Spring into Sustainability

Students are immersed in the beautiful surrounds of Nattai National Park to gain an understanding and appreciation for the natural environment. This is followed by a structured discussion in our unique classroom to determine some of the sustainability issues we are currently facing along with potential solutions and personal impact opportunities.

Lunch

Students have recess before activities and a lunch break between session 1 and session 2.

Students experiment with heat and solar energy by cooking a ‘Smore’ in a solar oven before breaking into small groups to design and build a wind turbine. They conduct fair tests to determine the most efficient blade design in converting wind energy into electrical energy.

Cost

$8 per student

Learning intentions

• We are learning to observe and appreciate the natural environment
• We are learning about sustainable practices
• We are learning to identify renewable and non-renewable energy sources
• We are learning how to conduct a fair test

Key syllabus outcomes and content

ST3-SCI-01 uses evidence to explain how scientific knowledge can be used to develop sustainable practices

ST3-PQU-01 poses questions to identify variables and conducts fair tests to gather data

ST3-DAT-01 interprets data to support explanations and arguments

ST3-DDT-01 uses design processes to create, evaluate and modify designed solutions

A fixed amount of usable matter makes up all the material on Earth

• Explain how recyclable, reusable, renewable, biodegradable and compostable materials enhance sustainability
• Recognise that in a fair test, an independent variable is changed, a dependent variable is measured, and controlled variables remain the same

Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed

• Identify renewable and non-renewable energy sources

Tier 2 and Tier 3 Vocabulary:

environment, sustainability, renewable, non-renewable, reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse, biodegradable, compostable, dependent, independent, controlled variable, pollution