Do you know how to make a battery out of an apple? Why handwarmers heat up when you use them? Or why glow sticks are brighter in hot water?

Well the students at John F. Deering Middle School in West Warwick do.

In November, three of the 8th grade science teachers, Chloe Robitaille, Mark Grover and Carol-Ann Silvestri created an after school science club and 30 students signed up.

For the past seven months the students have been staying after school or coming early in the mornings before school to participate and learn about the “science of energy.”

The three teachers said they were overwhelmed with the positive response they got from their students and the enthusiasm they brought to the program.

For the past seven months the students have been working on experiments and lessons that work as an extension of their school science curriculum, all of which follow next generation science and STEM standards.

The students also participated in a fundraiser with National Grid selling led light bulbs, made short one-minute videos on how to conserve energy and even did an “energy audit” on the school to see how efficient it was.

Courtney D’Amico, one of the students in the club, said overall, the school was efficient; only 8.5 percent of the lights weren’t.

“We learned a lot about our school and how to save energy in our everyday lives,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

On May 21 the group held an “Energy Expo” where students created 10 different stations showcasing everything they had learned between the different types of energy and chemical reactions.

Teachers, parents and community members could walk around and see everything the students had been learning.

“They are taking science out of the classroom and applying it to the real world around them. They have these ‘a-ha’ moments where it’ll click and the everyday makes sense,” Silvestri said.

Grover said the students’ favorite part was probably visiting the Boston Museum of Science on a fieldtrip not only because most had never been before, but to see everything they learned in practice.

Principal Jeffrey Guiot said he was amazed at how much progress the program made in only their first year.

“These teachers were able to capture the imagination of our students and get them enthusiastic about science in a way that showed off the student’s abilities and their desire to learn,” he said.

For many of the students, Guiot said the program probably opened up more future possibilities.

Some may now be interested in a career of science where before they may not have been exposed to that.

The students were all excited to share what they learned, eagerly speaking to guests about their projects, listing of chemicals and explaining the science behind some of the things we use every day.

“They take pride in their school,” Silvestri said. “They get excited to represent it and all the positive things they are doing.”