BRIGHT IDEAS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Transcription

1 BRIGHT IDEAS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY Supports the curriculum for Science, Geography, Citizenship, Environmental Studies and Education for Sustainable Development with links to Maths, English and PSHE/PSD for pupils aged 7-11 years

2 WELCOME TO THE CLIMATE COPS TEACHING RESOURCE The Climate Cops teaching resource has been developed with practising teachers to provide a comprehensive set of tools to deliver a series of stimulating lessons and exciting assemblies. The aim of the programme is to engage children in energy efficiency to encourage them to make a genuine improvement to the environment. To put the topic of energy efficiency into context, the Climate Cops resource provides lesson plan activites that can be used to take pupils on an energy journey. It s a four part journey which helps to deliver the knowledge, skills and understanding for Key Stage 2 and Scottish levels C-E Science, Geography, Citizenship, Environmental Studies and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) with links to Maths, English and PSHE/PSD. Much of the pack also supports key strands of the QCA Schemes of Work. Climate Cops spearheads a broader environmental schools programme developed by npower, which follows the Government s national framework for sustainable schools, to engage and excite children and show them how they can be heroes in tackling the causes of climate change both in their homes and in their schools. THE ENERGY JOURNEY The energy journey has been developed to provide a comprehensive framework and progressive approach to teaching the topic of energy and energy efficiency. Using this framework, children can be gradually introduced to a range of concepts: We use lots of energy in our daily lives so we need our power stations to continue generating it. That we can generate electricity in ways that do not produce carbon dioxide by using renewable energy such as wind, hydro and solar. How we must all try and use electricity, energy and water in our daily lives more efficiently by trying not to waste it. To have a wider appreciation of how our actions influence climate change and that global warming is a worldwide problem. Overall, this approach will ensure that children can apply energy efficiency to their own lives, to help them feel positive that they can make a difference both now and in the future. The framework for the energy journey Part 1 Links Part 2 Links Part 3 Links Part 4 Links What is electricity and where does it come from? Science, Environmental Studies, Citizenship and ESD with links to English How does electricity get to your home and how is it used? Science, Environmental Studies and Citizenship with links to English How to use electricity sensibly - including energy efficiency and safety Science, Geography, Citizenship and ESD with links to Maths, English and PSHE/PSD The way forward planning for the future Geography, Environmental Studies, Citizenship and ESD with links to English PACK CONTENTS CD-ROM Teacher booklet Comprehensive teacher notes clearly signpost the resources required with recommendations as to how to deliver the various activities. The suite of suggested activities incorporates a wide range of delivery techniques to inject pace and variety, with opportunities for individual, paired and group work. It has been designed to be flexible to allow you to dip in and use what you feel is best for your school and the children you teach. Classroom posters and flash cards There are four posters and flash cards that support different stages of the energy journey. These have been designed to act as visual and interactive teaching aids. Information cards A set of 10 information cards have been developed that can be used as both a reference tool and/or can be distributed to pupils to assist learning. Worksheets There are 25 worksheets that carry a series of class activities to support lesson outcomes. uses in school A number of downloadable resources have been developed for use in the classroom to bring lessons to life, including: PowerPoint presentations Worksheets Images Information cards and glossary Whiteboard activities Video footage Website There is an exciting website for children that introduces them to the important concepts of energy efficiency through three exciting games that are designed to teach: 1. What is energy waste? 2. How can you prevent energy waste? 3. Why are we saving energy? If you have an interactive whiteboard, these can be used as starters to lessons to introduce the key concepts in a memorable way. Alternatively, they can be used as part of the plenary to recap learning. In addition, there are lots of fun downloads that the children can access to engage them further in the Climate Cops programme and which can be used as part of homework exercises. Parent leaflet The CD-Rom also carries a fact sheet that can be sent home to parents to help ensure that all the key energy efficiency messages that have been covered in school can also be reinforced at home. The activities and resources provided are mapped explicitly to the different curricular requirements around the UK. A detailed curriculum map can be found on pages 4 and 5. In addition, the materials support the Every Child Matters, Sustainable Schools doorway for energy and water and Eco-Schools frameworks. Climate Cops story and character profiles Animated diagrams Assembly plans 2 3

3 CURRICULUM LINKS THE ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 1 England & Wales Links QCA SoW Scotland 5-14 Curriculum England & Wales Links QCA SoW Scotland 5-14 Curriculum What is electricity and where does it come from? Science, Environmental Studies, Citizenship and ESD with links to English To recap learning of What is electricity? To revise the vocabulary associated with electricity To understand where electricity comes from To understand how electricity is made in a power station To understand what non-renewable energy is and become aware of its limitations To understand what renewable energy is and become aware of the benefits and limitations of a variety of renewable sources Science Sc1: 2a-2l; Sc3: 1a, 2g; Sc4: 3a Breadth of study: 1a, 1d, 2a Citizenship 1a, 2a, 2j English EN1 Speaking and listening including drama Science Unit 5_6H: Enquiry in environmental and technological contexts Environmental Studies: Science Earth and Space Changing materials: Level D Energy and Forces