Energy and U' shows ignite students' interest in science
About 3,000 metro area elementary and middle school students to visit campus this week
Media note: Members of the media may attend the following “Energy and U” shows at the University of Minnesota: 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 18; 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday, May 19; and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, May 20. All shows are in Room 100, Smith Hall, 207 Pleasant St. S.E., Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (05/16/2011)—Explosions, flames, flying pop bottles, rock music, and screaming gummy bears—they’re all part of a unique and fun University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering outreach program that aims to interest elementary and middle school students in science. About 3,000 students from metro area schools are expected to attend the “Energy and U” shows at the University of Minnesota May 16-20.
Outreach to schools with high percentages of students of color and low-income students is a particularly important component of the “Energy and U” shows.
"We try to emphasize that they, too, could do what we do every day," said David Blank, an associate professor in the University’s Department of Chemistry and one of the creators of “Energy and U.”
Through engaging and fun demonstrations, the “Energy and U” show teaches students that energy cannot be created or destroyed but it can be stored and change forms. The students learn how chemical reactions play a key role in that process. All of the examples about energy are put in terms that students can understand, including how the sugar in gummy bears can be converted to energy and how many gummy bears it would take to power the world for one day.
In addition to Blank, other “Energy and U” presenters include associate professor Christy Haynes, professor Marc Hillmyer, and lecture demonstration director Joseph Franek from the Department of Chemistry, and professor Frank Bates, head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. Bates, Blank, and Hillmyer started the “Energy and U” program in 2006. The University's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) offsets bus transportation costs for participating schools as part of their outreach efforts.