Magic School Bus Matter and Energy

"There's a big world out there loaded with energy; all you have to do is find it!"—Mikey

Getting Energized (Energy) is the tenth episode of the second season of The Magic School Bus. It first released on PBS stations in the United States on November 11, 1995.

Plot

At the Walkerville carnival, the class is running the Double-Trouble Wheel of Wonder. However, it doesn't work for some reason. Carlos realizes that he is the chairperson of the power-up committee and puts the plug of the Ferris wheel, only for it to short out. Ms. Frizzle arrives via pogo stick and gets the bad news from the class. The optimistic teacher tells them that the Ferris wheel isn't the only source of energy, for that the world is replete with all sorts of energy, and tells them to "find it, harness it, and put it to work". So Carlos attempts to call Mikey, his little brother who is wheelchair bound, to come to the rescue. But the class quickly rejects this, telling Carlos that Mikey almost burnt the whole class the last time he helped out with the marshmallow smoker, which Dorothy Ann ended up having a rash. The class later use a crank for the Ferris wheel. But it doesn't budge, and the citizens are getting impatient. Wanda suggests a refund, but Phoebe rejects it because the money was for the benefit of the animal shelter. So the class reluctantly tells Carlos to call Mikey and the latter uses a mallet to slam the lever of the bell game with enough force to smack the bell high in the sky and cause a boulder from the edge of the overhead cliff to fall onto one of the seats of the Ferris wheel, which begins to spin. Mikey arrives just in time and suggests falling rocks as the source of energy to spin the Ferris wheel. If the people ride in one side and the rocks land on the other, then it will cause it to turn without hurting anyone. The problem is how to get the rocks to it. So Ms. Frizzle takes the class (with the exception of Carlos, who is told to stay to make sure the Ferris wheel doesn't get taken down) on a field trip to search for rocks. The Bus flies over a bunch of rocks in the form of a helicopter.

Their parachutes expand and they land on the ground softly. While Carlos stalls the impatient crowd, the rest of the class garner as many rocks as they can, only for wind to blow their way. When Ralphie's cap gets blown away, Phoebe suggest that the wind could possibly have enough energy to move the rocks. So Mikey uses his wind wheel, as wheel as two cans and Arnold's belt, to demonstrate the idea of making a conveyor belt.

Meanwhile, Carlos tries to tell jokes to the spectators, but they yell and hiss at him. Carlos calls and tells Ms. Frizzle to hurry up.

Mikey showcases his conveyor model to the kids.

With Ms. Frizzle's help, the class make the conveyor belt to move the rocks uphill. Unfortunately, the class comes across a river, meaning that the rocks sink under. When Mikey uses a raft to ride on with the rest of the class, the raft gets caught to a root protruding from the river, sending the class onto a tree. Ralphie suggest that the class should harness the water to move the rocks since it had the energy to move the class. Mikey shows the class what the water did to the raft, which is caught to a tree branch and spinning like a water wheel, suggesting a water wheel connected to a spoon-like catapult to fling the rocks up the mountain.

Ms. Frizzle arrives just in time on the Tugboat School Bus, and the class hop aboard. They make the water wheel along with a stick to hold the wheel, a spoon-like catapult, and pipes to roll the rocks through and onto the catapult to fling them up the mountain. Unfortunately, the tension bar of the stick becomes jammed. So Wanda attempts to loosen it, with Ralphie assisting her. The catapult finally flings the rock, along with Ralphie, in the sky.

Ralphie ends up dropping down to the ground and is saved by the Helicopter School Bus, which catches him with a net and lands onto the tip top of the mountain. The class then discover that the rocks only landed on that position and they have to fall onto the Ferris wheel. So Ms. Frizzle calls Carlos, who is failing to keep the crowd entertain as they grow even more impatient; With every attempt Carlos does, they keep jeering, hissing and throwing their phones and stuff at him and they are about to go on a rampage and hurt Carlos. When the class gets hot through the burning sun, Dorothy Ann suggests that the class should use solar energy to move the rocks. Using Mikey's rim of the wheel for his wheelchair, the class reflect the light to boil the water inside the water tank to demonstrate the making of the solar power rock launcher, using a cannon, a large circular glass, and a large teapot for boiling water. The class' handmade energy system works and Carlos tells Mikey that he found a new source of energy: Mikey Power.

The Ferris wheel works thanks to the rocks, and the class sells $700 for the shelter. The crowd finally calms down and cheers as they enjoy the Ferris Wheel. Ms. Frizzle and Mikey are then seen taking a ride on the Helicopter School Bus to take a view of the wind energy system, the water energy system, and the solar energy system. Ms. Frizzle thanks Mikey for his endless energy and the power of his imagination.

Trivia

Original slate, captured from a U.S.A. Dubs VHS dub of the original master tape.

• During the trip to the International Space Station, each of the students are given "jobs". Arnold is the safety officer, which he also is in this episode when monitoring the Wheel of Wonder.

• This is the first of three appearances by Mikey. The other two are in "Gets Programmed" and ''The Good, the Bad, and the Gnocchi".
• This is the first episode to have a full-length slate on the master tape, and the only Season 2 episode to have a slate.
• According to the original slate, production on this episode was finished by October 16, 1995.
• This is the first episode in TMSB’s airing order where Ralphie's voice starts to fully mature.

Which Magic School Bus episode is about matter?

Is there a Magic School Bus episode about energy?

What is the theory of The Magic School Bus?

Is The Magic School Bus about science?

Is there a Magic School Bus about atoms?

Which Magic School Bus is about ecosystems?