Science at key stage 3 (Year 8)
Unit 8I: Heating and cooling
Section 14: b. How can we reduce energy waste?
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Objectives |
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- to frame a question that can be investigated
- to use preliminary work to decide what to measure and the range of measurements to be made
- to decide whether it is appropriate to use ICT for collecting data
- to decide how best to present the data and to draw conclusions from this
- to evaluate their conclusions
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Activities |
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Outcomes |
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Children: |
- Ask pupils to devise a way to compare the effectiveness of different insulation techniques, using a small lamp as a heating source in an 'energy house',
eg use dataloggers to produce on-screen graphs of heating or cooling. Help pupils to decide what factors to consider,
eg the starting temperature of the house and thickness, nature and positioning of insulation material.
- Encourage pupils to make some trial measurements and to consider how to present their data and draw conclusions. Ask pupils to evaluate their work and draw inferences for use in everyday contexts.
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- devise a plan in which they make fair comparisons
- collect and present data
- draw conclusions which they relate to practical, everyday situations
- evaluate conclusions by considering how good (valid) a model their house is
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Points to note |
- This activity may be done as a complete investigation. Home insulation usually prevents a combination of conduction, convection and radiation. Pupils may confuse the various processes and methods,
eg putting shiny foil on the wall behind a radiator reduces loss by reflection of radiation and, consequently, loss by conduction through the wall, even though the foil is a thermal conductor.
Safety
- teachers should check any heating set-up before use
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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of
activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by
moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
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