TIDE - Enabling a connected curriculum 5

As part of our session, Tony Cassidy and I used EARTH HOUR as a context for exploring the idea of ENQUIRY as a participatory occasion...
We showed the EARTH HOUR video and explained how what had started off as a 'local' event became a GLOBAL one. Here's another EARTH HOUR video...


How could this event, which takes place on March 28th be used as a cross-curricular focus perhaps ?
It involves a simple act, and can be used for a range of curriculum subjects, and cross cutting themes such as Community Cohesion.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS AND THOUGHTS
  • Mapping the impact could be a useful exercise...
  • Also get involved with dothegreenthing.com
  • Do an energy audit around the school - perhaps using OWL energy monitors.
  • Thinking back to what life was like when there were power cuts in the 1970s – asking the teachers (the older ones anyway)
  • What about people who have to live their lives according to the sun even today ?
  • I have an OWL device to monitor energy usage – some local authorities are renting these devices to families so that they can see where savings can be made – there are also ‘smart’ meters going into some new houses...
  • How much difference can one flick of a finger make ? On what other occasions has the flick of a finger changed history ?
  • In English, write news reports and editorials on the success of Earth Hour 2009
  • Debates / Speeches: Can one person make a difference ?
  • Celebtrity endorsements - who would be appropriate ?
  • Compare with a minute's silence
  • How easy is it to get lots of people to do the same thing at the same time ?
  • Eco Clubs
  • Eco Schools
  • Act local, think global
  • Run alongside the Priory Green initiative: issues with global warming / climate change
  • Global Citizenship
  • Contact Local Authority for visitor from Sustainability team to talk
  • Ask parents, teachers and students to make a pledge to join in: perhaps related to the development of the school grounds and planting trees
Here were the delegate ENQUIRY QUESTIONS:

How could Earth hour be adapted ?

What other ways are there of saving electricity ?

What will you miss ?

Does it matter ?

What could you do instead ?

How much electricity does a lightbulb consume ?

Do we need electric lighting ?

What did people do before electric lighting ?

How did life change because of the lights being off ?

Does bulb manufacture cause pollution ?

How much electricity will our class save by doing this ?

How much energy is used to manufacture a bulb ?

What do you notice about the countries taking part ?

Have you heard of this before ?

Why would people choose to do this ?

How much energy does the average house use in 1 hour ?

What impact will it have on those who don’t turn off their lights ?

Why have people decided to do this ?

Will it make a difference ?

What do you know about light ?

Should we get our school partner in Bangladesh involved ?

Where in the world will this make the most difference ?

How many minutes / seconds are there in an hour ?

What could this do to help the world ?

What would students learn from this ?

Would it develop their understanding of interdependence ?

What would students understand about the impact of it ?

Do low energy bulbs save appreciable amounts of energy ?

How is electricity generated ?

How much electricity is used in one hour to light a house – compare the 28th of March with the 29th of March ?

What are the consequences of turning off the lights ?

How much electricity does a normal light bulb use in an hour ?

Who is Earth Hour for ?

Who would students think would benefit from ‘Earth Hour’ ?

How much electricity do other countries use ?

What could the possible positive or negative impacts be ?

What are the positive and negative impacts of electricity generation ?

How many lights do you have in your house ?

What contribution will you make ?

And here's the resulting WORDLE...



Wordle: Earth Hour Enquiry Questions

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