A2 STEAM Project
The School
A2 STEAM at Northside is a new K-8 school in the Ann Arbor school district. This school represents a new and innovative way of teaching kids. They focus on incorporating hands-on, project-based learning into their daily curriculum in order to encourage an innovative way of thinking. They have a passion for using ways of teaching that truly help the students learn and understand the material. It is in this way that their goals align with ours.
To find out more about A2 STEAM, check out their website: http://www.a2schools.org/a2steam.home/home
Photo credit: Joseph Xu, College of Engineering
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Cindy Johengen's dream for a school wind turbine was originally inspired by William Kamkwamba's New York Times Bestselling book, "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind."
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In Fall 2015, William Kamkwamba visited Ann Arbor to speak to students at the University of Michigan and A2 STEAM. Through a collaboration with Woven Wind, he visited A2 STEAM Elementary to speak with them, participate in a wind-turbine themed presentation, and hear what the students had learned about him and wind turbines.
The Project
We collaborated with our partner, Cindy Johengen, her students, and the other fifth grade classrooms at A2 STEAM on a wind turbine project. While working in the classroom with the students throughout the year, we designed, built, and installed a functional wind turbine on the roof of A2 STEAM. The turbine powers two in class applications: an LED display and a pump, which is part of an aquaponics system.
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This project is not only an engineering design project for the students to watch, but also an educational tool for them to get involved with. We strive to involve the 5th grade students in the design process by visiting the school throughout the year to conduct several educational workshops as well as involve them in the design decisions. We facilitate educational workshops on the blades, electrical system, generators and transmission system, and the turbine structure. Through these activity days, the students are able to understand the engineering concepts used in wind turbines and develop an innovative, engineering way of thinking.
Photo credit: Joseph Xu, College of Engineering