As you know, we've been studying different aspects of the sun including a broader definition of "solar energy." We've looked at how almost all of the electrical energy generated in the world comes from the sun, usually by way of fossil fuels or the water cycle. We've also looked at photosynthesis and how green plants' ability to transform solar energy into chemical energy (sugar) is what provides us with the energy to live.
Today at lunch I had the children look at how many calories were in the various foods they were eating and we talked about the calorie as a measurement of energy (I didn't go into the whole "enough energy to heat 1 kilogram of water 1 degree celsius" because we still had a lot of other math to tackle). We went down to the gym and measured how many steps it took to walk 20 feet then averaged the results. Then we used that number to determine how many steps the average Heron walked in a mile. Armed with that fact (and the average weight of a Heron which I figured out separately) we used a pedometer calculator to find out how many calories the average Heron used walking 100 steps (it was 2).
We walked to the Pit Stop, counting our steps the whole way. It was a very, very quiet walk. Students figured out how many calories they had used by doing some mental multiplication. I challenged them to find an item in the store that would replace the energy they used walking to and from school.
The students quickly realized that just because it says a "serving" has 30 calories, that doesn't mean the package has 30 calories. "That bottle of Powerade is FOUR servings. That's 200 calories! That's crazy!" Students also figured out that, by joining up with other students, they could find more options. My personal favorite was a group of girls who split a box of Tic Tacs three ways.
We also had a great conversation about food choices and moderation. They all agreed that calories were something that you need — but you should think about where they come from and what else you get along with the energy. It was a well spent hour with many layers of learning.
The Rookery 
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