Museum of Science and Industry

Square Footage: 7,300 sq. ft.

A dramatic new guest experience will take a compelling and thought-provoking look at our current energy consumption habits, the long-term effects of this consumption and how scientists are looking toward renewable fuel technologies to power our future. Energy Planet will present energy as a story of innovation, conservation, economic opportunity and fundamental science. It will point to a future that balances sustainable use of fossil fuel with new, energy-efficient technologies.

Chicagoland middle-school and high-school students are even playing a role in the design of this exhibit. Through iDesign, a competition to help create a component of Energy Planet, hundreds of students answered the call—with more than 60 creative entries! The three examples below are finalists in the competition.

Finalist
School:    Florence Nightingale Elementary School, Chicago
Teacher:  Jodi Flowers
Team:      The Transportation Transformers

Explore ways to improve public transportation systems through renewable sources of energy. This exhibit features buses, trains and transit stations that are partially powered by solar energy. Museum guests can design and test solar cars, explore a solar train, play interactive video games and drive solar-powered go-carts.

Finalist
School:     The Willows Academy, Des Plaines
Teacher:   Young Seo
Team:        Little Alberts

Generate electricity from something you do every day at home. Turn on a faucet and watch the running water spin a turbine, which powers a generator that creates enough electricity to power a small appliance. Learn about other uses of hydropower by seeing a working model of a dam.

Finalist
School:      Lake View High School, Chicago
Teacher:   Mahesh Alur
Team:        Lake View Wildcats

Learn about climate change and how you can reduce greenhouse gases. The Conservation Tree invites Museum guests to pin yellow "achievement" and green "commitment" leaves to the tree, symbolizing their personal actions. Branches represent major areas of conservation: transportation, recycling, energy use and consumer goods.

Middle School Finalists
School:      Trinity Lutheran School, Roselle
Teacher:    Amy L. Moeller
Team1 :      8G
Team 2:      6K

School:      Jerling Junior High School, Orland Park
Teacher:    Judy Stellato
Team:        Jerling Energizers

School:      Gray Elementary School, Chicago
Teacher:    Robert Argent
Team:        Group 9

School:      Cambridge Lakes Charter School, Pingree Grove
Teacher:    Martha M. Rathbun
Team:        The Bright Solution 

High School Finalists
School:      Maine West High School, Des Plaines
Teacher:    Derrick A. Swistak
Team 1:     Swistak 7th Period Class
Team 2:     Swistak 1st Period Class

School:      Bartlett High School, Bartlett
Teacher:   Stephen Buchs
Team 1:     Group 1 (Hawks)
Team 2:     Group 3
Team 3:     Group 4

School:      Lane Tech High School, Chicago
Teacher:   Allison Larson
Team 1:     The Full Metal Alchemists
Team 2:     The Carbonites

School:     Thornton Fractional North High School, Calumet City
Teacher:   Karla Krygier
Team:        Meteors for Synergy