Grade 5 Get Eco-friendly

Grade 5 Hampstead students have just got back from a week in Wales, visiting the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT). Their current unit of inquiry focuses on energy so this trip provided the perfect opportunity to learn about sources of renewable energy including wind turbines and solar panels. The students even got to sleep in eco-cabins which were entirely powered by alternative technology. Each day was packed full with workshops, hikes, exploring and learning! On the wind workshop day, the group observed real wind turbines and inquired into their form and function. Acting as wind turbine company engineers under names such as the Wind Wizards, Golden NRG, The Blizzard Wizards, and Interwind, they then had the opportunity to build and test their own miniature turbines. Students experimented with different materials and the sizes and angles of their blades to increase the speed of their turbines. Remaining committed to the challenge and showing great thinking skills, many students were able to built turbines that generated impressive amounts of electricity. Student Leah commented: "We learned that to build a successful turbine you needed to have the correct materials, the right amount of blades, perfect balance of the hub, and teamwork." Teacher Alex Gordon said: “We learnt so much at CAT about alternative energy and how our actions can affect the environment.” Here are some of the students’ comments: "In the CO2 project we demonstrated the problem of global warming. We had to try to find solutions. My group found 6. One of them was composting. Another was recycling." Callum "I learnt that if you use an energy saving light bulb, not only do you save energy, but money as well." Elsa "I learnt that using public transport is better than driving all the time." Daphni "Some CO2 is good, but not too much." Lily M.