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New
Not Just
for Kids
Korner |
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Learn some fun facts about
energy and how to read your meter. Try interactive projects, fun
games, and an online coloring book! |
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New
WattDetective |
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A
tool
to sleuth out how your home uses energy. Find out what items use the
most power with an easy to use residential energy calculator!
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Several educational programs are offered to schools where Tacoma Power has customers or generating facilities. These programs emphasize the importance of safety around electricity.
During the month of October, the Barney Bucket Truck Electrical Safety Program visits
first and second grade students in the Tacoma Power service area. Barney is an actual bucket truck in service by Tacoma Power. Students learn about the importance of electrical safety as well as the work done by Tacoma Power line crews. A video presentation featuring Louie the Lightning Bug teaches students the nature of electricity and how to be safe around it.
Tacoma Power provides an educational program of hands-on activities to help
fourth and fifth grade students learn how electricity is generated
and how to use electicity wisely. The program is called “S.P.A.C.E. Odyssey.” SPACE stands for Studying
Power And Conserving Energy.
The program features hands-on activities in eight work stations. The
adventure begins as classrooms are divided into teams of three or four students
each with each team visiting a work station for five minutes to conduct
experiments with water, operate a model hydroelectric project, solve math
problems, measure electricity use and test energy-efficient products using
meters and a special light display.
Each session lasts 40-45 minutes as students visit each of seven activity
stations every five minutes. Students keep a SPACE Odyssey logbook to record
answers and information they learn during the presentation. The final ten
minutes of class time is reserved for questions and answers.
Electricity travels fast. In fact, electricity travels at 186,000 miles per second. In the time it takes you to flip on a light switch, electricity can travel around the world eight times. How can we stay safe around something so incredibly powerful?
Tacoma Power's TEAM: Safety is an electrical safety demonstration for elementary schools in Tacoma Power's service area. TEAM stands for The Electric Attitude Message, which is "safety."
Each year more than 6,000 third, fourth and fifth grade students see the Tacoma Power program to learn about the nature of electricity and how to avoid hazardous situations.
TEAM: Safety uses a 15,000-volt electrical power line safety model to illustrate the effects of electricity on kites, trees, ladders, cars, animals and people should each come in contact with power lines.
Fifth and sixth grade students can learn about the nature of water power and hydroelectric generation through a program called HydroVenture. Books, water experiments, tours and Internet pages help students build an understanding about hydropower and the importance of this renewable resource.
Tacoma Power is also a member of the Foundation for Water and Energy Education, which offers excellent information on its World Wide Web site at
www.fwee.org.
- Tacoma Power offers free group tours of its hydroelectric projects as part of its ongoing energy education activities. Free group tours of Cowlitz River Project,
Nisqually River Project and Cushman Project facilities are available
for school, civic, business and recreational groups during regular working
hours by appointment.
Classroom speakers and videos are
also available.
For information on educational programs, send e-mail to Randy Stearnes at
rstearne@cityoftacoma.org or call 253-502-8224.
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