Teacher Training Program on Coding and Data Analysis
smart lamp displaying energy data
Based on the effectiveness of our Coding and Data Exploration with Smart Lamps curriculum, we are working on creating effective teaching materials for teachers that will allow them to meet the Computer Science graduation requirement for CPS high school students.
Our education team is conducting a series of teacher training workshops for CPS teachers in collaboration with the Center for College Access and Success at Northeastern Illinois University (CCAS@NEIU), Project SYNCERE, and Planetary Laboratory. These workshops bring cross-curricular hands-on activities to the classroom, engaging teachers from different disciplines like mathematics, environmental science, social sciences and computer science. Students also learn the basics of coding using a smart device designed from LEDs and a Raspberry Pi micro-computer.
Currently, we are working on adapting our curriculum so students can learn coding directly in a browser, without physical hardware. This will help us empower teachers to effectively teach the curriculum in their classrooms. Once the students and teachers become comfortable with programming, our team will deliver and demonstrate how to use the same codes to control real LEDs in their classroom.
handheld paper clip motor
Energy Demo Lending Library
We've launched an energy demo lending library. Chicagoland teachers can borrow these kits and associated curricula to bring back to their classrooms. Our goal is to help students develop a deeper understanding and intuition for energy science, technology and usage -- and to spark interests in science and technical careers. Topics include electricity, chemical energy, motors and generators, wind energy, and solar photovoltaics.
You can find our demo kits here.
Become a Partner Classroom
We're always on the lookout for teachers who would like to collaborate with other teachers and their classrooms. This is a great way to expand and leverage data collection and analysis efforts across the city of Chicago.
If you would like to partner with other classrooms, please contact Seth Severns.
Teacher Training Workshops
RDCEP offers teacher training workshops on topics related to energy and climate. If you would like us to visit your school, please let us know.
City Data
In many of RDCEP's educational programs, students collect data from all over the city of Chicago. These datasets are available to teachers and cover a range of topics, including:
urban forestry (e.g., tree health, canopy, species diversity)
student transportation (e.g., how public high school students get to/from school)
return rates of lost letters and keys
abandoned buildings and vacant lots
residential lot condition (e.g., assessing overgrowth, litter, snow shoveling)
For more information, please contact us.
Curriculum Units
We have a library of curriculum units covering a wide variety of topics:
Energy
Social Cost of Carbon (webDICE)
State Energy Policy (RPScalculator)
Food Security
Smart Lamps that provide visual feedback on energy usage
We also work with Planet Lab, a network for sharing and disseminating science curricula, to reach teachers and students in Chicago Public Schools.
