Week 6: Thursday November 20th - Activity Designing Time

Today we focused on creating our activities that we would test on Saturday in the museum. However, before that we played hangman as an icebreaker/warmup activity.

Afterwards we broke up into our groups, which were each led by an intern or one of the educational staff members, and began working on our projects. We used the materials we had requested and got creative when we didn't know what materials to use. The activities ranged from a video, to games, and even a gigantic historical timeline activity.

Two of the groups working on compiling information and assembling/putting together their activities

One of the teens working on the timeline activity

The movie group working on turning their information into a script that was later recorded

At the end of the day, we determined what still needed to be completed before Saturday afternoon and made plans for when and how we would finish the activities. Hopefully the museum visitors will like what we created for them!  

Week 6: Tuesday November 18th: Idea time!

Today at EnergyNet, our main focus was to talk about ways that museums communicate ideas to the public, and to then use inspiration from that discussion to come up with ideas for our exhibit.

After some scheduling details, the group talked about modes and what things in other museums we have been drawn to.

Students listening to and contributing ideas to the group discussion

We then looked at some of the ideas that we had previously individually brainstormed. We created blueprints of what we thought the exhibit should look like. Everybody presented their ideas and then we wrote down which ideas we thought would be best for communicating the ideas about soil our exhibit will focus on.

Although this is difficult to see, we projected each of the teen's ideas onto the white board so there would be a visual for them to explain

After a short break, we broke up into groups and determined which ideas we thought were best suited for each of the content areas that the exhibit will focus on. Each activity the students will be designing will communicate one of our 5 content areas. The groups/content areas are: contaminants/remediation, pittsburgh history, lead, soil types, and importance and need of soil. The groups then shared their ideas with the rest of the EnergyNet team.

One of the students writing their group's ideas on the board

The students decided which content area they wanted to focus on and divided up into groups to start working on designing their activities. In our groups, we came up with goals, what materials we would need, and a plan for how to make our activities on Thursday. 

Week 5: Thursday November 13, 2014 Timeline Time!

  Thursday at Energy-Net, the team began by completing the evaluation activities with those who couldn’t attend Tuesday’s meeting. These evaluation activities were set up to evaluate what we had learned so far in our time with the program and what we hope to accomplish in our museum activities and final exhibit.  Lauren then led the group in a discussion that got everyone involved.

(Lauren leading a discussion)

(Finalizing our goals!)

Later, we finalized our goals for the content of our activities and exhibits. After that, we went to the art museum to see how art can communicate and teach content. Everyone participated by taking notes. These were then mapped in our timeline. We can’t wait to see where our brainstorming goes and what our final project will look like!

(Jordy and Alexus checking out some art.)

(Roe and Zora taking notes in the art museum.)

(Our timeline!)

Can't wait to see what next week will bring! See you then! 

Week 5: Tuesday November 11, 2014 Museum Perspectives with Kaleen

Previously on Energy Net… 

Today was when we really started to think about the audience of our museum exhibit. Kaleen came in and talked to us about what makes a good exhibit, and who our audience may be. We then embarked on a quest inside the museum, observing current exhibits. We were given cards that gave us the roles of audiences we didn’t relate to and had to see if these exhibits appealed to that audience. For example, my group was given cards that read: college student on crutches and a family with a toddler and stroller.  We took notes based on the questions, “Is the exhibit working?” and “Who is the exhibit working for?” We got into character and really considered if the exhibit worked well for our audience. Then, we met up with Kaleen and the rest of the group at the moose in the wildlife exhibit to discuss our findings. 

 

Later, once we returned to the classroom, we began the evaluation stations activity. Buckets were scattered around the room with post-its inside that contained questions for us to complete. We wrote about what he would like to overhear our visitors saying at our exhibit and even had the opportunity to draw what we thought our exhibit might look like. After we completed these questions, we all agreed that drawing the final product was the hardest out of all of the evaluation stations. 

Thank you to Kaleen for joining us on Tuesday! 

Can’t wait to see what Thursday brings.

And that’s what you missed on Glee Energy-Net.

Week 4 Thursday November 6th: Fun games, Town Hall debates, and Straight Talk

At Energy-Net, the team had a fun filled Thursday with a rope icebreaker, Rosemary Town Hall Debate and Straight Talk. The Interns also had a little extra fun, as they coordinated their outfits. The day started off with a challenging ice breaker aimed at creative problem solving, and communication skills. The rules are simple, place one hand between two knots; you are not allowed to move your hand over the knots but you may slide your hand along the rope. The ultimate goal is to untie the rope as quickly as possible.

