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Energy House → Focus on Science
Sustainable housing 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 create a proposal for sustainable homes for new build social housing
which would also be attractive and affordable homes for people to rent. In small groups, your task as geographers 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 of learning which could be
gathered 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.
Social studies experience and
outcomes
I can identify the possible consequences of an
environmental issue and make informed
suggestions about ways to manage the impact.
SOC 3-08a
Responsibility of all area(s) which
could be addressed as part of this
planned learning journey:
I can persuade, argue, evaluate, explore issues
or express an opinion using a clear line of
thought, relevant supporting detail and/or
evidence.
LIT 3-29a
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
Sciences SCN 3-04a
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Sustainable housing Learning Journey
Experiences and
outcomes
I can identify the possible
consequences of an
environmental issue and make
informed suggestions about ways
to manage the impact.
Learning intentions
Success criteria
Possible evidence
Know some of the possible
consequences of renewable and non
renewable energy production
I can discuss the possible
environmental impacts of renewable
and non renewable energy
production
Poster or table to show comparisons
between renewable and non
renewable forms of harnessing
energy
Analyse the impact of a selected
environmental issue e.g. flooding
linked with ‘wasting’ energy in the
home or school environment
I can select an environmental issue
related to energy production using
fossil fuels and give examples of
impacts
Podcast new report of the causes,
impacts and solutions of flooding for
a chosen case study
Compare and contrast national and
local solutions used to manage the
impact of an environmental issue
I can create an audit tool to find out
ways in which energy is being used
inefficiently in the home
Assess the audit tools groups create
SOC 3-08a
I can persuade, argue, evaluate,
explore issues or express an opinion
using a clear line of thought,
relevant supporting detail and/or
evidence.
I can create a product which makes
use of persuasive techniques to
suggest to people in the school how
they could use energy more
efficiently in the school
LIT 3-29a
Required knowledge
Learners will have had opportunities
to discuss the environmental impact
of human activity and suggest ways
in which we can live in a more
environmentally-responsible way.
Understand possible definitions of
‘sustainable housing’
Create a proposal for a sustainable
housing project
Through research and discussion I
can come to a definition of
‘Sustainable housing’
I can create a proposal for
sustainable housing for a particular
group of clients which draws upon
my research
I can explains parts of my proposal
Learners’ campaigns showing
examples of persuasive techniques
Oral explanations of what sustainable
housing means and suggestions as
to ways housing can become more
sustainable.
Proposals for sustainable housing
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Sustainable housing Learning Journey
Learning experiences: Engage/Explore
activities
Introduction
Engage activities should help learners to become mentally
engaged with the concepts and skills they are learning
about. Links should be made between previous learning
and new learning.
The aim of this lesson is for learners to gain a knowledge
of where the energy ‘used’ every day actually comes from.
In follow up lessons learners will also be given
opportunities to research and evaluate the advantages
and disadvantages of various methods of supply.
Stimulus
Photographs of different types of power station
Learning intention
Know some of the possible consequences of renewable
and non renewable energy production
Possible tasks
Reflection
Use a map, PowerPoint or similar to get learners
thinking about the different sources of power
generation that are in Scotland. After an initial
think-pair-share exercise learners can list what
they think these sources are and the percentage
they think each source might contribute to
Scotland’s energy mix.
Carousel method of working allows learners to revisit their original work with peer additions added.
Split into groups and give each group a
photograph of a different type of power station
(which harness energy from both renewable and
non-renewable power sources) and on a big piece
of paper ask them to record their ideas as to
anything they know about that power source e.g. if
coal, how it was formed, how much of Scotland’s
energy generates, possible environmental
consequences of that form of energy production.
Learners can then swap posters or computers and
using a different colour of pen or text to add in any
thoughts from their group.
In further sessions learners will research the
different types of energy production and some of
the environmental consequences of these. They
could consider possible impacts such as pollution,
climate change and sustainability. This will allow
learners to develop a more informed view. They
could create a poster or table to compare and
contrast their findings.
