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Energy House → Focus on Science
Energy Efficiency Learning Journey
Introduction
With around
one in three homes in Scotland estimated to be in fuel poverty (Energy Action Scotland website), meaning
v
that they cannot afford adequate heating for their home, creating homes which are more energy efficient and have
lower fuel bills is a real challenge for local authorities and governments. The Glasgow House is a project to create
desirable, energy efficient social housing to reduce fuel poverty. This project could be used to contextualise this
learning journey.
Scene setter – Your local authority wants to explore ways to reduce energy bills in new build social housing while still
having high specification attractive, affordable homes for people to rent. In small groups, your task as scientists is to
investigate a range of different ways to make a home more energy efficient and be able to present your findings and
possible options to the teams who will be designing and building the homes.
An overview planning sheet is shown on the next page which gives a plan for learning and teaching starting from the
experiences and outcomes. Learning intentions, success criteria and possible evidence which could be gathered to
assess learning are shown. The pages that follow the overview give examples of learning experiences which would
address the learning intentions. They illustrate opportunities for learners to develop knowledge and understanding,
concepts and skills and opportunities to apply these.
Sciences experiences and
outcomes
I can use my knowledge of the different ways in
which heat is transferred between hot and cold
objects and the thermal conductivity of materials
to improve energy efficiency in buildings or other
systems.
SCN 3-04a
Responsibility of all areas which
could be addressed in this learning
journey:
When I engage with others, I can make a relevant
contribution, encourage others to contribute and
acknowledge that they have the right to hold a
different opinion.
I can respond in ways appropriate to my role and
use contributions to reflect on, clarify or adapt
thinking. LIT 3-02a
Interdisciplinary learning planning
opportunities
An engineering challenge related to designing
sustainable, energy efficient homes for families
could be incorporated into planning for
interdisciplinary learning between departments.
Possible links
Technologies TCH 3-02a, TCH 3-14a
Social studies SOC 3-08a, SOC 3-14a
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Energy Efficiency Learning Journey
Experiences and
outcomes
I can use my knowledge of the
different ways in which heat is
transferred between hot and cold
objects and the thermal conductivity
of materials to improve energy
efficiency in buildings or other
systems.
SCN 3-04a
Learning intentions
Success criteria
Possible evidence
Understand that there are places in a
home where energy is unintentionally
transferred to the surrounding
environment
I can identify and explain examples
of how energy can be unintentionally
transferred in a house with reference
to my knowledge of energy transfers
A poster with a picture of a house
showing where energy is lost to the
surrounding environment, the
percentage loss at each location and
whether it is lost by conduction,
convection or radiation
Investigate the thermal conductivity
of a range of materials and
understand their use in limiting
energy transfer
I can investigate the thermal
conductivity of different materials and
report upon my findings
I can select appropriate materials to
limit the unintentional transfer of
energy based on the results of my
investigations
Presentation of test results in a
suitable form, for example, graphs or
tables
Written or oral explanations of what
the results show
Apply knowledge gained from
investigations to make
recommendations on how to improve
energy efficiency in a home
I can make recommendations for
designing a home that would reduce
energy lost to the surrounding
environment
Prior knowledge
Concepts of energy, including energy
transfer by heating, and temperature
would take a large number of
sessions to fully explore. The lesson
ideas in this example could be used
as part of a larger unit relating to
these concepts.
Materials on approaches to teaching
about these concepts can be found in
the STEM Central Glow group
(Energy: A Hot Topic ) and a
workshop relating to ideas on
teaching about energy transfers and
stores can be found on the LTS
website.
Plans for experiments that could be
carried out to determine what type of
material is best to increase energy
efficiency, i.e. to reduce unintentional
energy transfer to the surroundings
Recommendations on materials
which should be used
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Energy Efficiency Learning Journey
Learning experiences: Engage/explore
activities
Introduction
Engage lessons can help capture learners’ interest and help
them see the relevance of their learning. In sciences the engage
lessons should also get learners talking about science concepts.