Conversion and transfer of energy: Levels C, D, E Science, Citizenship and Social Subjects Developing informed attitudes Expressive Arts Drama: Levels C, D, E THE ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 2 How does electricity get to your home and how is it used? Science, Environmental Studies and Citizenship with links to English To understand how electricity gets to your school or house To identify what electricity is used for To understand that circuits are made up of components which are denoted by symbols To understand the way in which circuits are constructed Science Sc1: 2a-2l; Sc3: 1b, 1c; Sc4: 1a-1c Breadth of study: 1a, 1d, 2a, 2b Citizenship Preparing to play an active role as citizens: 2j English EN1 Speaking and listening including drama; EN3 Writing: spelling Science Unit 4F: Circuits and conductors; Unit 6G: Changing circuits Environmental Studies: Science Energy and Forces Conversion and transfer of energy: Levels C, D Energy and Forces Properties and uses of energy: Levels C, D, E Science, Citizenship and Social Subjects Developing informed attitudes Expressive Arts Drama: Levels C, D, E THE ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 3 How to use electricity sensibly including energy efficiency and safety England & Wales Links QCA SoW Scotland 5-14 Curriculum England & Wales Links QCA SoW Science, Geography, Citizenship and ESD with links to Maths, English and PSHE/PSD To reinforce that everyday appliances use electricity To help pupils understand that different appliances have different power ratings measured in Watts and Kilowatts and how these influence the energy used To encourage children to think about how they can save energy - Why do we want to save electricity? - How will we save electricity? - How will we know we ve saved electricity? To recognise the different risks in different situations and then decide how to behave responsibly Science Sc1: 1a, 1b; Sc2: 5a; Breadth of study: 1a, 2a, 2b Geography 1b-1e, 3e, 3g, 4b, 5a, 5b Citizenship 1a, 1c, 2a, 2j, 5a, 5b, 5d Maths Ma3 Number; Ma4 Handling data English EN1 Speaking and listening including drama; EN3 Writing PSHE/PSD Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle: 3e Geography Unit 8: Improving the environment Citizenship Unit 02: Choices; Unit 06: Developing our school grounds Maths Problem solving and enquiry; Number, money and measure; Information handling: Levels C, D, E English Language Functional writing: Levels C, D, E Science, Citizenship and Social Subjects Developing informed attitudes Expressive Arts Drama: Levels C, D, E THE ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 4 The way forward planning for the future Scotland 5-14 Curriculum Geography, Environmental Studies, Citizenship and ESD with links to English To reinforce key learning about renewable and non-renewable energy sources To research, talk and write about their opinions and explain their views on renewable sources versus non-renewable sources To recognise how people can improve the environment or damage it, and how decisions about places and environments affect the future quality of people s lives To recognise how and why people may seek to manage environments sustainably and to identify opportunities for their own involvement Geography 1b-1e, 2c, 3b-3e, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b Citizenship 1a, 1c, 2a, 2j English EN1 Speaking and listening including drama; EN3 Writing Geography Unit 8: Improving the environment Citizenship Unit 02: Choices; Unit 06: Developing our school grounds Environmental Studies: Skills in social subjects Enquiry preparing for tasks, carrying out tasks, reviewing and reporting on tasks: Levels C, D, E Knowledge and understanding people and place: Human physical interactions Environmental Studies: Science Earth and Space Changing materials: Level D Energy and Forces Conversion and transfer of energy: Levels C, D, E English Language Functional writing: Levels C, D, E Science, Citizenship and Social Subjects Developing informed attitudes Expressive Arts Drama: Levels C, D, E 4 5

4 THE ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 1 WHAT IS ELECTRICITY AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? RESOURCES Science, Environmental Studies, Citizenship and ESD with links to English To recap learning of What is electricity? To revise the vocabulary associated with electricity To understand where electricity comes from To understand how electricity is made in a power station To understand what non-renewable energy is and become aware of its limitations To understand what renewable energy is and become aware of the benefits and limitations of a variety of renewable sources to support all activities are clearly signposted. PowerPoint presentations, information cards, worksheets and animated diagrams can be found on the easy-tonavigate CD-Rom. Posters and flash cards have been provided as printed materials. ACTIVITYPLANNERS There is a suite of suggested activities. You can select the ones you feel are best suited to your pupils and devise lesson plans accordingly. Activity 1: Understanding Electricity Introduce the topic of electricity by asking three volunteers to each read out and hold up a definition of energy. Ask the class to decide which of the definitions is correct. Then repeat the exercise with three definitions of electricity. Ask for volunteers to complete an interactive, drag and click whiteboard activity to correctly match a list of definitions to a series of words related to electricity. