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.