This can lead to real reasons to explore. An initial session could
be spent getting learners to think about why energy efficiency is
such an important issue.
This engage lesson could lead into activities where the learners
find out more about where energy is used inefficiently in a home
and think about questions they would like to explore further.
Prior Knowledge
This learning journey would require learners to have prior
knowledge of different types of energy transfer by heating, i.e.
conduction, convection and radiation. Resources on teaching
and learning related to these concepts can be found in the
STEM Central Glow group.
Stimulus
This learning journey could be contextualised to a scenario.
Example of a scene setter – your local authority wants to explore
ways to reduce energy bills in new-build social housing while still
having high-specification, attractive, affordable homes for people
to rent. In small groups, your task as scientists is to investigate
a range of different ways to make a home more energy efficient
and be able to present your findings and possible options to the
teams who will be designing and building the homes.
Learning intention
Understand that there are places in a home where energy
is unintentionally transferred to the surrounding
environment.
Possible tasks
Videos such as the one on the Ellen MacArthur
foundation website and the statistics on the World o
meter website could be used to stimulate discussion on
why we should care about energy efficient housing. The
statistics on this website are mainly referenced but the
energy ones are not; learners could be asked to reflect
on why this might be.
In groups, learners could be asked to list the devices in
their house that use energy. They could then be asked
to consider categories these could be sorted into, for
example, personal items and items shared by the
household. How many hours do they estimate each item
is switched on for on a typical day in their house?
Learners could be given a table with figures on different
appliances and their energy usage or could use an
online calculator in class or for homework to calculate
figures.
This research could then be related to previous
knowledge of energy and energy transfers. Learners
could be given a picture of the inside of a house and
asked to think about where energy is lost to the
surrounding environment or used inefficiently and
annotate the pictures. They could make a list of their
initial top ten recommendations on how identified energy
inefficiency in the home could be reduced.
Groups of learners could then be given information and
pictures of the Glasgow House from the STEM Central
website to help them discuss the energy efficient
measures used in its design and asked to compare and
contrast these with their own ideas.
Resources
o Video on the big issues on the Ellen MacArthur
foundation website
o World o meters website
o Energy saving calculator website
o Eon energy’s interactive house
Information on the Glasgow House on the STEM
Central website
Possible evidence
A poster with a picture of a house showing where
energy is lost to the surrounding environment, the
percentage loss at each location and whether it is
lost by conduction, convection or radiation.
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Energy Efficiency Learning Journey
Learning experiences: Explore
Introduction
Explore activities give learners opportunities to
explore questions they have identified in the
engage stage and to develop concepts and
skills.
One of the factors that learners might identify as
a factor in ‘saving’ energy is insulation. They
could now be asked to investigate optimum ways
to insulate a house
Possible activities
Working in groups, learners will identify possible
places that energy can be transferred leading to
energy lost to the surrounding environment. They
should be encouraged to make use of the scientific
knowledge and terms that they gained when exploring
energy and energy transfers.
This task provides strong opportunities to plan
for interdisciplinary learning with the
technologies and geography departments.
Model houses (alternatively cardboard boxes could be
used) and a range of materials should be presented to
learners. Temperature sensors and data loggers could
be used if available and skills of analysing graphical
information developed. An initial session could be
given where learners test insulation in specific parts of
the house and try out ideas before isolating a variable
and collecting data.
An engineering challenge could be incorporated
into this planning that involves learners in
researching and designing a home for a young
family which is energy efficient, and reduces fuel
poverty. This could lead to the making of a
model.
Materials could be provided as a shop with associated
costs and a budget given. Additional challenge could
be added by asking learners to show results for
several locations in their house and to provide graphed
results making use of the temperature sensors and
data-logging equipment.
Learning intention
Learners could report back on their findings on the
thermal conductivity of the different materials explored.