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 1 POWERPOINT SLIDES WITH WHITEBOARD ACTIVITY 3 12 TEACHER NOTES This section explores the definitions of energy and electricity; provides activities that bring the invisible nature of electricity to life; introduces both non-renewable (fossil fuels and nuclear) and renewable sources of energy; promotes learning of how electricity is made; encourages children to think about the benefits and limitations of the different energy sources. Energy is the ability to do work and electricity is a form of energy. Electricity has no colour, weight, size or smell. But, even though you can t ever really see it, electricity causes actions and reactions to occur every single day. It is a secondary energy source which means that we get it from the conversion of other sources of energy. Around two thirds of Britain s electricity is currently produced by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. However, fossil fuels are a limited resource. The UK has an abundance of natural resources capable of generating sustainable electricity i.e. energy from fuel sources that will not run out including the best wind resource in Europe. By using the power of nature solar, wind, hydro-electric, geothermal and tidal renewable energy generates electricity cleanly. In most instances, electricity from renewable sources can be generated without any long-term environmental damage or danger and without depleting finite reserves of fossil fuel. Activity 2: Bringing Electricity to Life Drama activity - in groups, pretend to be an atom. A small group of pupils represent the protons and neutrons in the nucleus and stand very close together, with their arms around each other. The remaining pupils will play the role of electrons in their shells. They should form a circle around the nucleus and stand with just their fingertips touching. On command, the whole group must jump. Those pretending to be the nucleus must hold on to each other as they jump. Those in the outer shell are free to move to the next atom. The moving electrons are electricity. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 1 POWERPOINT SLIDES ANIMATED DIAGRAM OF AN ATOM 6 7

5 Activity 3: Sourcing Electricity Use the Sourcing Electricity PowerPoint slides to explain that electricity is created from the conversion of other sources of energy. The presentation can be used in conjunction with the Sourcing Electricity poster and corresponding flash cards to introduce pupils to renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. Detailed examples from each category are provided. Pupils are given a series of energy cards. Each card contains a picture, a description and key facts about an energy source. The challenge is to correctly sort the cards into renewable and non-renewable energy sources. A drag and click whiteboard activity provides an alternative means for volunteers to attempt the sorting process. Once a correct answer is reached pupils can re-sort their own cards and stick them into their workbooks for reference. Then divide the class into groups and assign one source of energy to each group. Using the available resources the groups should create a mind map of the benefits and limitations of that particular energy source. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 1 POWERPOINT SLIDES WITH WHITEBOARD ACTIVITY RENEWABLE AND N0N-RENEWABLE FLASH CARDS (X2) SOURCING ELECTRICITY CLASS POSTER ENERGY CARDS WORKSHEET 1 CREATING ELECTRICITY - INFORMATION CARDS 1 6 CREATING ELECTRICITY ANIMATIONS Activity 4: Creating Electricity The Creating Electricity section of the PowerPoint presentation is a pictorial story to explain, in simple terms, how electricity is created in a power station. Use the slides and animation on fossil fuels to explain: that most of the UK s electricity is produced by power stations that the majority of power stations use either fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal or nuclear power to generate electricity the process of manufacture Using the Creating Electricity worksheet, pupils can construct their own diagram of the process by sorting the various steps into the correct order. At the end of this task, volunteers can complete an interactive, drag and click whiteboard activity to consolidate learning in a fun way. An animated diagram can be used to demonstrate to pupils that carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. This increase in carbon dioxide concentrations is believed to be a major cause of climate change. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 1 POWERPOINT SLIDES WITH WHITEBOARD ACTIVITY CREATING ELECTRICITY WORKSHEET 2 FOSSIL FUELS INFORMATION CARD 1 FOSSIL FUELS ANIMATION HOW CLIMATE CHANGE WORKS ANIMATION Activity 5: wind power Use the Wind Power PowerPoint slides to explain how electricity is created on a wind farm. Questions are included within the slides to stimulate discussion and cement learning. Make a windmill This is a practical activity for children to make a windmill to examine how electricity can be generated by the wind. Once they have completed their windmills, they can go and find the windiest areas in the school grounds to reinforce how wind energy works. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 1 POWERPOINT SLIDES WIND POWER - INFORMATION CARD 2 MAKE your own WINDMILL WORKSHEET 3 Activity 6: Solar energy Use the Solar Energy part of the PowerPoint presentation to visually demonstrate the process of photovoltaics; producing electricity from solar power. Build a solar oven Pupils can engage in a practical activity to make a solar powered oven using a pizza box ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 1 POWERPOINT SLIDES SOLAR POWER - INFORMATION CARD 5 how to make A SOLAR OVEN WORKSHEET 4 Activity 7: Biomass energy The use of natural materials to produce electricity can be explored via the Biomass Energy section of the PowerPoint presentation. Make a potato or banana clock As a homework activity, pupils could be challenged to identify five products in their home that could be used to produce electricity. In groups, pupils then conduct a practical activity to demonstrate how energy can be generated from fruit and vegetables. Pupils create a circuit which will power a clock, using potatoes or bananas instead of a battery. The activity can be repeated with a range of fruit and vegetables. Pupils should predict and then record their results, concluding which they believe is the most effective source. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 1 POWERPOINT SLIDES BIOMASS INFORMATION CARD 4 MAKE A POTATO CLOCK WORKSHEET 5 KEY WORDS ENERGY, ELECTRICITY, ATOM, CONVERSION, RENEWABLE, NON- RENEWABLE, GENERATOR, FOSSIL FUELS, COAL, OIL, GAS, NUCLEAR, BIOMASS, WIND POWER, HYDRO- ELECTRICITY, SOLAR POWER, PHOTOVOLTAICS, CARBON DIOXIDE, EMISSIONS, CLIMATE CHANGE 8 9

