In this simulation, students used ipads and investigated energy use and conservation in the physical and online environment this inflatable house. As they explored, students entered into the inflatable house to determine how water, gas and electricity is being used in each of the five rooms of the house. Then by scanning the walls in each room with a tablet, similar in function to a QR code, students are then able to engage in a series of interactive online assessments designed to test their knowledge.
Ms. Ferri, our 8th grade Green Team science teacher commented on how this simulation connects with the curriculum frameworks, "In the next generation science standards there is a component called human impact on the environment, so this activity fits in nicely so that students can see how they can personally contribute to improve the environment".
Brendan Jones also commented, "It was interesting to see what you can do to save energy on things like a refrigerator".
"Energy Quest is a fully interactive, technology-based program for middle school students in grades 6-8. This program transforms students into home energy investigators. Students move through an inflatable environment and use visual cues to locate areas where electricity, water, or gas is being used. Upon locating these “use” areas, students interact with a provided tablet to test their knowledge and learn about better energy conservation methods. Through this program, Eversource hopes to provide students with real-world examples of how they can be more conscious of their daily energy use."
More information can be found online about Energy Quest here.