Learners could select the most appropriate materials
for different places in the house, for example, floors,
walls and roofs, based on factors such as: cost,
insulating properties, fire resistance, etc. Learners
should justify their choices based upon negotiated
criteria and be asked to evidence their investigative
findings in a range of ways, for example, graphs from
temperature sensors.
Investigate the thermal conductivity of a range of
materials and understand their use in limiting
energy transfer.
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Resources
o Article on energy efficient bulbs from Do the
green thing blog
o Energy saving trust recommended products
o Website with interactive games on sustainable
housing
Possible evidence
o Presentation of test results in a suitable form,
for example, graphs or tables
o Written or oral explanations of what the results
show
Taking it further
In further sessions the learners could be
introduced to the carbon footprint involved in
materials through a resource such as my sust
house before being presented with the challenge
of keeping their house as warm as possible within
a budget.
o Energy and building design discussion activity
from the Physics ethics in education website
This could lead on to research for homework
where they learn from examples from elsewhere
such as the German ‘passive house’ building
standard.
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Energy Efficiency Learning Journey
Learning experiences: Elaborate
Introduction
Elaborate tasks allow learners to synthesise and apply new
knowledge. These tasks can be used to help give
opportunities for choice and challenge.
This task can be used to link learning with technologies.
Learners could consider the application of the knowledge
and skills they have gained in prior learning, to other ways
of reducing energy used in a house, taking into account
the needs of the occupants.
Through these activities, it is intended that the learners gain
understanding that the use of appliances which transfer
energy by heating (for example, cookers, irons, hairdryers,
kettles) have the highest energy consumption, making them
environmentally and financially expensive. This should lead
them to consider the financial and environmental cost of
heating homes, hence the importance of sustainable design
in the planning and building process.
Learning intentions
o Make predictions about which appliances in the home will
use the most energy.
o Understand that when we talk about ‘power’ we mean
energy used each second.
o Investigate and/or find out about power ratings (and
therefore energy use) of a range of household appliances,
using careful measurement and/or identifying appropriate
sources of information.
o Discuss and evaluate the results of the investigation.
Possible tasks/challenges
Learners could discuss appliances used in the home,
which ones they predict will use the most energy each
second (i.e. the highest power in watts) and attempt to
justify these predictions based on prior learning.
Learners could work in groups on a challenge or
series of challenges from the suggestions below:
o Explore how manufacturers ‘energy rate’
appliances; look at information on different home
appliances and group them into appliances which
tend to be most efficient, less efficient and least
efficient. Is there any commonality between the
appliances in each group?
o Use a plug-in mains power and energy monitor to
compare energy consumption of various
appliances over a measured period of time; this
might include traditional filament lamps and energy
saving lamps
o Prepare a home survey to record use of appliances
in the home: What is used and for how long? (This
could perhaps be used by a number of learners in
the class to give an opportunity for gathering a
significant amount of data which would then require
processing and evaluation)
o Research and consider advice which could be
offered on improving energy efficiency and
reducing energy consumption in terms of appliance
operation, and alternatives.
Website with information about energy ratings for
household appliances
Resources
Low power ‘energy saving’ lamps with a variety of
powers and shapes.
Filament lamps with a variety of powers
A variety of household appliances, for example,
hairdryer, toaster, computer, DVD player
Plug in mains power and energy monitor(s)
Possible evidence
If the lessons are constructed as co-operative
learning lessons, learners could undertake a task
in ‘expert groups’ with a brief to be able to report
back and teach others in the ‘home group’. This
could also involve a written report, web references,
results, conclusions and evaluation.
Taking it further
Examples of projects in Scotland could be
explored for homework to raise awareness of the
range of things that are being tried here and
elsewhere in the world, for example, the ground
source heat pump at Morgan Academy, passive
thermal solar heating of the swimming pool at St
John’s High School, the use of solar tubes to
increase light in buildings. In many cases
alternative energies are focused around heating
because this is so demanding in terms of energy
consumption.