 Hello. I'm Rob Leffler, the Science Lab teacher at Wilkinson Elementary School. Are you frustrated with your students rolling their eyes and moaning as soon as you mentioned the word science? Are you tired of struggling to find a simple way to demonstrate energy? Well, we have a surprise for you. The Florida House, working under a grant from Toyota Foundation, has developed a unique home-on-earth fifth grade STEM program designed to inspire interest and student understanding of energy and basic science concepts in operation in their daily lives. This program, created in partnership with Sarasota County Public Schools, focuses on teaching energy-related benchmarks for fifth grade students. The program's goal is to raise FCAT science test scores and excite students about STEM by relating it to their home environment. The Florida House STEM curriculum will provide teachers with a set of tailor-made energy-related lessons developed by a team of district science teachers, including myself. These lessons, along with a wide variety of suggested videos, graphics, classroom activities, and more, will be available to all teachers through the Sarasota County Blackboard Learn System. The Florida House's facility and yard will be utilized for a half-day field trip to enhance the student learning experience. The Florida House demonstrates high-performance building, energy efficiency, watershed balance, and the use of urban agriculture to promote healthy living. Fifth graders will be guided through learning stations for a hands-on, interactive experience focusing on energy in their daily lives. Different types of energy, such as light, chemical, bio, electrical, sound, and heat, will be demonstrated along with energy transformation and the common uses of energy in their homes. Students will have a chance to observe household electric circuits, use a thermal imaging gun to see and measure heat sources, observe a solar panel as it produces electricity, and even make their own electricity by riding a bicycle-powered generator. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to inspire a love of science and your students. The Florida House Institute is located right next to Suncoast Polytech High School in sunny Sarasota. You can visit at Explore for more details and contact information.