Tag Archives: # energy

Let’s buzz for STEM bees.

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Bu görselin boş bir alt özelliği var; dosya ismi: whatsapp-image-2021-04-30-at-21.02.05.jpeg

Serap Denizli/Cumhuriyet Primary School

Age Group: 9-11

Participating students: 50

In this application, we sought an answer to the question of how we can protect bees based on climate change, and we integrated nature-based solutions with the body environment. We had our activities done sequentially according to the 5E model.

Because of climate change, flowers bloom untimely, making it difficult for bees to make honey. In our survey with children, they found it appropriate to build a greenhouse based on what has been said before about climate change. Are we teaching students that we will protect flowers, bees and use renewable energy in this greenhouse construction? First, by looking at the map of our region, empty areas were determined and greenhouses were planned to be built in accordance with this area. Flowers that bees love will be planted in these greenhouses.It is aimed to make greenhouses in certain places in and outside the city and to protect these greenhouses from rain and extreme cold in winter and to provide nutrients to bees by protecting them from extreme heat in summer. . It will be thought about heating and cooling using only solar or wind power, without the use of fossil fuels.

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ARE WE ENERGY?

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Design of the project

“Are we energy?”

This is the first question we use to introduce our Project.

At Escola Mestre Gibert, teachers believe all knowledge is connected.
Thus, 4th level Primary School teachers have decide to plan an interdisciplinary Renewable Energy Project, where all subjects can be included. The name of the project will be “Human Activity is Energy”.

Critical thinking, cooperation, creativity and communication are our skills

To engage the children, we use inquire based-learning. We build the project while creating challenges that they will solve and answer along with adding achievements.

As a result, teachers create and launch a collaborative project, where students’ experiments prove that energy is everywhere. Consequently, all subjects can contribute to build meaningful and comprehensive energy learning.

In this way, through Arts, Physical Education and Music, children can experiment how to show and to play with their energy.

In subjects such as Science, Technology, English Language and First Language, students build knowledge about energy and its uses. The English Language is the vehicular language to transmit the result of the learning process.

Moreover, a father of a student whose task is related to Clean Energies, will come to deliver a speech as an expert.

The challenge of students’ teamwork is the study of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, doing an internet research. They use the DRIVE platform to organize their work and organize an exposition in class. In this activity, the peers assessment will be very important.

Project evaluation

As we mentioned before, co-evaluation among peers is very important in order to obtain a good assessment. Students have to participate actively in all the learning process and until the end. Children use rubrics to pay attention to peers’ exposition and to express their opinions.

The photos were taken and kindly provided by the author – Attribution CC-BY

Finally, the children will perform a choreography to conclude the project, playing with multi-colour satin ribbons. For the soundtrack, previously we will record children’s voices singing a song called “Energize”, especially composed for the final show.

The photos were taken and kindly provided by the author – Attribution CC-BY

The song’s message is about Energy Resources and Earth Planet Health. Children enjoy singing the song and are engaging with its message:

On the last day of the project, students and teachers will gather together for a manifestation with banners, all spread around the playground, shouting messages such as: “save the Planet”, “we must use sustainable energy”, “SOS, planet Earth needs us!!”.

To conclude, we are convinced the project will engage the children, because they will be the protagonists of their learning process.


The advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear Energy: The Chernobyl disaster-Never again!

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Author: Stella Magid-Podolsky, STEM teacher and educator in Israel

The activity took place between 20 February – 26 April 2020

The activity that I want to describe in this blog is called: “The advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear Energy:  The Chernobyl disaster-Never again!”. This is a long term activity which took place from the end of February till the 26th of April (the date when the Chernobyl disaster had occurred 34 years ago).

I did this activity with my 8th grade students during STEM lessons when my students began to learn the topic of alternative sources of Energy. The activity was divided into two parts. The first part of the activity took place at the school (that was before the Covid-19 outbreak). The second part of the activity began during the quarantine period, so it was held in the form of digital remote learning.

During the first part of the activity, 29 students were divided into 7 groups. Each group got an assignment to pick one alternative source for Electrical energy, conduct an inquiry about their chosen source and present their outcomes to their peers in the class. Most of the students picked Nuclear Energy and when I noticed that this topic interested many students and that many of them watched the HBO television miniseries “Chernobyl”, I decided to continue with the activity, focusing on the Chernobyl disaster.

I believe in the theory that if the teacher is interested in a specific topic, he or she will be more motivated to teach this topic in an interesting way and the process will also increase students’ interest and motivation for this topic.

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Tree Huggers vs Oil Cowboys Debate at St.Paul’s Missionary College, Malta

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What if a referendum had to take place in Malta about whether we should keep using fossil fossils as our main source of obtaining electrical energy or whether we should switch completely to renewables? Our society (class) is made up of 24 students who are divided into 5 groups. 2 lobby groups composed of 6 members each represent each side of the referendum’s options. The Oil Cowboy group represents the current local system making use of fossil fuels. The Tree Huggers group campaigns in favour of switching to renewable options. Joining our debate are 3 civilian groups with 4 students each. The members of society are our voters. One group of civilians known as “Electric-Malta employees” represents a group of people who are currently employed in the power stations and thus fear loss of their job due to the change. Another group is known as the “skeptics” who are skeptical of both parties, as they have found flaws with both proposals. The final group is called the “health and finance inspectors” that evaluates the changes in terms of health and finance. All groups are provided with age-appropriate literature, while being equipped with the knowledge covered throughout the topic part of Maltese syllabus related to climate change to help them build their arguments. Civilian groups draft questions for both lobby groups. Lobby groups are prepared to defend their point of view, as well as to provide reasonable arguments against the opposing group. The 80 minutes long debate is (in my opinion) very successful in terms of getting the boys to engage in a scientific debate having relevance to every day life.

Introductory speech by Tree Hugger team leader
Introductory speech by Oil Cowboy team leader
Health and Finance inspector raising some questions
As the debate gets heated!
A funny moment!

The primary reason for hosting the debate is to encourage students to experience science in potential real-life situation. Members of the general public nowadays have their say about several issues where society and science converge, such as abortion or the use of GMC. Thus, I think it is important for our students to experience an example of a situation within the context of their daily life that requires the application of scientific knowledge. Students are also encouraged to make use of the critical and creative thinking skills while promoting collaborative learning. Students are also going to practice their presentation and entrepreneurial skills. All the skills mentioned are 21st century skills, which are of ever-growing importance and should be developed in parallel with content learning.