6 THE ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 2 HOW DOES ELECTRICITY GET TO YOUR HOME AND HOW IS IT USED? RESOURCES TEACHER NOTES Science, Environmental Studies and Citizenship with links to English To understand how electricity gets to your school or house To identify what electricity is used for To understand that circuits are made up of components which are denoted by symbols To understand the way in which circuits are constructed to support all activities are clearly signposted. PowerPoint presentations, information cards, worksheets and animated diagrams can be found on the easy-tonavigate CD-Rom. Posters and flash cards have been provided as printed materials. This section reinforces the notion that energy is generated from a source; helps pupils understand how electricity, once it has been generated, is distributed and supplied; facilitates understanding of how electricity is our chief source of power; details activities that get children really thinking about the role it plays in our daily lives; provides revision materials to support circuits; involves children in a fun practical exercise that combines circuits and renewable energy to power a digital clock. Every time we switch on a light, boil the kettle or turn on the television, we take electricity for granted. Can you imagine life without it? Nearly every household in Britain is connected to the electricity supply grid. That s around 20 million homes using a third of all the electricity generated the other two thirds powers industry and commerce. Electricity from power stations is distributed at a high voltage (an electromotive force or push ) along wires found above the ground on pylons and overhead line poles, and also through cables found underground. Before electricity reaches our homes, schools and offices the high voltage is decreased in a substation to a lower voltage. Our homes are made up of many circuits. These circuits connect to each room in our house from outside, to make all of the electrical appliances work. The demand for electricity in large quantities is unlikely to fall, so Britain must move towards more sustainable ways of generation that will not pollute our environment. We can also play a vital role in minimising the potential impacts of climate change by using energy more efficiently. The most environmentally friendly energy is the energy we don t use. ACTIVITYPLANNERS There is a suite of suggested activities. You can select the ones you feel are best suited to your pupils and devise lesson plans accordingly. Activity 1: The Electricity Journey Introduce the topic of electricity generation through a whole class discussion. Pupils should recall that: Electricity is generated by converting other sources of energy Sources are classed as either renewable or non-renewable Most of our electricity is generated by converting fossil fuels in power stations or by nuclear power Use the PowerPoint presentation and The Energy Journey poster to demonstrate how electricity gets from a power station into our homes and schools. The PowerPoint slides contain illustrations / photographs / key facts, plus safety tips and questions for pupils to answer as individuals, in groups or as part of a whole class discussion. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 2 POWERPOINT SLIDES 3-16 THE ENERGY JOURNEY CLASS POSTER Activity 2: Electricity Mystery Divide the class into groups and give each group a set of Mystery Cards. The mystery cards are a combination of Picture Cards and Climate Cops clue cards. Pupils must stick the electricity journey picture cards into their workbooks in the correct order with the help of the information provided on the clue cards. They should then write a short description of the Electricity Journey in their own words. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 2 POWERPOINT SLIDES ELECTRICITY MYSTERY WORKSHEET

7 Activity 3: Articulate Electricity Pupils are challenged to write a list of 10 things in their home or school that use electricity. Pupil volunteers have 1 minute to describe as many of the words on their list to the rest of the class. Alternatively, they can describe the pictures provided on the Articulate Electricity worksheet. The rest of the pupils must guess the items they are describing. Capture the names of the correctly guessed items on the board and challenge pupils to spot if anyone suggests an item that is not powered by mains electricity. Invite all pupils to contribute to an ideas shower, by suggesting any extra items they have included on their lists. The activity is followed by a short discussion to reflect on the extent to which we rely on mains electricity in our daily lives. Can pupils imagine what life would be like without electricity? The discussion is an ideal opportunity to re-cap on the reality that fossil fuels could one day run out and that we must be responsible in our consumption of electricity. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 2 POWERPOINT SLIDES ARTICULATE ELECTRICITY WORKSHEET 7 Activity 5: Bringing Circuits to Life Drama activity - in small groups, pupils should create a human circuit. Each group can be allocated a different appliance e.g. fan, doorbell or radio or an item of their choice, and must replicate a working circuit for their particular appliance. The group must demonstrate the flow/ movement of electricity through their circuit, responding to the switch. A PowerPoint slide showing four different circuits can be used for reference but the execution can be left open to pupil imagination. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 2 POWERPOINT SLIDES Activity 6: Making Circuits In pairs or as individuals, pupils complete a range of progressively difficult circuit diagrams by drawing in the missing symbols on their worksheets. The most able students can be asked to draw and/or make a complete circuit for a different household item. The second worksheet introduces series and parallel circuits. Pupils are presented with a range of completed circuits and decide would they work? In small groups or as a whole class, discuss which of the circuits would actually work. For those that would not work, identify the reasons. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 2 POWERPOINT SLIDES MAKING CIRCUITS WORKSHEETS 8 AND 9 Activity 4: A Question of Circuits Use the PowerPoint slides as an introduction to a series of activities relating to circuits. These slides explain: What circuits are Their role in our homes and schools How the flow of electricity is controlled in a circuit Divide the class into teams for a quiz all about circuits. Areas covered include; Circuit diagrams Controlling circuits Light and sound through circuits Exploring series and parallel circuits The quiz uses a variety of techniques to thoroughly revise this topic. For example, pupils are challenged to identify a mystery circuit symbol by looking at just part of it, nominate a team member to answer three questions on a specialist subject, select the correct answers from four alternatives provided, test their spelling of related words and correctly identify definitions. The final activity is a True or False game. Pupils are shown a series of symbols and must vote as a group as to whether they are the conventional symbols used in circuit diagrams. Ask pupils to hold up a positive (+) card if they believe the symbol is correct and a negative (-) if they believe it is incorrect. The answers are provided so that pupils can mark their own or each others answers. