SWITCH combines facts and fun
The students at Theodore Jamerson Elementary School,
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Marlaysia Cloud presses one hand down on an aluminum plate and the other hand down on a copper plate. The plates use a meter to measure the microamps, or amount of electricity, going through first Marlaysia’s body. |
United Tribes Technical College, showed off their creative, inquisitive minds. In an electrical safety demonstration that combined facts with fun, they recently learned how electricity is made, how it travels and how it powers their school and homes.
During the “story behind the switch” presentation Jan. 23, eager hands waved in the air, indicating the students wanted to learn more. They asked a number of thoughtful questions like this one: “Why does it take years to assemble a drag line?”
Showing endless amounts of patience, Emily McKay smiled as she explained that a drag line, when put together, is larger than the state Capitol. Its size, and the concoction of parts that make up the coal excavator, require a lot of time to assemble.
McKay, a demonstration coordinator with Basin Electric, teamed up with Wes Engbrecht, director of communications and public relations for Capital Electric Cooperative, to teach area students about electricity. Together, they visited three elementary schools in Bismarck including Miller, Theodore Jamerson and Will-Moore. Engbrecht says he plans to expand the presentation to rural schools
in the co-op’s service area over the next year.
To kick off the presentation, McKay told students she was going to give them a quiz. She asked them to remember three important things: 1) Electricity is lazy; it always takes the shortest and easiest path. 2) Electricity always wants to go to the ground; and 3) Electricity
travels on the outside of the wire.
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Dressed up like a lineworker, Benjamin Charley wears personal protective gear including rubber sleeves, a hard hat and sunglasses. |
“Much of my presentation deals with safety around power lines. I tell the kids not to fly kites or climb tress near power lines, and what they should do if they see a downed power line,” McKay says. “I also hand out a checklist about indoor safety that the kids can take home and go over with their parents. Together, they can make sure their homes are electrically safe.”
During the safety presentation, McKay dressed student Benjamin Charley in rubber sleeves, a hard hat and sunglasses. She told the students that Benjamin could be a lineworker some day, and that there would be a lot of good jobs available with electric cooperatives once the students graduated from college.
At the end of the presentation, students passed the quiz with enthusiasm and quickly volunteered to help McKay demonstrate her electric “toys.” One student got a hair-raising experience with the Van de Graaff generator, while other students measured how much electricity their bodies carried when they pressed their hands down on copper and aluminum plates.
From giving a the static electricity experiment to discussing the dangers of energized lines, Jenn Barnhart, 21st Century Coordinator, said it appeared the students learned a lot.
“The presentation was well-received by the children. I think we have a few future lineworkers in the group,” she says.
Engbrecht says it’s important that children understand the dangerous nature of electricity. He gives credit toMcKay and Basin Electric for providing the service—not only to local communities like the ones served by Capital Electric, but across the nine-state service area covered by Basin Electric.
“As providers of electricity, we feel it’s our responsibility to help teach these kids how to stay safe. And if they can have fun while learning what they can or should not do around power lines and outlets, then I think we’ve accomplished our goal,” Engbrecht says.
Capital Electric thanks area school teachers for taking part in the “story behind the switch” and looks forward to presenting to a fresh crop of students next year.