Year 6 Energy Futures excursion 

On Monday and Tuesday of week 3, year 6 students visited the Toohey Forest Environmental Education Centre for an excursion on Energy Futures. The day focussed on one of the biggest challenges facing humans over the next 50 years – ENERGY!  

Students rotated through different energy focused activities and worked scientifically making predictions, conducting tests, recording data, and writing findings. The activities included: 

• Discovering electricity and exploring the concepts of conductivity and insulation, designing, constructing and testing series and parallel circuits composed of electrical components including light bulbs, switches, batteries, buzzers and resistors. 
• Working with model wind turbines by constructing their own turbine to conduct investigations relating to the design, construction and testing of the turbine’s performance. 
• The Green Energy Lab where learning was about a variety of renewable energies including hydro, wind and solar; and testing household appliances using energy data loggers (PowerMates) to assist students in learning about their own energy consumption and the financial and environmental benefits of behavioural change.  
  
  Students were challenged with thinking, and the learning enhanced concepts being taught and learned in the year 6 Inquiry unit: Smart Energy. Students also displayed wonderful behaviour and engaged learning too!