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 2 POWERPOINT SLIDES WITH QUIZ CIRCUITS INFORMATION CARD 7 CIRCUITS CLASS POSTER WATT CAN RESIST? FLASH CARD Activity 7: Make a Lemon Battery In groups, pupils conduct a practical activity to experience an electrical charge generated by a lemon. They can also create a circuit which will power a clock, using lemons instead of a battery. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 2 POWERPOINT SLIDES CAN YOU FEEL ELECTRICITY? WORKSHEET 10 MAKE A LEMON BATTERY WORKSHEET 11 KEY WORDS SOURCE, GENERATE, POWER STATION, POWER LINES, CABLES, PYLON, TRANSFORMER, MAINS ELECTRICITY, CIRCUIT, SYMBOL, COMPONENT, CURRENT, BATTERY, BULB, BUZZER, MOTOR, SWITCH, ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR, ELECTRICAL INSULATOR, VOLT 12 13

8 THE ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 3 HOW TO USE ELECTRICITY SENSIBLY RESOURCES TEACHER NOTES Science, Geography, Citizenship and ESD with links to Maths, English and PSHE/PSD To reinforce that everyday appliances use electricity To help pupils understand that different appliances have different power ratings measured in Watts and Kilowatts and how these influence the energy used To encourage children to think about how they can save energy Why do we want to save electricity? How will we save electricity? How will we know we ve saved electricity? To recognise the different risks in different situations and then decide how to behave responsibly to support all activities are clearly signposted. PowerPoint presentations, information cards, worksheets, animated diagrams and video clip footage can be found on the easy-to-navigate CD-Rom. Posters and flash cards have been provided as printed materials. This section covers the importance of energy efficiency and safety. In terms of the topic of energy efficiency, it reinforces how much electricity we use; helps pupils understand how to reduce their usage of electricity and energy by being more energy efficient; stimulates thought and discussion around how our actions impact on the environment; encourages them to actively identify opportunities for their own involvement around their school and home. They will also learn the shocking truth about electricity and how to keep themselves safe through a selection of engaging activities. Climate change is a natural process and happens naturally over time, but we as humans have speeded up the climate change process and our environment is now unable to adapt to it. This may be because the Earth s atmosphere is warming up global warming. The result is more severe weather. We are already seeing increased droughts in many countries, with heavy rain and winds causing flooding and structural damage in others. This is a worldwide problem and unfortunately we cannot undo the damage that has been caused over the years, but we can do our bit to stop it from getting worse so quickly by being more environmentally friendly. Particularly during the last 50 years most countries in the world have been rapidly increasing the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal to heat and power our homes and schools and to power our businesses and transport. This has increased the amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere above the Earth s capacity to maintain a balance. We must learn how to reduce our usage of energy to help reduce the impact on the environment. We can do this by being more energy efficient; after all, the most environmentally friendly energy is the energy we don t use. There are many ways in which we can do this in our homes, schools, offices and factories. It is also important to be safe around electricity. Electricity can shock, burn and kill. If someone dies of an electric shock they have been electrocuted. As well as electricity, understanding gas safety can also save lives. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that can be produced from poorly maintained gas appliances, but you can t see it and you can t smell it. The materials for this section also provide tips on how to keep safe from gas including carbon monoxide. ACTIVITYPLANNERS There is a suite of suggested activities. You can select the ones you feel are best suited to your pupils and devise lesson plans accordingly. There are also three exciting games on that reinforce the important concepts of energy efficiency. These can be used as starters to lessons or as part of the plenary to recap on learning in an engaging way. BE ENERGY WISE Activity 1: Watt is Right? Introduce how the amount of electricity an appliance uses is measured in Watts and Kilowatts. The items that use a lot of electricity are the ones that heat up (such as kettles and electric heaters). The higher the wattage of an appliance, the more expensive it is to run depending on the length of time it is used. Distribute a copy of the Watt is Right? worksheet to all pupils. They have to cut out and place the items in ascending wattage order. More able students could also convert the Watts into Kilowatts. Class discussion: what appliances do they think need lots of power to make them work? How long do they use the different appliances every day? Capture the approximate number of hours suggested by the class for each item and input these into the hours column on slides 7 and 8. Power vs Energy Use the PowerPoint presentation to explain the difference between power and energy. Now that children understand that electrical energy is worked out by multiplying the power of the appliance (kw) by the number of hours it is used, you can complete the tables on slides 7 and 8 as a class. Alternatively, you can distribute a copy of the corresponding worksheet for pupils to complete individually. BE ENERGY WISE POWERPOINT SLIDES 3-10 WATT IS RIGHT? WORKSHEET 12 WORK-OUT THE ENERGY WORKSHEET 13 Activity 2: The Climate Cops Quiz Do this quiz as a whole class read out two statements and ask pupils to decide if they are connected. The quiz introduces the importance of energy efficiency. For example, is statement one the light is left on when there is no-one in the room, connected to energy is being wasted. It could also be delivered via the whiteboard, whereby pupils have to tick the statements that are true. A corresponding Climate Cops quiz sheet has also been supplied to allow for flexibility in technique. You may choose to carry out the activity as pair or group work, encouraging discussion of the subject amongst pupils. BE ENERGY WISE POWERPOINT SLIDES WITH QUIZ AND WHITEBOARD ACTIVITY CLIMATE COPS QUIZ sheet WORKSHEET

