Students at Montessori International School in Mesa Seek Environmental

Aug. 30, 2012 - PRLog -- Ford, Chrysler and Toyota are not the only car manufacturers in town thanks to an ecology lesson at Montessori International School, 2401 E. Brown Road in Mesa.
    The elementary students were studying how their lives impact the environment with their teachers Alicia Abel and Nilo Ebrahim. Challenged with finding a solution to reduce the pollution they left behind by moving about from place to place, the students decided to build their own model electric cars.    
    The vehicles ran efficiently, but were in no danger or breaking the speed limit or rivaling U.S. or overseas automakers for space on dealership lots.
    “Many of the students built their cars using common materials, such as straws, cardboard, skewers, and empty thread spools,” said Therese Kestner, who leads the educational staff at the AMI-certified Montessori school. “Not only did this activity allow for the students to be creative, it also encouraged them to reuse materials that would typically be thrown away.”  
    Many of the students designed their own models while others worked in teams.  Once the students built their cars they experimented with different methods of powering them with a battery pack and an electric motor.  They redesigned and rebuilt their cars to improve their performance.
    The car-building activity did not evolve in a vacuum. The teachers took a more scientific approach that began with encouraging the students to discuss how they get from one place to another.  The students then brainstormed about what a vehicle needs to make it run.  The next step was students investigated two cars.  One was gasoline powered, and the other was a battery powered Nissan LEAF.  
    The students were quick to note that the LEAF did not have a tailpipe, or anywhere to put gas in.  Through using the scientific method, they discovered the LEAF did not use gasoline.  With this new information, the students were challenged with designing and building a model
car that also did not use gasoline.  
     From that point the students minds, hands and imaginations were off and running.
    For more information about Montessori International School’s elementary, preschool or toddler programs call 480-890-1580 or visit www. http://montessori-intl.org.