Middle of the Rope Icebreaker Pack trying to untangle the rope.

The middle getting more tangled as they continue their attempt to get untangled.

Teens at the ends of the rope figuring out how to untie the rope.

Afterwards, the group went to receive an overview of the manufacturing legacy in Pittsburgh. Along with this, was how brown-fields in Pittsburgh are being reclaimed into shopping areas. This was preparation for the town hall debate.

Teens having fun with last years exhibit, as we wait for our room to open.

The town of Rosemary is looking to reclaim a brownfield site. To do so they are holding a town hall meeting and are accepting proposals. Present are, a development corporation, manufacturing, concerned citizens and Parks and Recreation. Teens were randomly assigned roles and had to work together to develop proposals for the site.

Favoring cooperation, the teens formed alliances to develop their proposals.

The planning committee receiving the proposals.

In  the end, the committee decided that more time was needed and the proposals each had strengths and weaknesses. At a future date and time the committee would convene again to discuss the reclaimation of the the brown-field site.

Finally, the Teens delivered Straight Talk to the educators and interns.

Day 1 of Themed Outfits: Small Woodland Creatures 

Week 4 Tuesday November 4th: Soil Sampling and Straight Talk

At Energy-Net, the team gathered soil samples from Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. Previously, the teens used GPS to find the coordinates of the soil sample sites and recorded this data in their notebooks. They used the same GPS units to re-find the sample locations and collect a surface layer sample. These samples will be used in Rob's research on lead pollution in the Pittsburgh Area.

One of the teens collecting a soil sample.

One of the teens practicing her tree climbing skills before collecting the samples.

After the demonstration, the teens and interns broke up into their groups and each took two soil samples. Using the GPS units they were able to find the correct locations and at each location collected a sample and recorder the soil color using a Munsell Soil Color Book.

Two of the teens showcasing the soil samples they collected.

Afterwards, the teens prepared Straight Talk for the Interns and Educators.

                                          Steve giving us a farewell until next time.

Steve looking very stylish for Energy-Net

Week 3 Thursday October 30th: Human interaction with each other and soil

At Energy-Net, the team worked on a Pittsburgh Industry Timeline activity. Each teen was given a card with an event related to Pittsburgh's history. The teens were then challenged to determine where on the timeline each event was supposed to go. Afterwards, we went over the timeline and corrected any misplaced events.

Rob brainstorming with the teens where the events go on the timeline 

Michelle and one of the teens going over the timeline

Afterwards, PhD candidate and paleoclimatologist David Pompeani gave a presentation about ancient lead pollution. He is responsible for finding the oldest lead pollution in the world! He gave a history of the ancient origins of lead contamination and the techniques used to determine previous levels of lead. He also discussed how lead contamination affects human health. High levels of lead can cause headaches, kidney damage, aggressive behavior and even lead to a lower IQ. He ended with a discussion of his research, which looks at how mining affects lead pollution in lakes.

David Pompeani giving his lead pollution presentation

The Energy-Net staff then gave the teens Straight Talk. In this activity, staff members talked with the teens to tell them what they are doing well and how they can improve. In the future, the teens will be giving the staff members straight talk, so that the staff can be evaluated and make Energy-Net a better experience for everyone. 

                                                                 Happy Halloween!  

One of the interns with the skeleton in the Energy-Net Classroom

Week 3 Tuesday October 28th: GPS Adventures

At Energy-Net today, we began with a recap of the field trip to Gamp Guyasuta this past weekend.

The team listened to an audio excerpt about recent research that explored the microbial diversity in urban soils. 

We then had the teens practice their communication skills through an icebreaker where half of the students could talk but not see while the other half could see but not talk. The teens had to work together to line themselves up in order of their birthdays. While it was a challenging exercise, it was very rewarding to see the teens complete the task and find ways to communicate. 

Two of the teens bonding outside

Afterwards, the Energy-Net team went to Schenley Park to learn about how to use a GPS. Rob explained to the teens how to check coordinates using a GPS. He also talked about the precision of GPS devices. The teens used a map to find the circles that the staff had previously set up set up at various locations in the park. The teens then recorded the coordinates of the circles using the GPS.

The teens working in groups to take the GPS coordinates 

Afterwards, we evaluated the day's activities as a group.

Week 2 Thursday October 23rd: Contamination Projects

Today, we did an ice breaker to make sure everyone knew one another's names.

We talked about the Camp Guyasuta field trip this weekend and made sure everyone had the appropriate forms so they could participate.

The interns and teens did a recap of the past week so everyone who missed a day was aware of what was going on and what needed to be done that day.

