Fifth graders from Shorewood Hill Elementary, a school in the Madison Metropolitan School District, attended a field trip to the Discovery Building this month.
Led by the Discovery Connections team, the trip featured two activities developed in partnership with UW–Madison: “Size and Scale: Nanotechnology and a world too small to see” with the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), and “Sustainability of Energy” with the WI Energy Institute.
Check out the action and learn more in the photos below.
Materials science is all about building the world from the atom up, which means working with objects that are too small to see. 
Students are asked, "how do scientists work with objects they can't see?" 
Using hands-on models, the students learned more about tools that allow scientists to explore, manipulate, and understand the nanoscale. 
Less than 10% of US energy comes from renewable sources. Students conducted a mock energy audit for home and school energy use. 
They developed their own windmill energy production system.
With lots of trial and error, students continued to optimize their systems.
Surprising results! A successful wind turbine powers a pulley system to lift up a heavy water bottle.
With a better understanding of renewable, clean energy systems, we can all be excited about potential solutions for the future.