Rechargeable batteries are a great choice for any classroom. They last longer. Additionally, they’re friendly to your budget and the environment.
Ms. Sneed Decides to Buy Rechargeable Batteries
Our favorite fourth grade teacher, Ms. Sneed, was shopping on Amazon again. Her teaching partner, Mr. Frank, sat next to her.
“Our batteries don’t last long,” Ms. Sneed told Mr. Frank.”Let’s purchase rechargeable batteries for our electricity unit. After all, they’re environmentally friendly.”
Which Size?
“Okay. What size should we get?” Mr. Frank asked. “We used C or D batteries when I was in school.”
“Surprisingly, A, AA, and AAA have the same volts as C or D: 1.5.”
Mr. Frank’s eyebrows lifted. ” I never knew that.”
“Therefore, I’ve decided to go with AA. Since they’re smaller, they require less storage space.”
“Good thinking.”
How Many?
“How many will we need?” Mr. Frank asked.
“Well, 1.5 volts will light the bulbs we use in our experiments. I like doing the battery and bulb activity in pairs. However, each pair only needs one battery. Kids can explore conductors and insulators, series circuits, and parallel circuits in groups of four. Each of those activities requires two batteries.”
“We can have up to 32 kids in our classes.”
“Yep,” responded Ms. Sneed. “So I figure we’ll each need 16 batteries – and a charger. That way we can use one battery per pair for our opening electricity activity and two batteries for each group of four.”
Which Brand?
Ms. Sneed typed “rechargeable batteries” in the search bar. “Look at this!” she exclaimed. “They’ve linked an article that rates them.”
As Ms. Sneed read the information, Mr. Frank calculated the price per battery.
- Best: Panasonic Eneloop Pro – $32.88 for 8 = $4.11/battery
- Budget: EBL High Capacity – $15.26 for 8 = $1.90/battery (for $4.00 more, they will throw in a charger)
- Performance: Energizer Recharge Universal – $32.99 for 16 = $2.06/battery
- Reliability: Duracell Rechargeable – $8.99 for 4 = $2.24/battery
“We only have a budget of $50 per classroom,” said Mr. Frank. “And we still need to replace some bulbs, bulb holders, and battery holders.”
“Looks like we’re trying the budget option,” smiled Ms. Sneed. “I see that we can get a 16 pack for $27.46. Let’s buy two sets of eight with chargers. Then we can get one 16 pack and split it. That way, we’ll spend less than $35.00 per classroom.”
“These have 1.2 volts instead of 1.5, but they should work just fine,” Mr. Frank said.
Ms. Sneed’s face lit up with her famous teacher smile. “I can’t wait to try this new set of electricity experiments!”
Enjoy Teaching
Over the course of her career, Ms. Sneed realized that there were 6 steps to enjoy teaching. In order to survive, she had to organize, plan, and simplify. Then, to thrive, Ms. Sneed needed to learn, engage, and finally – dive in! Follow the Fabulous Teaching Adventures of Ms. Sneed and learn how you can enjoy teaching too.
