Dodging Doomsday

What if we had no electricity?

… about the ways that electricity enriches our lives.

Managing Information

… to sort and classify information

Ask pupils if they remember a power cut. Discuss what it was like having no electricity. Get pupils to make a list of things that depend on electricity (including medical equipment) and then sort their list into groups of their own choice, for example, essential and non-essential uses. Hold a class discussion on the need for electricity.

• What was it like living without electricity?
• Imagine how your life would be different without it.
• Are there people who live without electricity today (possible stimulus picture /article of examples such as the Amish people)?

How do hospitals and computer companies cope with a major power failure?
Opportunity to assess Communication

Who discovered electricity and when? (Cultural Awareness)

… to understand the importance of technological innovations and scientific discoveries on life and work.

… about the life and work of famous scientists.

 …to locate sources of information.
Managing Information

Card ordering/matching activity

Give the pupils cards with different stages in the discovery and development of electricity. Include references to the historical development of electricity and its impact on the way we work, learn, play and communicate. Pupils use these to make a time-line of electricity. Alternatively, they could match them to cards containing dates.

Ask pupils to research the life and work of a famous scientist, who has helped us understand the potential of electricity or made a contribution to the study of electricity, for example, Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Coulomb, Thomas Edison or Michael Faraday.

Pupils and teachers agree the success criteria for this task beforehand.

Useful resource:
www.42explore.com/electric2.htm

How is electricity generated?

…how electricity is generated.
Being Creative

…to seek out questions to explore and problems to solve.

… Scientific Methods: planning for investigations, obtaining evidence, presenting and interpreting results.

Pupil challenge:

Construct a simple electric generator from a coil of wire, a bar magnet, a 4-inch steel nail, a plastic straw, and a microammeter/milliammeter and make enough electricity to register on this instrument. Pupils must explain how they got it to work.

Useful website:
www.eskimo.com/~billb/amateur/coilgen.html

Investigate which factors affect the production of electricity from an electric generator.

• What makes you have more/less electricity?
• Does changing the magnet have an effect?

If the Science Department have a model of a steam engine, this could be used to illustrate the energy transfers in a power station. (Steam engine » dynamo » light bulb).

Safety: Use solid fuel pellets and check pressure release valve is running freely.

Where does electricity come from?

… how electricity generation in NI power stations is dependent mainly on fossil fuels

… to ask focused questions to find out further information.
Managing Information

Plan a visit, show a video or use the internet to introduce pupils to the generation of electricity in power stations.

Invite a representative from a power plant to discuss how the company obtains its raw materials and produces electricity. Pupils prepare questions in advance and then agree on which questions they will ask on the day of the interview. You may find the Ideas Funnel Tool* useful for this activity.

Ask pupils to find out approximately how much coal power plants must burn to supply electricity to your home for one week.

…where the different types of power plants are located in UK

… to communicate with a sense of audience and purpose.
Managing Information

Pupils mark the names and locations of power plants in Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK on a map. Use a colour code or symbol for each type of power plant. Map locations of raw materials and direct energy purchased from other countries for use in the UK . Find out about the All-island Energy Market between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

How does the electricity get to my house?

Get pupils to demonstrate their understanding of the generation and supply of electricity in Northern Ireland by means of a mind-map, flow-diagram or a storyboard.

Could our electricity supply really run out?

… about reasons why we might not be able to generate electricity.

 … to sequence, order, classify and distinguish fact from opinion.
Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making

… that a limited supply of something (for example a non-renewable resource) increases the difficulty of obtaining it.

Give pupils cards with possible reasons why our electricity supply could run out. Ask them to rank the cards in order of the likelihood of each one occurring (while distinguishing fact from opinion).

Students brainstorm a list of reasons why it is important to conserve energy. Pupils participate in the Countdown of Resources activity (details at the end of the unit), which simulates the act of locating non-renewable resources and exposes students to the problems associated with increased usage over time. Record observations. Compare and contrast this activity with reality.

… about the lifetime of non-renewable energy sources.

…to interpret data about the lifetime of energy resources.

Pupils consider what might happen when fossil fuels run out and how we might make reserves last longer.

Pupils should interpret data about the lifetime of energy resources using websites such as the following:

The Fossil Fuel Depletion Crisis

Energy Production and Consumption

Opportunity to assess Using Mathematics

…to use a range of methods for collating, recording and representing information.
… to classify, compare and evaluate information.
Managing Information

After looking at each website, pupils answer the following questions:

• What is the general tone of the website?
• Give three of the main points made by each website.
• Who controls the website?
• Do pupils think that the message may be affected by those who are putting the information forward?

Emphasise the importance of looking at several sources of information before drawing conclusions.

When you look at websites, you need to think about who controls them and weigh up the information they provide carefully.

Class Debate

Use the information gained through this activity to inform a class debate on, ‘Should we worry about fossil fuels running out?’ Following the debate, the class draws up a list of recommendations about the use of fossil fuels.

Opportunity to assess Communication

How can we ensure we have electricity in the future?

…to experiment with different designs, actions and outcomes.
Being Creative

… Science Methods: planning for investigations; obtaining evidence; interpreting results.

