Information for Teachers

fromconcrete2cookers is an exciting and timely game which encourages children to explore their school environment and spot ways of reducing the school’s carbon emissions. The players will make decisions based on knowledge gained in the course of the game and their available budget, which increases as they answer questions correctly. As a teacher, you will be able to register your class so they can explore the game together.

 
 
concrete2cookers provides a context for interdisciplinary learning involving curricular areas such as the sciences, social studies and the technologies.

Development of the four capacities in children and young people will be supported by this game (i.e. successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors). The game helps to successfully deliver, in an interdisciplinary way, the cross cutting themes of sustainability and citizenship. It can be used to support the purposes of learning in the sciences, and other curricular areas.


The educational materials provided below support the individual outcomes and experiences of Curriculum for Excellence. They are designed to stimulate further discussion in the classroom and inform planning.

The materials can be used to support the skilful use of varied learning and teaching strategies that are useful, for example in the sciences.

The sciences experiences and outcomes are designed to stimulate the interest and motivation of children and young people and to support staff in planning challenging, engaging and enjoyable learning and teaching activities.

 
 

concrete2cookers and the Curriculum for Excellence

This mind map explains how concrete2cookers links with Learning and Teaching Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence.

These materials are released under the Creative Commons "Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike" licence. You can change and adapt them provided that you state they originally came from www.concrete2cookers.org. You cannot make money from any adaptations of these materials and, if you make your derivative works publicly available you must do so using the same licence.
 
1.
Introduction:
What’s it all about?
This section looks at what we mean by carbon emissions: where they come from, when carbon is emitted, and what effects carbon emissions have on the environment. What are fossil fuels and how did the carbon get into the fossil fuels? You will also find out more about other greenhouse gases and what we mean by “the greenhouse effect.”
2.
Main sources of
carbon emissions
Most of our CO2 emissions come from burning anything that contains carbon: in transport, industry, buildings and power stations. Here you will learn about The Kyoto Protocol and what emission-reducing targets Scotland is setting.
3.
The school boiler
and fuels
Here you can find out how a boiler works, and about boiler efficiency. Can you help decide what size your school boiler should be? We also look at fuels, including wood. Can our bodies heat the school? Find out here!
4.
Lighting
How do lights produce light? How do “low-energy” light bulbs work? Find out about different types of lighting, and how your actions can help to reduce carbon emissions.
5.
Insulation
What is insulation? Here we look and how to slow down heat transfer to cut down on heating bills. What is insulation made from? Well, lots of things, from plastic to old newspapers, from sheep’s wool to recycled bottles. Find out too about “payback” and “embodied energy”, terms which apply to lots of energy-saving topics.
6.
Solar Energy
How would you like to make use of free energy from the sun? Find out how different types of solar panels work, and also at how to make use of the sun’s energy without solar panels.
7.
Wind Energy
Like the sun, the wind is free so let’s make the most of it! Find out how a wind turbine works and how much electricity turbines are likely to generate. See if you can work out the best position for a turbine… where will it generate the most electricity?
8.
I.T. Equipment
How can we reduce the amount of power to use on Information technology equipment? Here we look at different types of computers from tower PCs to low-energy laptops, and also how to save energy through our actions.
9.
Your Actions Count!
We all know about how important it is to switch off lights and close doors to keep the heat in, but here we look at other things we can do. Reduce, reuse, recycle, share, swap… there are lots of ways!
10.
Let's do it!
A range of classroom exercises and discussion topics relating to the games and supporting educational materials.
 

 
 

Eco-Schools
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) http://www.fee-international.org/en is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education.

FEE is the international umbrella organisation that co-ordinates the following programmes - Eco-Schools, Blue Flag Beaches, Green Key and LEAF. FEE has member organisations in 59 countries worldwide.

In the UK, there are separate Eco-School organisations operating in Scotland  http://www.ecoschoolsscotland.org/, England http://www.eco-schools.org.uk/ , Wales http://www.eco-schoolswales.org/ and Northern Ireland http://www.tidynorthernireland.org/eco-schools/ .

In Scotland, the Eco-Schools programme is run and managed by the environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful. Eco-Schools Scotland provides advice, support, resources and training about the programme to all kinds of educational establishments – nursery, primary, secondary and special needs schools. The programme is funded in Scotland by the Scottish Government.
By use of the Piper model PIPER aims to build on school, home and community cohesion by providing resources which inspire, encourage, support and provide training for pupils, parents, and community groups.

Piper can play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions by providing innovative educational resources and incentives for homes and the wider community by means of DVDs, newsletters, competitions/prizes, interactive web sites, environmental audits and community actions and by the development of sustainable initiatives within a defined geographical area.

PIPER aims to raise awareness of and provide educational resources, equipment and practical advice on reducing carbon emissions and the development of sustainable initiatives within schools, home and communities; To provide inspiration, motivation, support and training to newly established groups.

It is an excellent resource for schoolchildren, parents and teachers, with many links to other websites.

 From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

 

The Energy Savings Trust is a non-profit organisation that provides free impartial advice tailored to suit you. Their advice can help you save money and fight climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from your home.
STEMNET (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Network) can help teachers inspire students in these subjects by: helping to identify and access Enhancement & Enrichment activities which can benefit the school curriculum; providing STEM Ambassadors (a free resource of volunteers) who can inspire and educate young learners about STEM in many ways; providing links with local businesses; and supporting STEM Clubs. Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) provides advice, support, resources and staff development to the education community, creating a culture of innovation, ambition and excellence throughout Scottish education.