We live in the fossil fuel age right now but
eventually we will need a new way to make
electricity.
There is some magic to solar power.
My name's Aaron.
I'm a fourth grade teacher at Central Park
School for Children in Durham, NC.
My whole goal as a teacher is to develop problem
solvers.
It doesn't work without the wires connected.
Cause that makes an open circuit, right?
We studied the different ways of making electricity
like wind power, hydro, nuclear.
It all lead up to solar power because that
is the cleanest way to make electricity.
And I was just playing around with it in my
head and asked them do you want to make our
class room solar powered and of course there
was a loud, "yes!"
Solar system tour guide and then I drew a
sun and a solar panel.
It's not really like the real ones that we
did, it's just, I put it on that.
Kickstarter gave us an opportunity to reach
a really large audience of people all around
the world who were really excited about this
idea.
Our class has been studying energy and we
love solar energy.
We would love to have a solar energy classroom
so our class could be off the grid.
It was amazing to see how far this idea spread.
We're hoping to raise eight hundred dollars
but we raised $5,000 dollars from backers
all over the world.
First we had to get all the pieces for our
system.
And the kids and the parents came together
on two Saturdays and we had work days.
They helped get the panels, and get all the
bolts and nuts and put them onto the racks
and move those racks of the solar panel up
onto the roof.
So as they saw the pieces come together they
had kind of control and understanding over
what we were doing.
Those are the wires that take the electrons
all the way to our classroom and there are
a hundred feet.
Also, the charger controller, if you look
right here, it shows how much electricity
is coming in and going to the batteries.
They've learned about electricity on a lot
of different levels and if you have a big
idea, how to make it happen.
We've been without electricity since yesterday.
We're going to turn the electricity back on
this afternoon.
We are going to flip the switch and be completely
off the grid.
We're just going to be running on solar energy.
Our project shows fourth graders can understand
how solar power works and that it can work
for everyone.
Wake up in the morning at 7 o clock.
The sun is coming up, can you go for a walk?
I think it's something everybody has access
to and can do with little problem.
The kids are learning that we don't have to
use all of that energy.
How we can make our house more energy efficient
and how we can possibly get solar panels at
home.
There's this understanding for them that they
see themselves in an active role making a
difference
When they become professionals and engineers
and idea makers, then they're going to be
solving those problems of how we can make
clean electricity that doesn't make our earth
warmer, that doesn't pollute areas where people
live.
We got solar panels we don't need power lines.
Instead of just studying electricity and what
electricity is, the students have made electricity.
We made our classroom solar powered.
All it can get done.
