Education students host hands-on Energy Conservation Day

Carthage elementary education students recently applied what they are learning in their course Effectively Teaching Science in the Elementary and Middle School to coordinate the first-ever Energy Conservation Day to teach science to fifth-graders.

On the surface, it would appear that the objective was only to teach science. The purpose expanded to prepare the 18 juniors with real-world experience in lesson planning, classroom management, and how to think on their feet.

The course is taught by Lynne Steren, a Carthage education faculty member with 30 years of experience working in the Kenosha Unified School District. She acknowledges that the students benefit from these hands-on experiences as they prepare to student teach in their senior year.

In the three weeks leading up to the April 11 event, the class designed the lessons, ordered supplies, and established learning targets. Fiona Mcdermit ’26 said that because the class only meets on Fridays, the classmates initiated group chats and shared documents to keep the planning on track.

When the fifth-grade students from Roosevelt Elementary arrived at the TARC, Carthage students welcomed them before separating the 99 students into eight groups to rotate through the labs to inspire the students to think about how they conserve energy.

With her partner, McKayla Boyle ’26 facilitated a lab called “The Energy Monsters.” By the last rotation, students had heard similar information at the previous stations.

“We had to pivot quickly to keep them engaged. Since we have had so much experience in the classroom, it has made it easier and more natural for us to do,” MaKayla said.

  This is the second time the education department has hosted local elementary students on campus. In the fall, the campus hosted second-grade students for outside ecology lessons.

The Energy Conservation Day involved interactive demonstrations centered around eight labs with titles to appeal to their young audience: Watt’s Up, The Power Pals, Circuit Breakers, Eco Rangers, The Energy Monsters, The Light Savers, Power Protectors, and Cool Conservers. 

“Overall, it was a great reminder that teaching is about being prepared, flexible, and focused on creating meaningful moments for students,” Fiona said.

For the final step of this field study experience, students will have an opportunity to reflect on how they collaborated and the problem-solving techniques they used, all skills they can apply as student teachers next year.

Learn more about Carthage’s education degrees