This weeks topic was energy. Similar to our first topic, which was diversity, energy is such a wide topic and I was a little unsure of what to think of it. The only memories I have of the topic were using circuits in school and if I’m honest, I found it quite boring.
We initially looked at learning some information about energy, including a definition from the Cambridge Dictionary which says energy is “the power from something such as electricity or oil that can do work” (Cambridge Dictionary, ND). We then moved on to look at how we have such a dependability on fossil fuels but we only have limited resources left. Business Standards (2015) estimates that we only have 50 years of oil left, 54 of gas and 110 of coal. That is really scary to think about because oil and gas could possibly run out within my lifetime and we are still heavily reliant on fossil fuels. However, we then moved on to learn about Biofuels which could eventually be an alternative to petrol and diesel.
There are two different types of Biofuels, Bioethanol and Biodiesel. Bioethanol is an alcohol based fuel made from fermenting sugar, maize or other cereals but only 5% of it can be added to petrol without adjustments. Engines also need to be altered to run at higher concentrations and to create it, large areas of farmland are needed which could be used for food production. Biodiesel is made by reacting different oils with alcohol. It can be mixed with regular diesel, and unlike Bioethanol, it can be used on its own and car engines don’t need to be modified.
Reflecting back after the lecture using Brookefields (1995) autobiographical lens, I found the information on biofuels really interesting as it was something I had never looked at before. I believe now that it should be a much bigger deal than it is and it should be more widely available.
I found this video and thought that this would be a really great resource to use in class to start the topic of energy. I’ve seen the Dr. Bionics videos used whilst on placement before and the pupils responded really well to them. They use simple language and cartoons so they’re very straight forward and easy to understand.
We then moved on to a workshop where we debated about wind power. We stared off in small groups researching the pros’s and con’s and then came together with another group to combine our answers. The class was then split and we had a debate for/against wind power.
Debating is a really good tool to consider for my future practice. It can help to develop certain skills, such as being collaborative or supportive, and can also build a community within the classroom. Debating allows an opportunity for children to work with others that they might not know that well but working with friends might also mean that they feel more comfortable and want to participate.
However, something that needs to be considered when debating is group size. As the groups got bigger, it meant more people could sit back and not participate. This happened to me on the day so I understand how easily it can happen. A way of trying to solve this problem is assigning everyone in the group a role so they have a job to do and can be held accountable to something.
Our task the following week was to create a car and make it move without touching it. Our section had a clear set of instructions to follow to create the car and then had limited resources to try and make it move ( rubber bands, balloons, paper). The other group had no instructions, a wide variety of resources available to create their car and had freedom to make the car look and move how they wanted.
I really enjoyed the workshop but trying to find something to make it move on its own was really frustrating as that was the only part with no instructions. Personally, I preferred working with instructions and having something to follow. I’m not a very “outside of the box” thinker so I struggled with coming up with a creative method of moving the car. However, I did find the environment very relaxed and found that if you encountered a problem, someone else in the room was able to help because we were all doing the same thing.
I do understand though that the structured method of following instructions won’t work well for everyone and that there are positives to allowing freedom and the opportunity to tinker with ideas and objects.
By relating to the UWS Graduate Attributes, I believe that this week’s input has helped me to become more knowledgable and influential. If I plan to teach the topic of energy, or any science topic, I need to be knowledgeable in the area and know what I’m talking about so that I can give the children the best possible education. I believe that I have become more influential because as a teacher, you will be a main viewpoint for many children and influence what their thoughts and opinions. If we can teach them to be more eco-friendly, this may inspire them and could overtime help our planet.
References
- Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San-Francisco: Jossey-Bass
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/energy
- https://www.business-standard.com/article/punditry/how-long-will-fossil-fuels-last-115092201397_1.html
- University of the West of Scotland (2018) UWS Graduate Attributes [Online] Available: https://www.uws.ac.uk/current-students/your-graduate-attributes/[Accessed: 19 November 2019]
