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Generating
electricity around the world – a cross
curricular science project
linking with ASE’s Kilroot Power Station,
Carrickfergus and FG Wilson |
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School: Eden Primary School,
Carrickfergus |
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Fellow: Linda Hooke |
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Email: hookelinda@hotmail.com |
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Final report |
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I began work on my Gatsby Fellowship
project at the end of June 2002. I had just
completed a science based, cross-curricular
project on electricity with my year 6 class
and was planning an ambitious presentation/exhibition
of that project. I had invited representatives
from every organisation that involves itself
with education in our province i.e. our local
L.E.A., secondary and grammar teachers from
the area, our local interactive science exhibition
centre W5, the N. Ireland Business Education
Partnership, C.E.A, our curriculum examination
council and the two employees from our link
industry (F.G.Wilson’ Engineering).
I thought the exhibition would be an excellent
springboard for my Gatsby fellowship which
has the following as its two main aims: |
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to promote the use of
industry links in science teaching in
the primary school…. |
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to provide primary teachers with a
teaching resource that would enable
them to use my approach with their pupils. |
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The exhibition and presentation by my class
was very successful and received a great deal
of praise. I was particularly pleased with
the comment from the C.E.A. rep.
‘This
is exactly how we think the curriculum should
be – connected to the real world and
enjoyable.’ |
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A new, revised curriculum is
soon to be introduced to N. Ireland by C.E.A.
and I felt my cross-curricular Electricity
project was exactly what was being proposed.
With the blessing of the ‘Curriculum
Council’ I felt I had the ideal incentive
to persuade teachers to try my approach to
teaching and link with a local industry. |
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I then turned my attention
to our province’s Business Education
Partnership The Chief Executive had attended
the exhibition and I had requested an opportunity
to speak to the primary sub-committee that
I had heard about. This committee was set
up to look at the ways business links could
help primary teachers cover the curriculum.
I did a presentation at their next meeting,
showed a short film about an earlier industry
project and talked about the one I was currently
working on. My talk was received enthusiastically
and I was later asked to join this sub-committee. |
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I spent the next few months working on the
teaching materials I had planned to write
and trying to persuade some teachers to trial
my materials. I divided the project into four
parts and prepared a booklet on each. To encourage
teachers to use my ideas. I incorporated some
flexibility with the booklets. Each booklet
could be used independently or linked with
others so they could try the materials in
as small or large steps as they felt confident
in attempting. The four booklets are as follows:
Investigating Circuits- a classroom investigation
of batteries and small appliances followed
by a visit to a power station or wind farm
to show the application to real life. Generating
Electricity - a study of how electricity is
generated at power stations and wind farms
based on Michael Faraday’s discovery.
Energy - looking at how those methods of producing
electricity affect the environment and, finally,
The History of electricity in N. Ireland.
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I was fairly inexperienced
at this kind of writing and welcomed the opinions
and advice of my mentor. As the booklets were
completed I asked my colleagues and the teacher
who had agreed to trial my materials, for
their views on them. Their reaction was positive
and I found this most encouraging. |
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I had intended to have a
video made about the project which could be
used for in-service training but had not found
anyone to help me with this. I decided to
produce some raw footage that could be edited
by a professional into a respectable form.
I am about half way with this and am pleased
with what I have to date. |
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My present class have been
trialling my written materials and I have
revised them as I have gone along. I have
had some notable success with my project over
the past two years. The industry I have been
working with asked me to put in a joint application
for a Business Education award. We won our
category and the chief Executive of my LEA
personally congratulated us on this success.
I also won a gold award from my local Setnet
and the Royal Society gave me grants of £1300
last year and £1100 this year to carry
out my projects with my classes. Our Department
of Education additionally provided me with
£750 over the past two years to help
me complete my projects in connection with
Science Year. My own local Business Education
Partnership also gave me a grant of £500
to help me carry out my Fellowship project.
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I feel I have been successful
so far in achieving the aims I set out to
achieve in my fellowship year. The work I
have done will continue next year as I find
the best use of my materials. I hope that
the publicity I have gained both in the newspapers
and on the grapevine has promoted my work
and I have the opportunity through CEA to
influence the future curriculum for both K.S.2
and 3 |
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I have enjoyed my fellowship
year and would whole- heartedly recommend
it to others. I have greatly appreciated the
attention my work has received to date and
the encouragement that has been given. I feel
more confident as a teacher and have found
the companionship of my fellows and those
involved with Gatsby both stimulating and
supportive. |
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