Possible evidence
Poster or table to show comparisons between
renewable and non renewable forms of harnessing
energy.
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Sustainable housing Learning Journey
Learning experiences:
Explore/Explain
Possible activities
Possible evidence
Fossil fuel power plants – consequences
Show learners a cartoon relating to the greenhouse
effect. Ask the learners to work in groups to create a
diagram to show what they already know about the
greenhouse effect. They could then think, pair and
share about which factors are involved in accelerating
the greenhouse effect. Through discussion the class
would come to an understanding of the impact of the
burning of fossil fuels on climate change.
Podcast news report of the causes, impacts and
solutions of flooding for a chosen case study
Introduction
During explore activities learners are given
opportunities to explore questions that they have
about an issue or problem and learn more about
concepts and skills. Explain activities allow them
to explain concepts they have been learning
about in a range of ways and to demonstrate
understanding.
The aim of this lesson is to allow learners to
begin to think about the possible consequences
of our need to produce more and more energy.
In further sessions they should be given
opportunities to research these possible
consequences to develop an informed
understanding.
Stimulus
Prior knowledge of ways in which energy is
produced and how fossil fuels are formed could
be elicited through discussion
Learning intention
Analyse the impact of a selected environmental
issue e.g. flooding linked with ‘wasting’ energy in
the home or school environment.
Reflection
o Which kinds of skills did we use in these tasks?
o How did we build upon what we already knew?
Create a mind map of the possible outcomes of
climate change, highlighting flooding as a major
geographical issue. Groups could then work with a
physical map of the world to identify possible areas
where flooding may occur. Then the learners could be
introduced
v to a case study such as Bangladesh to
examine the impact of flooding on the developing
world and relate this to energy ‘wastage’.
In another session learners could be given a stimulus
to discuss how their actions could impact positively at
a local or national level on climate change. A video
such as the Energy video on planet.com produced by
4 learning would be useful introduction to this
discussion.
o What are some of the problems and
consequences of energy production using fossil
fuels?
o What are some of the possible solutions that
are being explored?
Resources
This webpage below provides useful ideas
Channel 4 learning - Energy
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Sustainable housing Learning Journey
Learning experiences:
Explore/Explain
Managing impact
Introduction
The aim of this sequence of lessons would be to
allow learners to begin to think of the stages
involved in gathering information about a problem,
analysing that information and suggesting possible
solutions.
Stimulus
Use of a website such as the EON energy
interactive house
Saving Energy interactive web resource – EON
Interactive house
Learning intention
Compare and contrast national and local solutions
used to manage the impact of an environmental
issue.
Possible tasks/challenges
Where do we not use energy efficiently in our
school and home? Working in groups learners
could decide what they would need to do to carry
out an energy audit of their home. They could
research examples online or if there is not internet
access be given copies of surveys printed off
websites such as The energy saving trust’s
website
Groups could be set the task of creating an audit
or survey tool to find out about energy usage in the
home. They could also be asked to think of
imaginative ways to get their families to participate
and take an interest in this issue. Sources of
inspiration could include: websites such as EON
Energy’s Energy Fit programme,
Npower’s Wallace and Gromit Guide to Saving
Energy or similar.
Gather the results of the survey and analyse some
of the main ways in which energy is not used
efficiently in the home.
Challenge them to create a campaign for change?
Would there have to be different actions for
individuals and for the family as a whole?
Look at some of the strategies that are used by
local and national governments to impact on the
issue of energy usage. Ask the learners to
compare and contrast strategies used at local and
national level.
Possible evidence
•
•
Assess the audit tools groups create
Learners’ campaigns showing examples of
persuasive technique
Reflection
Create success criteria with the class to show the
different skills and tasks involved in this work and
what features a satisfactory, good and excellent
example of achieving these tasks or demonstrating
these skills would show. Use these success
criteria with the learners to help them reflect on
their own groups work and those of others and set
next steps based on these. Allow the learners’
time to implement the next steps.
