Energy lessons Saturday at Creative Discovery Museum

photo Students from Tyner Academy will bring a solar cooker they've made to the Creative Discovery Museum for Energy Day on Saturday.

If you goWhat: Energy Day.When: noon-4 p.m. Saturday.Where: Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St.Admission: $12.95.Phone: 423-756-2738.Website: www.cdmfun.org.

Many children are familiar with windmills, especially the colorful pinwheel styles they can hold in their hands. But do they know the true value of the energy they generate?

To educate children, TVA is partnering with the Science Alliance of Tennessee to promote the importance of energy conservation by hosting Energy Day on Saturday at Creative Discovery Museum.

According to Lynda LeVan, museum director of external affairs, the event will showcase the exploration of the versatile power of renewable sources of energy.

"This is a new event that has been funded by TVA and their energy cooperatives," LeVan says, explaining that as many as 1,000 to 1,500 are expected to attend.

"It is important for kids to understand where energy comes from and not just take it for granted," she says. "We also want to help kids learn about alternative sources of energy, their efficiency and ways kids can conserve energy. Perhaps one of the kids visiting will be inspired to invent the next new source of alternative energy one day."

Museum guests will be treated to a display of a solar-powered generator, golf cart and parabolic solar cooker built by Tyner Academy's Renewable Energy Class. Tyner students and instructors will be on-site to help explain how each device works as children learn about the reusable power of the sun.

Tyner's Science Troupe has been in existence for several years, LeVan says. With the help of museum staff, students in the group learn how to present science to third-graders at local schools and give science demonstrations at the museum.

There also will be hands-on activities related to renewable energy sources, including experimenting with shapes and styles of wind turbines to lift a load, testing the effectiveness of sails to make a a boat move across the air, the use of different forms of alternative energy to move model cars, how energy from plants is used to make biofuels and how to play with water power to make a jug spin.

Activities will be available for all ages, but this will be particularly of interest to children 5 years and up, LeVan says.

Additionally, an energy science show, with live demonstrations with a magneto generator and a "jug of fire," will take place from 1 to 1:30 p.m. and 3 to 3:30 p.m.

Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6396.

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