Structures for Environmental Learning
Solar Panel Monitoring
- Description: In October of 2008, NGHS became the first in the state with solar panels. Eight 170 W panels are installed on the outside of the school. They produce a maximum of 1.36 kW and are grid tied to the school's electricity. The panels fulfill a portion of the electricity needs of the CTE wing of the school and are used as a learning tool for students enrolled in electronics classes. A device that monitors the productivity of the panels is installed in the electronics classroom. Each year, students use this device to learn about solar panels. Students who successfully complete the course understand how the panels convert solar energy to electrical energy, benefits and drawbacks of using solar panels in various scenarios, and methods that can be employed to increase the productivity of the panels.
- Grade Level(s): 11 and 12
- Number of Students Involved: Approximately 125 students per semester
- Dates: September 2015 -- March 2019 (ongoing)
Electronics students interacting with the indoor equipment used to control and monitor the electricity created by the solar panels.
Electric Car
- Description: A car donated to NGHS has been converted to an electric car by students. Students learn about circuits, circuit boards, and other electronic concepts along with the environmental, economic, and societal benefits and challenges of operating electric cars. They brainstorm methods for making the car more efficient and practical to operate and apply those changes to the car when possible. It gives the students a practical application for concepts covered in class while teaching them about an environmental issue.
- Grade Level(s): 11 and 12
- Number of Students Involved: Approximately 45 students per semester
- Dates: September 2015 -- March 2019 (ongoing)
Electronics students monitor, repair, and modify the electric car to increase its efficiency and battery life. Most recently, students added solar panels to the roof of the car to charge the battery with a renewable energy source (see center picture).
Green Gym
- Description: Our school's Green Club obtained a grant from TIME Center to purchase a stationary bicycle that generates electricity when students use it. The bicycle was placed in the weight room. The electricity generated by the bicycle is returned to the energy grid to replace the electricity used by the lighting and any other electrical items in the weight room, reducing net energy use. The bicycle raises student awareness of available green technology. Students use the bicycle during sports practices and classes also visit the Green Gym as part of lessons. The Green Club is open to all students in grades 9--12.
- Grade Level(s): 9--12
- Number of Students Visiting/Utilizing Green Gym Annually: 250
- Dates: September 2015 -- March 2019 (ongoing)
Local Food Production
- Description: A barn on our school grounds has housed various small livestock, including pigs and chickens. FFA students and students enrolled in agricultural management courses learn how to care for the animals. This care includes round the clock monitoring of the pigs when they are ready to give birth. Students also learn about the environmental and health benefits of small-scale, local food production. Approximately five dozen eggs are gathered per day. The pigs are sold as breeders, used as show pigs for FFA members, and turned into sausage. Local businesses allow students to use their facilities to produce the sausage and teach students how to safely create a product from raw meat. Students have also grown potatoes in a field beside the barn. The eggs, sausage, and potatoes are sold to staff members and used in the school cafeteria to prepare student meals. Eggs were sold to our food services program to be served at other schools in our district as well. Beginning in the fall of 2017, the old barn was torn down and students began the process of building a new, improved barn with water and electricity. Animals will be housed in the new barn as soon as it is completed.
- Grade Level(s): 9--12
- Number of Students Involved: Approximately 45 students each year
- Dates: Fall 2015--Summer 2016
Students have worked hard on the barn rebuild and are anxious to once again raise small livestock in it.
Nature Trail & Outdoor Learning Centers
- Description: The creation of the handicap accessible nature trail to be used as an outdoor learning lab on the school grounds began in 2010 when the NGHS FFA received a Living 2 Serve grant to fund the project. The grant was written primarily by students, and the work completed to make the trail a reality was also done by students. Students first studied the area where the trail would be located, determining potential problems and planning where to place outdoor learning labs. They then met with soil and wildlife specialists to discuss any negative effects on the environment and ways to mitigate these impacts. Students then volunteered after school and on the weekends to clear the path and lay gravel on the trail. Drainage pipe was laid in low-lying areas. Carpentry students built benches for the outdoor learning labs and a bridge that crosses a drainage way. The trail runs along the outer edge of the campus and passes through various habitats. The outdoor learning labs are located at each of the distinct habitats, including a constructed wetland, a constructed native meadow, a hardwood forest and a pine forest. The following classes and groups of students were involved in the creation of the nature trail: agricultural power and machinery, crop soil science, forestry and wildlife management, landscape management, biology, environmental science, JROTC, FFA, and Envirothon. Various classes and outside groups now utilize the trail and the learning labs on a regular basis.
- Grade Level(s): 9--12
- Approximate Number of Students Who Use the Trail Annually: 300
- Dates: Fall 2015--Spring 2019 The trail has been utilized by students on a regular basis since its completion. Students also assist with trail maintenance annually.
In September of 2018, students worked under the direction of members of a local garden club to redo a flower bed under the trail head sign. All the plants placed in the flowerbed are native and beneficial to pollinators. Students are involved in the upkeep and maintenance of our environmental learning structures and habitats whenever possible.
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