There is a strong opportunity here to address an
aspect of responsibility of all.
Developing literacy
Learners could develop literacy skills through
looking at examples of persuasive techniques in
websites such as Energy Fit e.g. creating a sense
of being part of something and then using these
techniques in their own campaigns.
I can persuade, argue, evaluate, explore issues or
express an opinion using a clear line of thought,
relevant supporting detail and/or evidence.
LIT 3-29a
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Sustainable housing Learning Journey
Learning experiences: Elaborate
Researching sustainable housing
Introduction
Elaborate activities allow learners to deepen their
understanding of concepts perhaps through personal
research or following areas of interest. Learners could
now conduct individual research into sustainable housing.
Learners will collaborate to define ‘sustainable housing’
which gives them ownership of the term and the task.
Stimulus
Show the BBC class clip The City of Tomorrow:
Sustainable Housing in
Sweden as a starter for discussion.
EON Energy’s EnergyFit or equivalent programme.
Possible challenge
Possible evidence
Discuss how ‘wasting’ energy in the home could have
a lasting environmental impact in many parts of the
developing world. This could be related back to the
example of flooding in Bangladesh. The class could
then be introduced to how energy can be ‘wasted’ in
creating housing e.g. where materials come from,
amount of energy used to produce materials,
transporting materials over large distances.
Oral explanations of what sustainable housing
means and suggestions as to ways housing can
become more sustainable
Completing individual research learners could:
• decide on an appropriate definition of
‘sustainable housing’.
• Find out some of the ways in which housing
can be designed to be more sustainable
• Consider what we might learn from case
studies
• Identify things that we could learn from
practice elsewhere in Europe
Learning intention
My Sust house interactive game
Understand possible definitions of ‘sustainable housing’
Case studies on sustainable housing
Article on the German passive house building
standards
Reflection
Learners could be asked to reflect upon questions
such as:
Were all our definitions of sustainable housing the
same?
Why might there be variations?
What were some of the similar features of the case
studies?
Was there anything that was surprising or
interesting?
What can we learn from practice in other
countries?
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Energy House → Focus on Science
Sustainable housing Learning Journey
Learning experiences: Elaborate
Introduction
Learners could now be given a challenge which allows
them to apply some of the knowledge and skills they have
gained. They could be asked to design a suitable
sustainable housing or housing development based upon
set criteria
Stimulus
The Glasgow House can be used as a real-life example of
work that is being done to create sustainable housing
whilst also highlighting the need for it.
Video clips of other sustainable developments around the
world can also be shown.
Learning intention
Create a proposal, which draws upon research and
explains decisions.
Possible challenge
Learners could now be set the challenge of preparing
a proposal for a local authority who want to create new
homes for families which makes use of sustainable
building practices and minimises fuel bills. The
learners could be shown “The Glasgow House”
information as a guide and should be asked to draw
upon learning they have been doing in other
curriculum areas such as sciences and technologies.
The criteria to determine whether or not the
recommendations will be accepted should be based
upon:
• Likely benefit in terms of energy saving
• Likely cost and budget
• Environmental impact
• Likely support from and benefit to
locals/tenants
• Evidence of building upon ‘best practice’ from
case studies
The presentation could take many different forms
including a written proposal, a photo montage, a
podcast, video or even more creative ideas.
Possible evidence
The final presentation putting forward their
proposal could be peer assessed against agreed
success criteria
Reflection
Feedback from peers along with watching the
presentations of others will allow for critical
thinking as regards learners’ own work.
A housing association representative could be
invited into school to give learners insights into
some of the criteria that are considered for
housing. The representative could be asked to
give feedback to the learners on their proposals.
Interdisciplinary learning
This project would provide strong opportunities for
departments such as geography, sciences and
technologies to plan together for interdisciplinary
learning.
An engineering challenge could be incorporated
into this planning which challenges learners to
create a proposal for sustainable, energy efficient
housing which includes plans and models.