Bryker Woods kids become solar power rangers

Elementary students get hands-on lessons about how to use sun's energy

BYLINE: Kate Alexander, AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF   
DATE: April 19, 2004

 

The Energizer Bunny has nothing on the Carrotmobile.

A solar-powered car built by sixth-graders from Bryker Woods Elementary School in Austin, the Carrotmobile keeps going and going and going as it sucks up the boundless sunlight from the afternoon sky.

"Sooner or later, the coals and fuels are going to run out," Amber Arellano said as she chased her car -- M.A.L.P.A.1 -- across the asphalt. "We're gonna start relying on the sun."

That was one of the lessons the 50 sixth-graders took from the school's new solar energy project, displayed Sunday at the school's Solar Celebration.

The project, made possible in part by a state grant and Austin Energy, includes eight solar panels that were mounted to a wall of the school last fall and now generate enough energy to power one classroom daily.

Information about the solar power and other weather data are collected on a national Web site, www.soltrex .com, where the students can monitor it. The state grant also paid for three teachers to learn how to integrate the data into their lessons.

Laura Powell, the sixth-grade science teacher who led the solar car lesson, said the students are learning valuable lessons about the physical world. She said the first time the students brought their cars outside, the wheels started turning as soon as the sun hit the foot-long solar panel that topped their makeshift vehicles.

"Turn it off," they squealed. "You're gonna use it all up."

It's the sun, Powell told them. "You can't use it up."

Parent Andy Jones, who helped launch the program, said the kids are being introduced to important ideas about alternative energy and can only benefit "anytime we can get good science in our schools."

kalexander@statesman.com; 445-3618