Energy

After today’s input, we covered the importance of energy/renewable energy and the important role that it plays throughout day to day life. The main areas that we covered were:

• Sustainability
• Global Warming
• Fossil Fuel Dependency
• Global Dimming
• Fossil Fuel Alternatives

It is essential that going forward as a student teacher, we have a deep understanding of renewable energy and how it can be depicted in several different ways. The majority of the input was very practical and we covered various ways to create energy without using electricity. The learning outcome for today’s experiments would be; I can now create static energy through various experiments without using electricity.

Although the experiments were enjoyable, it is important to take into account the implications too. In one of the experiments, we used a fuse against wire wool which created fire. One of the fuse boxes was less powerful therefore it took longer to burn the wool however the other fuse box was a lot more powerful and when it met the wire, it became a ball of sparks almost instantly. As this was a controlled experiment, we knew how to deal with this however if the sparks had dropped or landed on clothes then this could have become dangerous. Most of the implications related to these experiments would be linked to health and safety therefore we would need to have alternatives depending on what age group these experiments were being delivered too.

Having studied this science area and completing several experiments regarding how energy can be created, it is clear that this is an area in which the Curriculum for Excellence are looking to see more of. It is very common to see numeracy, literacy and language lessons, however it is becoming apparent that many teachers are somewhat uneasy when it comes to delivering a science lesson due to their depth of knowledge. Maybe this is because there are implications along with health and safety fears however it is a significant area of learning that children must have. According to the Curriculum for Excellence, “science and the appliance of science are central to our economic future, and to our health and well-being as individuals and as a society” (CfE, 2016). This is why as future teachers it is essential to broaden our understanding of science become confident with the different ways it can be taught/delivered.

The above pictures display one of the experiments that were carried out during the input. The key idea was to identify that electric currents create magnetic fields. Using various objects, we had the ability to make a toy crane that uses an electromagnet to life metal objects. We had to make the electromagnet with a 6 V torch battery and many turns of thin wire around a large nail or iron/steel rod. When the switch was turned on, the nail or iron rod becomes temporarily magnetised therefore has the ability to lift the paperclips when held hovering over them. An implication of this experiment would be that if the wire is left connected to the battery for too long it will heat up very quickly and the battery will become flat almost immediately.

The teaching point of this experiment was to identify  that magnesium and electricity are very closely linked. The battery creates an electric field in the wire which in turn moves electrons and a current is produced. The current creates a magnetic field producing an electromagnet. When the current stops, the magnetic field increases and this phenomenon also works in reverse too. Moving a wire near a wire creates an electric field in the wire which in turn moves electrons. This is the principle by which electric generators produce electricity.

In relevance to the topic covered today, the appropriate CfE learning experience would be:

“Learners explore types, sources and uses of energy and develop their understanding of how energy is transferred and conserved. They consider the relevance of these concepts to everyday life. They explore the nature and sustainability of energy sources and discuss benefits and assess possible risks to form an informed view of responsible energy use.” (CfE, Energy & Sustainability)

References

http://(2016b) [Online]. Available: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/curriculumareas/sciences/index.asp [Accessed 15 Nov 2016]. (2016b)

http://LTS (2009) Sciences: Experiences and outcomes sciences experiences and outcomes [Online]. Available: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/sciences_experiences_outcomes_tcm4-539890.pdf [Accessed 15 Nov 2016].