9 Activity 3: The Earth Needs You The most environmentally friendly energy is the energy we don t use. Have a class discussion on the importance of energy efficiency. Introduce three key concepts: 1. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions and therefore cut global warming 2. To save the Earth s non-renewable sources 3. To save money The Be Energy Wise PowerPoint presentation introduces these concepts. Other supporting resources include a Climate Change information card and animation which could be played via the whiteboard to explain how climate change works. Climate crime cards Then split the class into groups of three or four. Hand-out one climate crime card to each group Each card carries one climate crime and there are 10 different types of cards in total Each group has to work together to decide how best to get the class to guess their climate crime. They can use drama or charades for example BE ENERGY WISE POWERPOINT SLIDES THE EARTH NEEDS YOU CLASS POSTER CLIMATE CHANGE INFORMATION CARD 8 Activity 4: Energy Questionnaire HOW CLIMATE CHANGE WORKS ANIMATION CLIMATE CRIME CARDS WORKSHEET 15 Ask each child to complete the Energy Questionnaire which asks them how they may behave in certain energy situations e.g. I always turn the TV off properly and do not leave it on standby. Yes, No or Sometimes. In groups of four or five, ask children to go through their answers to discuss what would be the best course of action and why. Ask the groups to collate their data and to feedback to the whole class. Using PowerPoint slide 50, generate a graph on the class findings. How could the class be more energy efficient? BE ENERGY WISE POWERPOINT SLIDES ENERGY QUESTIONNAIRE WORKSHEET 16 Activity 5: Investigation Light Bulb Class discussion: how much power does one ordinary light bulb use? Does it use much energy? The aim is for children to understand that although light bulbs use less power compared to many other things that use electricity, we have lots of them and use them for extended periods of time in our homes and school. Homework activity links: Distribute a copy of the Investigation Light Bulb homework sheet to all pupils. Pupils have to search their home and count the number of lights in each room. With the help of their parents, they also calculate the number of hours the lights are used in each room each day and enter the data into their investigation table. Highlight that children must not touch the light bulbs as they get hot. How many hours were the lights on? How many light bulbs were energy saving light bulbs? Energy saving light bulbs use up to five times less electricity. Follow-up calculations see the children working out how many watt-hours and kilowatt-hours they could save at home each day if all the bulbs were replaced. Conclude the activity with how the savings add up as suggested by the Energy Saving Trust - These are highlighted in the PowerPoint presentation. BE ENERGY WISE POWERPOINT SLIDES INVESTIGATION LIGHT BULB WORKSHEET 17 Activity 6: What s on the Meter? What is an electricity meter? Open the question up to the class. Distribute a copy of the What s on the Meter? worksheet to all pupils. It carries a meter reading exercise that can be completed both in the home and at school. The mission: If pupils follow the top tips on The Earth Needs You poster, can they reduce their energy usage? Homework activity links: With the help of their parents, they record five meter readings just over a two week period. Highlight that children must not touch the meters. They can use these readings to create a graph and to conduct some follow-up calculations. How much electricity did they use in the whole of Week 1 (Reading 3 Reading 1)? How much did they use in Week 2? In which week was the most electricity used? What could be the reasons for this? How much did they use over the weekend (e.g. Reading 3 Reading 2)? How much did they use on the weekdays (e.g. Reading 2 Reading 1)? This activity can be repeated in schools using the school meter. The Friday readings can be taken just before home time or provided by the caretaker to support this pupil investigation. Comparisons or differences can then be drawn between the school and home. For example, do they think more or less electricity is used in school on a Saturday compared to a Wednesday? The same can be discussed for the home. What could be the reasons for this? Is there anything else they could do to be more energy efficient? BE ENERGY WISE POWERPOINT SLIDES WHAT S ON THE METER? WORKSHEET 18 THE EARTH NEEDS YOU CLASS POSTER 16 17

10 Activity 7: Be a Climate Cop Be a Climate Cop Use the Climate Cops PowerPoint presentation so that the children can meet the Climate Cop characters who are ordinary children seeking out ways to save energy and help the planet. The Climate Cops need a highly skilled force so this activity will set out to train and recruit pupils into the team. Split the class into groups and task them with identifying areas in the classroom where energy is being wasted. They feedback their findings to the class with suggestions on how it could be saved. This activity could be extended out to include the whole school. There is a supporting I m a Climate Cop worksheet where they can record their findings. Make your own draught detectors: They could make their own draught detectors to help them with their important work as outlined above. This could be as simple as some tissue paper on a stick. This will allow pupils to find all the places where heat is potentially escaping and therefore action can be taken to make it a more energy efficient area. Homework activity links: Once they have completed their school assessment, they should conduct the same exercise at home. To follow-up on their Climate Cop training and to ensure that as many of their recommendations on how to save energy are enforced, they could write one of the following: A letter for the Headteacher about how the