principal Marsha Jones. “The grant application process is time consuming and competitive, so it feels great to be one of the 1,300 projects across the United States to receive this funding from BP.”

The goal of the energy project is to expose students to the wide variety of careers in energy as well as to the impact energy use and production has on the global economy and environment.

“We want our students to realize how many opportunities are available to them in the future,” said Schneider science teacher and energy grant writer Amy Denton. “The energy industry is a huge part of the economy in this area and needs competent, well educated employees.”

Both fifth and sixth grade students will participate in activities, discussions and projects that will enhance their TEKS skills and better prepare them for the TAKS exam. The project will cover TEKS topics including light, heat, electrical and solar forms of energy, how light is reflected and refracted, electricity flow, renewable and non-renewable energy, and the different methods of energy transformation.

“Our students will get great hands-on practice generating and using energy through this grant, as well as learn about conservation and various careers and educational opportunities,” Denton said. “Ultimately, we want them to be able to think and make the best decisions possible for their lives.”

The grant will provide a variety of equipment for the project including 12 LEGO renewable energy kits for students to build various items such as cars and windmills; a power house for students to observe how natural forms of energy are transformed and used; a switch-on electronic building block set for students to explore circuits as they build various working models; reusable energy balls that demonstrate the principles of circuits, conductors and insulators; and solar beads that change colors in ultraviolet light that will be used to make bracelets and for other class activities.

“The equipment and activities this grant will fund allows us to better prepare our students for the real world and exposes students to career paths they might have otherwise not learned about while linking the learning that goes on in the classroom to the actual skills required in the workplace,” said Denton. “We hope by making these connections at this point it will positively impact the students throughout the rest of their education.”

In addition to the large variety of classroom activities, students will also implement energy projects and strategies at home, and students will have the opportunity to expand their leadership skills by leading class discussions and presentations.

Community involvement is also important to the implementation of the schoolwide project. A Science Night will be held in the spring for parents to attend with their students. Guest speakers will talk to students and families about energy careers and the students will present their final projects for judging.

Both grade levels will also take a field trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Students will have tasks to complete at the museum and will use what they learn as a foundation for their projects. Fifth grade projects will focus on the effects of mining on the environment or how petroleum has changed lives in the last 100 years. Sixth grade students can choose projects about alternative energy resources, how the four levels of industry function in relation to the petroleum industry, or the positive and negative effects of combustion engines on the environment.

“I hope students walk away from this project with detailed knowledge of the different energy sources, and I hope they understand energy is essential to life now and how today’s use effects the future,” Jones said. “I want them to understand the role energy plays in their daily lives and that they, as individuals, have a part in producing and/or conserving energy. My hope is that this unit of study will always be remembered by our students as they learn about the importance of energy with a variety of real-world experiences.”