Grant Stories

Winneconne Middle School students are now using thermal imaging cameras to explore the world of heat and energy thanks to a grant from the Winneconne Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Fund. The cameras are helping to provide students with an understanding of the principles and considerations involved in designing and constructing a model home while integrating knowledge from various STEM disciplines.

One of the first projects students worked on was called the Zero Energy Home Challenge. Mady Trucco, 7th Grade Science Teacher, shared, “The goal of the project was to design and build a one bedroom energy efficient model house with the design constraints, utilizing passive solar heating techniques to heat the home as much as possible and sustain that temperature for as long as possible.” Students worked in pairs to design, build, test, and refine their homes while learning about heat transfer and its applications to real world scenarios.

Students were able to test the temperature within their home using a digital thermometer as well as observe the distribution of heat surrounding their home to determine which materials were the most effective insulators and conductors of thermal energy.

Ms. Trucco also shared, “Not only were the cameras used during this project, they were also used to enhance numerous labs throughout the unit. They became a great tool for making observations of thermal energy transfer, making the invisible now visible to students!”