school can be more energy efficient A letter for their parents about how they can all be more energy efficient at home An energy saving policy for their school and home BE ENERGY WISE POWERPOINT SLIDES THE CLIMATE COPS STORY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION I M A CLIMATE COP WORKSHEET 19 Activity 8: SPREAD THE WORD Use the Be Energy Wise PowerPoint presentation to reinforce the key concepts surrounding the importance of energy efficiency (of which helping the climate is an important part). There is also a short film on climate change on the CD-Rom that has been produced by DEFRA. Children are then tasked with developing one of the following: A suite of posters to remind everyone at home or at school of the different ways to be energy efficient A leaflet that communicates the top tips on energy efficiency and the reasons why it s important An article for a community newsletter that encourages people to take local action, for global effect All these ideas present a great opportunity to spread the word. Maybe you could talk to your local newspaper to get some of this very topical content published. The Be Energy Wise information card and The Earth Needs You poster can support this activity which together highlight all the ways that we can be a lot more energy efficient at home and at school. BE ENERGY WISE POWERPOINT SLIDES 28-45, 71 AND 72 THE EARTH NEEDS YOU CLASS POSTER BE ENERGY WISE INFORMATION CARD 9 DEFRA ON CLIMATE CHANGE VIDEO Activity 9: Call Energy Efficient House! Bingo Game To recap on learning in a fun way, distribute a bingo card to each pupil. The bingo cards carry lots of climate crimes. Pupils have to cross-out a row of four and call Energy Efficient House! to win. For the bingo caller, we have also provided a sheet of catchy bingo calls. For example, Using the tumble dryer on a sunny day, Climate Cops say absolutely no way! BE ENERGY WISE POWERPOINT SLIDES BINGO CARDS WORKSHEETS 20A 20D BINGO CALLER: SAYINGS SHEET WORKSHEET 21 KEY WORDS WATTS, KILOWATTS, POWER, ENERGY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, CARBON DIOXIDE, EMISSIONS, GLOBAL WARMING, CLIMATE CHANGE, GREENHOUSE EFFECT, ENVIRONMENTALLY FrienDLY, NON-RENEWABLE SOURCES SAFETY RULES! ELECTRICAL SAFETY Activity 1: House of Hazards Ask the class why they should never mess with electricity or an electrical appliance? Capture their answers. Ask volunteers to take part in a timed, whiteboard activity. They have to match the photographs of various electrical hazards with the correct description of what the photographs are showing. Following on from this, project each photograph again and ask children to make two columns in their workbook to record: (1) What does the photograph show? (2) Why is it dangerous? SAFETY RULES! POWERPOINT SLIDES WITH WHITEBOARD ACTIVITY 4-18 Activity 2: Risk or Risk Free? In pairs or groups, children should discuss what would be the most appropriate course of action to make the house of hazards (see activity above) into a safer place. To support this activity, there are three Risk or Risk Free? cards for the different electrical dangers. From these cards, children select which is the safest course of action. They share their findings with the rest of the class explaining the reasons for their choice. Children can then take what they have learnt from the lesson to create a safety rules poster. Alternatively, they can design a leaflet detailing how to be safe when using electricity in the home. The Safety Rules! information card can support this activity, especially with lower ability or younger children. SAFETY RULES! POWERPOINT SLIDES RISK OR RISK FREE? CARDS WORKSHEET 22 SAFETY RULES! INFORMATION CARD 10 HOUSE OF HAZARDS FLASH CARD 18 19

11 SAFETY RULES! GAS SAFETY Activity 3: Gas Work! It s not just electrical safety that children need to be aware of. Gas can also be very dangerous if it is not treated with care. If they can smell gas, do they know what they should tell an adult to do? Split the class into small groups. Each member of the group is a gas inspector. Hand out one Gas Work! card to every pupil. Each Gas Work! card carries an instruction of what you should tell an adult to do if you smell gas. The aim of the activity is to get the others in your group to guess what it says on your card by acting it out. SAFETY RULES! POWERPOINT SLIDES GAS WORK! CARDS WORKSHEET 23 SAFETY RULES! CARBON MONOXIDE SAFETY Activity 4: Where s the Smell? Ask the children if they know what gas is poisonous but you can t see it and you can t smell it. With it being a more difficult concept you could play a game of hangman to reveal the answer carbon monoxide. Share the top tips on how to keep safe from carbon monoxide that are detailed in the Safety Rules! PowerPoint document and information card. Children can then design a poster to promote carbon monoxide safety to others. SAFETY RULES! POWERPOINT SLIDES SAFETY RULES! INFORMATION CARD 10 KEY WORDS ELECTRICITY, ELECTRIC SHOCK, SOCKET, CHEMICALS, CARBON MONOXIDE, ELECTRICAL SAFETY, GAS SAFETY, HAZARDS, DANGEROUS, SAFETY RULES, PYLONS THE ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 4 THE WAY FORWARD PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE RESOURCES TEACHER NOTES Geography, Environmental Studies, Citizenship and ESD with links to English To reinforce key learning about renewable and non-renewable energy sources To research, talk and write about their opinions and explain their views on renewable sources versus non-renewable sources To recognise how people can improve the environment or damage it, and how decisions about places and environments affect the future quality of people s lives To recognise how and why people may seek to manage environments sustainably and to identify opportunities for their own involvement to support all activities are clearly signposted. PowerPoint presentations, information cards, worksheets and animated diagrams can be found on the easy-tonavigate CD-Rom. Posters and flash cards have been provided as printed materials. This section reinforces the importance of considering renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro, biomass and wind to generate electricity for our homes and schools; gives pupils an opportunity to express their opinions on the available energy options; provides activities that build their understanding of the factors that need to be considered when choosing suitable locations for renewable energy plants. It s important that we keep our