4Real Forums: hydroelectric power

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Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science

Topic: hydroelectric power

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ALmom
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 4:59pm \| IP Logged

Now coming from me, the non-science person around here, I know this does not have all the explanations and I truely don't know how this was accomplished or even what my ds used, but he just made a hydroelectric system yesterday - he has a dam, turbine and ... he was talking about turning on a waterproof lightbulb he has with the water generated electricity.

We had to go to our dental appt yesterday with the boys covered in mud as this was what they were gainfully employed doing while I was trying to bog through olders Biology. My dh came home and pointed out to me the water bill - but honestly I hadn't thought about that. I just jumped on it and told the 10 yo (this was all his doing - everyone else just went along for a chance to play in the mud)that he needed to take digital pics and put together some captions so he can explain to me how all this works. I am really looking forward to it. My dh gave permission for them to run this thing just long enough to get the pics for the report and then we really cannot afford the water bill beyond that - but this is so exciting to me.

Of course, they built this all in the front yard and mud is everywhere! I am hoping my ds really will be organized enough to have some record to remember this project by. I am so totally in awe of how he does things. Any suggestions on how I might guide him in how to put it together - nothing involving too much elaborate cutting, arranging, etc. I thought of either poster board/cork board display or buying one of those already bound hardback blank books for him to write and display his pictures. I do want it to be in some form that we can keep forever.

Janet

lapazfarm
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 7:09pm \| IP Logged

Powerpoint is a great way to go for stuff like that. He can put the pictures right on the slides, resize them however he wants, play with fonts, and write summaries. My 12 yo loves to do Powerpoint.
I also think having a hardbound science journal where he can keep pics and write-ups of all of his stuff like this is a great idea. It would end up being a really nice record of his achievements at years end.

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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
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lapazfarm
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 7:10pm \| IP Logged

Oh, and ds and I would LOVE to see pics of his projects!

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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning

ALmom
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 8:03pm \| IP Logged

Well not sure how the pics will turn out. We had to scrounge for camera batteries as all were out and I did the first pics (the boys were too covered in mud - even our 15 yo dd got into the mud for this one)and this is the first time I've ever used a digital camera. The boys had to talk me through which buttons to push where. They also sent me to get the wires with the little clips (and I came back with the wrong kind). I wish we'd had a pic of his very first version - it generateed about 30 volts (according to him - I never saw that one

)and burnt out his flashlight so we couldn't reuse that flashlight. He was tinkering with how to get a steadier supply of electricity as the water would eventually knock his turbine or whatever it was over, or grass would clog it and keep it from spinning or something like that. They got about 3 steady volts. He did it once with the hose as the water supply and got about 50 volts. He didn't want to go higher than that as he told me that might get dangerous - gee glad he knew that as I wouldn't have a clue. At one point his 13 yo brother came out with a different version of the turbine thingy but didn't make the axle strong enough. His original version was complete with villages, islands. They attempted to replicate the Tennessee River. The version for my camera involved the 4 yo helping with the digging so ... well you know how that can go. We did connect a voltmeter like he did the first time but one of his brothers switched the knob at the last minute and instead of having a number for voltage, we had something else. My dh explained it to me - but there was intermittant electricity. His original version had a mechanism for easily sliding a small door out to let the water flow. This one they had to dig a bit to get to the door as the 4 yo covered it solid.

I am so glad I got to see the process even if it was in his least favorite version. (I missed all the versions but the one with the 4 yo help).

They are now outside restoring the yard to some semblance of smoothness and filling in all the deep holes and river channels. It is sad to see it go but ... Our 15 yo had fun watching all the people come by and stare at what in the world we were up to. 6 kids with hose and mud in front yard and covered from head to toe is unusual in a neighborhood where ours are about the only children you ever see outdoors.

No ability to do powerpoint but maybe we can put something together in word with pictures and text - then just print it to a page that we can paste into the permanent book. I can really see this boy loving power point. Oh well.

BTW, I just realized something. We do do a bit of unschooling - this is how the dc mostly operate in their area of passion. It is fun till clean up time.

Now Joseph knows that anytime he creates something like this, I really would like him to take all the pics he can from the very beginning. Hopefully next time he'll get pics from the start.

I'll try to figure a way to put his final presentation where you guys can see. Thanks for the ideas. It may take awhile. This is the part that doesn't always come out showing all he did cause he doesn't like writing - but we'll see.

Janet

lapazfarm
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 9:27pm \| IP Logged

Perhaps you could suggest that instead of hooking it directly to the light he could use it to charge a re-chargeable battery and then put that in the flashlight. He might avoid burning out the lightbulb that way and wouldn't have to worry so much about keeping the power supply steady.
Just a thought.

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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning

lapazfarm
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 9:29pm \| IP Logged

by the way, it sounds like a fantastic project! They obviously are very clever to have figured all that out on their own. And industrious, too!

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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning

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