Over the past several weeks, the students in grade six have been researching resources that are used to produce electricity. They have learned how to differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources, and they have discovered the steps necessary to turn a resource (such as biomass) into current electricity that we can use to power lights, laptops, and refrigerators.
Students are also forming their own opinions about whether or not we should use a certain resource to generate electricity based on advantages and disadvantages. They are making important decisions, weighing issues such as environmental degradation, cost, pollution, efficiency, and feasibility. They are realizing that solar power might not work as well in cloudy regions, that wind and tidal power can harm birds and aquatic wildlife, and that coal is still popular because it is relatively inexpensive and widespread. As one student explained our reliance on coal in class today: "It doesn't cost much and we are kind of lazy."
We have also been practicing the important skill of creating a proper page of references when using books and websites for research. Finally, the students have been working hard to summarize and understand what they read so that they can put it into their own words when making their presentation. I am impressed by the improvement in their research and critical thinking skills!
Students are also forming their own opinions about whether or not we should use a certain resource to generate electricity based on advantages and disadvantages. They are making important decisions, weighing issues such as environmental degradation, cost, pollution, efficiency, and feasibility. They are realizing that solar power might not work as well in cloudy regions, that wind and tidal power can harm birds and aquatic wildlife, and that coal is still popular because it is relatively inexpensive and widespread. As one student explained our reliance on coal in class today: "It doesn't cost much and we are kind of lazy."
We have also been practicing the important skill of creating a proper page of references when using books and websites for research. Finally, the students have been working hard to summarize and understand what they read so that they can put it into their own words when making their presentation. I am impressed by the improvement in their research and critical thinking skills!
Charts, graphs, and diagrams are helping to the make the presentations more engaging and informative!