The teens then continued researching their respective contaminant topic and finished creating their presentations. The teens presented to the rest of the group and we videotaped them. The presentations ranged from power points to skits.

Teens performed a skit where they pretended to be scientists and answered questions about agricultural pollutants  

Another group performed a skit about Acid Mine Drainage

One of the images from one group's Prezi presentation on Air Pollutants

A slide from the last group's powerpoint presentation about lead 

Week 2 Tuesday October 21st: Why soil and the earth is important to us

Today, we started by drawing an outdoor place that is important to each of us. We then explained to one another why that place was special and why we would care if that area was polluted or contaminated.

We then read two stories from different Native American tribes about the creation of the earth. The teens split into two groups and each performed one of the 2 stories we read as a skit. We utilized taxidermy animals from the museum's collections to help us represent some of the animals in the stories. Afterwards, the students analyzed and interpreted how the stories reflect what is important to the people who wrote these stories.

An intern with a taxidermy animal used in one of the skits

To finish the day, the teens learned about contaminants. They divided into four groups that each focused on and researched a specific pollutant. The groups were air pollution, acid mine drainage, lead, and agricultural pollutants like fertilizer. The students did preliminary research on their topics and created an outline of the work they needed to do on thursday to complete the project.  

Week 1 Thursday October 16th: Creating Goals, Analyzing exhibits, and learning about Soil

Today at EnergyNet, we started out with an IceBreaker where we had to find things in common with our partners. It was interesting to see how people of different ages and backgrounds still had a lot of things in common!

After some paperwork and going over EnergyNet standards, the group discussed what our personal goals were in the program and what everyone could to to help one another achieve those goals. Everyone decided that a common goal was to make new friends. We also talked a lot about what constitutes being respectful.

One of the teens contributing ideas during a group discussion

The teens then divide up into 2 teams. One group went into the museum and analyzed one of the current exhibits while the other group went through stations about soil topics. In the museum, the students explored an exhibit about race and discussed what makes a good exhibit.

One of the teens watching a video in the exhibit and learning about race

The students discussing the exhibit's components with Gale, a member of the museum's education department

The students learning about soil went to 2 stations. At the first one, they learned how to determine the color of a soil sample using the Munsell Soil Color Chart. They also learned how to use the soil texture to determine the soil type.

Rob showing the teens how to use the Munsell Soil Color Chart

At the other station, the teens looked at Winogradsky columns and examined samples from the columns under microscopes. We found a lot of cool microorganisms today!

One of the teens and one of the interns placing slides under the microscope

The teens then switched groups so everyone got a chance to look at the exhibit and rotate through the soil stations.

  

Week 1 Tuesday October 14th: EnergyNet is back!

Today we welcomed back some old teens and met some new ones!
The group enjoyed getting to know one another and getting acquainted with the program.

The group formed a circle and got to know each other

We then brainstormed group, personal and museum goals as a further introduction to EnergyNet.
The teens also were introduced to the main topic of EnergyNet this year: Soil! Rob, a geology PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh that works with this program taught the teens about soil.

Rob explaining what soil is and the difference between soil and dirt

The teens then got to make a "soil column" out of candy and other fun foods.
We had a lot of fun working with the teens today and are looking forward to the rest of the semester!

Spring 2014: Energy-Net Video

Our video is finally up on the web! Take a look!

Spring 2014: Exhibit Opening!!

Today was the opening for the Energy Net exhibit at the Carnegie Museum! Our exhibit is called, "Water Wise: Give Rain a Home." The exhibit explains ways to soak up and slow down polluted runoff.

The energy team and our new exhibit!

The exhibit includes a diorama of a ran garden, complete with native plants.

EnergyNet rain garden.

We also had a house with a rain barrel attached to the gutter that stores rain water.

House with a rain barrel.

At the end of the day, we celebrated our amazing work with a delicious cake decorated to look like our exhibit! Great work everyone!!!!

EnergyNet cake!

Last Day! Putting the Exhibit Together

We did a lot of organizing and shifting of materials in order to get ready for the exhibit that opens on Sunday (April 13, by the way!)

The rain garden group with their final product!

A teen in the playhouse, demonstrating what the kids will do.

The students took all of the materials up to the exhibit space and putt all of the big parts together. The only things we have left are a few signs and the big opening!

Transporting some materials.

The students also participated in some experiments and then decided on their favorite so we could have it set up for opening day.

Cameron doing experiments with students.

Check out what we have so far but come see the final product on Sunday!

Kaleen and Nadin hanging up some signs.