This week’s theme is all about energy. We looked at how long fossil fuels will last if our current consumption of them carries on and what kinds of sustainable energy there are. We also briefly covered how technology is advancing towards sustainable energy, in particular we looked at car manufacturers looking and electric and hydrogen cars. We also looked briefly at the different legislation and acts that are influencing Scotland’s move towards green and clean energy.
In the first workshop we did various experiments based on energy. We created short circuits to burn steel wool. We made magnets using nails and batteries, we looked at a hydro powered pulley system and categorising toes of energy sources and types. We also created dinosaur and squid hand puppets, we looked at static electricity using balloons and we also got to see our finished fossils from the previous week. We also looked at a solar powered Lego car. Almost all of these experiments would be practical to do in a classroom with the exception of the hydro and solar powered experiments. I think it would be unlikely that a school has such a piece of equipment but batteries and cables are easy to come by and usually come in electrical sets (I think). I would definitely use these experiments in a classroom as they are easy to set up and quite fun as well and I think that the children would enjoy them. here are some pictures and videos of the first workshop of the day.
In the second workshop were were debating on wind power and wind turbines. We started off by reading through the resources on moodle so as to compile a list of positives and negatives relating to wind power. Then we were numbered and split into smaller groups to create one big list of negatives and positives. After we had done this the class was split in two; one for and one against wind energy. Our group was for wind energy and that meant that we would start the debate. We had to come up with an opening statement and a starting point. Five people were to volunteer to speak in the debate and they would use their groups points to argue the opposing teams points. The for team won the debate as our arguments were more convincing and our thinking was clearer. This activity was really quite good, I was nervous at first as I don’t particularly enjoy speaking out in front of my peers. However I was the first to volunteer and the first in my group to speak out. I would definitely use this activity in a class as it is great for developing communication and debating skills. Here are some pictures of the positives and negatives that each group came up with.