Pupils make a pinwheel which acts as a simple turbine . It can be used to demonstrate how the movement of wind might turn a generator.

Safety: If using a hair drier as a wind source, ensure that it is kept on the cold setting and that it has passed PAT test.

Investigate the rate of work done by the pinwheel.

Measure the amount of time it takes for the pinwheel to reel up a 10 gm mass exactly 1 metre (or other suitable criteria). Technology and Design link

• Attach the pinwheel to the top of a pencil.
• Place the pencil horizontally in a suitable holder so that it can rotate.
• Tape some string to the pencil and attach the weight.

Challenge the pupils to find other methods of moving the turbine, for example, using running water.

Investigate the possibility of using fruit and vegetables to make electricity. Measure the pH of each ’battery’ and see if there is a relationship between the pH of the juice and the amount of electricity that is produced. Measure the voltage and current produced with a multi-meter.

• Good fruits to start with are oranges and lemons as they as acidic.
• Squeeze the fruit beforehand to release more juice from the tissue inside.
• Insert two strips of metal into the fruit, one of zinc and the other of copper. These should be 2-3 cm apart and should not touch inside the fruit.
• Use crocodile leads to connect the metal strips to the multimeter.

Safety: No eating of fruit or vegetables in the lab! No eating of the fruit or vegetables used in the investigation!

…about the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable sources of energy.
…to respect the views and opinions of others, reaching agreements using negotiation and compromise.
…to give and respond to feedback.
Working With Others

Divide the class into groups. Ask each group to research other methods of producing electricity (including nuclear energy) in terms of its economic, environmental and physical advantages and disadvantages. After the research is complete, each team presents an argument for its method of power production. Team members should represent the interests of business owners, families, environmentalists, and power company employees when presenting their arguments. They should also be prepared to discuss the health and safety concerns of each form of power production and the efficiency of the energy produced. When all presentations have been made, allow time for discussion of the various merits and flaws of each argument. Ask the class to vote on which source of power they will use.
Opportunity to assess Communication

Why should I care about how electricity is produced?

…to consider how our quality of life will change if our current rate of energy use continues.

If current fossil fuel usage continues, how will it affect us? Use a computer simulation programme (for example, SimEarth) to observe, analyse and assess the impact on our quality of life.
Link with Geography

Opportunity to assess ICT

How much electricity do I use?

… how to gather information in order to estimate the amount of energy they use.

Pupils conduct an energy audit to determine the average levels of energy consumption in their home/school/community.

Useful website:
'Being Energy Wise' Activity

Opportunity to assess Using Mathematics

… about ways of conserving energy at home, school, and in the community.

Pupils analyse the data from the survey to create a plan to reduce energy usage in the future. They could conduct a further survey to determine how often appliances such as television, computers, radios are used. Discuss and draw conclusions about the way we use energy in the home. Ask for suggestions on changes that could be made to conserve energy.

Opportunity to assess Using Mathematics

…about the energy consumption of appliances they use daily.

Pupils record all the power requirements for electrical appliances in their homes or schools. (Adult supervision required). Rank the appliances in terms of how much energy they use. How much power would you need to run all the appliances in your house simultaneously for one hour? How much would it cost to do this? Estimate how much electrical energy you use while watching television for an hour.
Useful website:
Energy Audit Recording Sheets

Opportunity to assess Using Mathematics

…about their personal impact on the environment.

…to justify opinions and conclusions.
Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making

Pupils estimate the amount of carbon dioxide gas produced as a result of electricity consumed in their household. Assume carbon dioxide (CO 2) gas emissions from production of electricity by coal-fired power stations are about one kilogram of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour of electricity used.

Opportunity to assess Using Mathematics

Decide what your own attitude is to solving world energy problems. What sort of society do you want? What impact will this kind of society have on the environment? What energy solutions will lead to that preferred society?

Create slogans and advertisements that you think will help to change people’s attitudes to help solve world energy problems.

What have I learned about my energy consumption now?

…to make links between cause and effect.
Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making

• What can an individual do?
• What can society do?

…to review learning.
Self Management

Ask pupils to highlight the areas that interested them most and explain why.

What skills have they developed through this topic?

Number of Chips Found in 30-second Period

Time Period

Number of Chips

• Demonstrate a range of practical skills in undertaking experiments, including the safe use of scientific equipment and appropriate mathematical calculations.
• Use investigative skills to explore scientific issues, solve problems and make informed decisions.
• Research and manage information effectively, using Mathematics and ICT where appropriate.
• Show deeper scientific understanding by thinking critically and flexibly, solving problems and making informed decisions, using Mathematics and ICT where appropriate.
• Demonstrate creativity and initiative when developing ideas and following them through.
• Work effectively with others.
• Demonstrate self-management by working systematically, persisting with tasks, evaluating and improving own performance.
• Communicate effectively in oral, visual, written, mathematical and ICT formats, showing clear awareness of audience and purpose.

Education for Sustainable Development

Cultural understanding

Economic awareness

Employability

Employability Strand
Key Concept - Work In The Local And Global Economy

Home Economics Strand
Key Concept - Independent Living