Earth clean and green, but every day our atmosphere is polluted by all kinds of man-made materials. There is now clear evidence that global warming and climate change are a reality that will have damaging effects on sea levels, water supplies and current agricultural patterns, worldwide. There is little doubt that one of the causes of climate change is the emission of large volumes of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, created by burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal. Amongst other things, these fossil fuels are used to generate electricity and for transport. Even without concerns over global warming, these fuels are finite and will at some stage in the future become incapable of meeting the world s energy needs. The UK has an abundance of natural resources capable of generating sustainable electricity i.e. energy from fuel sources that will not run out including the best wind resource in Europe. By utilising the power of natural, renewable and sustainable energy resources, we can generate electricity cleanly, efficiently and cost-effectively. Currently, 4% of the UK s electricity is provided from renewable sources with the aim of achieving 10% by 2010 and 15% by The drive towards a low carbon economy in the future must also work in tandem with maintaining security of supply; after all, can you imagine life without electricity? In reality this means a balanced, diverse energy mix with no over-reliance on a single generation method

12 ACTIVITYPLANNERS There is a suite of suggested activities. You can select the ones you feel are best suited to your pupils and devise lesson plans accordingly. Activity 1: Energy Choices To introduce the topic of energy choices, run an ideas shower which asks children to share all their ideas on how we use power from the wind. These might include flying kites, drying washing on a washing line or a windmill. The ideas shower can lead into a class discussion about electricity and how it can be generated from the wind and other renewable sources. The class discussion can be based around the three questions outlined below: 1. What is renewable energy? What are fossil fuels? 2. Has anyone seen the different ways that electricity can be produced e.g. power station, biomass, solar, wind or hydro-electric? 3. Does your town or city have any renewable energy sites? You can visit to see if there s an npower renewable site in or near your town or city. The PowerPoint document provides slides with definitions and images to bring all the different technologies to life. research RENEWABLES Present the table that shows how the UK s electricity is currently generated. Highlight how only a small amount (4%) is currently provided from renewable sources. Therefore, it is important that we begin to use more of the natural, renewable and sustainable resources available to generate electricity cleanly, efficiently and cost-effectively. The UK needs a balanced energy mix so that we have a secure supply of electricity and it is affordable. Divide the class into groups of four or five and assign each group one of the following types of renewable energy: Solar/Sun Wind Hydro-electric Biomass To reinforce the energy terms in a way that will be more familiar to pupils, you could assign the groups a sign or personality e.g. sun, wind, water or fire sign. Explain to the groups that the purpose of the activity is to expand their knowledge of renewable energy by researching a particular technique in depth. They should compile their information and organise it into a short presentation that is about 5 minutes long. Groups should develop five questions based on the information they present that will serve as a class quiz. This will hold the class responsible for paying attention to the presentations. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 4 POWERPOINT SLIDES 3-24 RENEWABLE AND N0N-RENEWABLE FLASH CARDS (X2) SOURCING ELECTRICITY CLASS POSTER CREATING ELECTRICITY INFORMATION CARDS 2 5 KEY WORDS RENEWABLE ENERGY, SOLAR, WIND POWER, HYDRO-ELECTRIC, BIOMASS, FOSSIL FUELS, ENERGY MIX, ENVIRONMENTALIST Activity 2: Energy Projects Distribute the Energy Projects worksheet to each pupil. Using this worksheet, task them with finding the best sites for the following new renewable energy projects: Solar Wind Hydro-electric Biomass They should provide reasons for each choice. To allow for a follow-up class discussion, the picture of the area has been overlaid with a grid so that children can report back with the coordinates of where they have marked each site on their worksheet. Note: the Sourcing Electricity poster and series of Creating Electricity information cards can be used as additional reference material. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 4 POWERPOINT SLIDES ENERGY PROJECTS WORKSHEET 24 SOURCING ELECTRICITY CLASS POSTER CREATING ELECTRICITY INFORMATION CARDS 2-5 Activity 3: Planning Permission A new onshore wind farm is being proposed. Split the class into groups of five. Children use role-play to explore the different views that members of the community may hold. There are four role-play cards local councillor, farmer, environmentalist and a normal member of the local community. Distribute one role-play card to each member of the group. The role-play cards offer prompts to the pupils on how their assigned person may feel in that situation. The fifth member takes notes, questions the representatives and ultimately decides whether permission will be granted for a wind farm. After the activity each group reports back on the outcome of their planning meeting. The points for and against can be captured on the board after the activity has been completed. What was the overall consensus? ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 4 POWERPOINT SLIDES PLANNING PERMISSION: ROLE-PLAY CARDS WORKSHEET 25 WIND POWER INFORMATION CARD 2 Activity 4: Community Newsletter Ask pupils to design the front page of a community newsletter that explains why a wind farm is being built and the potential benefits for the area and for their lives. Ask them to consider how the newsletter will address the concerns of those members of the community who are against wind farms. The planning permission role-play cards can be used by the pupils to support this activity as it will allow all views of the community to be considered and addressed. ENERGY JOURNEY: PART 4 POWERPOINT SLIDES PLANNING PERMISSION: ROLE-PLAY CARDS WORKSHEET 25 WIND POWER INFORMATION CARD