Wind Farm ProjectInterdisciplinary project

Geography/Physics/PSE/SDS

Presented by Fiona Wilson PT Geography and Iain Morrison Teacher of Physics, Oban High School, Argyll and Bute

• Expand an existing project to work along side colleagues in SDS, in order to build in careers management skills.

• Identify the curriculum for excellence outcomes

• Plan and organise lessons • Invite relevant contributors from industry

and the community to help deliver the outcomes.

The Plan

Format

• The pupils then has seven lessons a week working on the project, 3 Physics, 3 Geography and 1 PSE for six weeks. These were normal lessons with some having input from appropriate experts.

• The PSE lessons were led by SDS and looked at skills the pupils had gained/ used in class lessons using star and buzz resources

Format

• Pilot class were given the day off timetable – Assembly with Heather Reid on climate

change (whole year group)– Team building skills with SDS– Input on renewable energy from Ali-energy– Team challenge on Global warming

Evaluation- one day too long, would split over two half days next time.

The plan

Who helped?• Heather Reid- launched the whole project with S1 by giving a

presentation on climate change; what are the causes and impacts both locally and at a global scale?

She then worked with the pilot class teaching them about the formation of winds and how to measure them. This involved pupils going around the playground and measuring wind direction and speed.

Who helped?• Jim Mather MSP- Scottish targets for renewable

energy• Gigha Community Wind Farm• Ali-energy- energy sources• Oban Planning- location of wind farms

• PSYBT- budgeting• Stem Ambassador- electrical measurement

SDS led the PSE input, in order to develop career management skills, both within the PSE lessons but also in the Geography and Physics lessons. This included;

• Personality quiz• Identifying skills• Working in teams• Storyboarding• Positive Attitude workshop

PSE Input

There was a general introduction to electricity.

• Electrical measurements• Power calculations• Factors affecting power output• Design and build a wind turbine

Physics Input

• Renewable and non-renewable energy• Climate change• Measuring winds • Advantages and disadvantages of wind farms• Wind farm location factors• Land use conflicts• Drawing sketch maps• GIS

Geography Input

• In your group• Produce a PowerPoint presentation, which is easy to understand and of

your own unique design to EXPLAIN;– How your group designed your generator to maximise power output.

• Strength of magnet• Coils of wire etc…

– The location of your wind farm• Sketch map with annotations• Highlight any conflicts• Size of site• How many Turbines?

• What skills has the group gained by completing this project on wind farms?

• Highlight your teams strengths and weaknesses• What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a team as

opposed to individually?

• Evaluation – Too ambitious, in terms of time and S1 ability

Final Challenge

Presentation

• Pupils presented their final challenge to an invited audience, of contributors and other VIPs

• We then evaluated the project with both pupils and staff.– Pupil evaluation forms completed– Teacher evaluation– Roll out revised project to S2

• Wind Turbine Project, Oban High School - Review Session 14 June 2010, carried out by SDS.

• The students, who participated in the project, gave feedback using the Coaching Cards model. The review section of this model has five stages: learning, how, changes, rewards and new goals.

• Working in their project teams, the students added their comments and ideas to flipchart sheets representing each of the five stages. Their feedback is summarised below.

What did the pupils think?

What did the pupils think?

• Learning: What did you learn during the project?• what an anemometer is• where you can put wind farms• about wind turbines and how they work• that I have more skills than I know• how to make a wind turbine• how big wind turbine blades should be• how to budget money• what you need to make a wind turbine• talking skills• about renewable energy• how to create electricity using wind• that you need lots of skills for lots of different things • how far apart wind turbines should be • that you need to work very hard to get everything done in time • how a wind turbine works • about renewable energies

What did the pupils think?• How: What did you do well during the project? • we had fun • we made the wind turbine well • we started the task as soon as it was given • we worked well together • we never gave up • we got the job done quickly in our groups • we worked together as a group and got through our work quicker • we listened well • making the wind turbine • we paid attention • we learned to cooperate in a group better • we learned important skills • teamwork • we worked together to produce our presentation • we listened well and never gave up• What do you need to work on?• our timekeeping skills • improving our confidence • timekeeping • saying more stuff

What did the pupils think?

• Changes: What would you change about the project? • different topic • different team • the type of magnet used in the turbine • different team (make it more fair) • use more pictures/animation in the presentation • different/more interesting topic • different groups (pick names out of a hat) • more time to make the turbine • slightly different topic more fun • make the turbine work better • do more stuff on the computer • make the wind turbine • more powerful more interesting stuff (because I found it boring) • more time on the wind turbine• not so much of a rush • longer time for the presentations • technicians should make the boxes quicker

What did the pupils think?

• Rewards: What did you like most about the project? • listening to music while making the model • chocolate • computing stuff • making the turbine • certificates • sweets • learning how to use GIS • presentations • I have more skills • sweets and chocolates • winding the wire • chocolates and jelly babies • having fun at lunchtime while making the model • building the turbine making the model (having a laugh listening to music

during lunch and period 4)

What did the pupils think?

• New Goals: What would you like to learn more about next? • computing work • a project with art and music • football skills • marine biology • more building • acting project • with biology and physics • how to draw maps better and more accurately • acting • a project with tech and drama • solar energy • football skills• a project with music and drama

What did the pupils think?

What did the teachers think?

• Encouraged independent learning• Increased pupil’s motivation• Experts showed pupils how their learning in

school was related to their career.• The interdisciplinary project came naturally was

not “contrived”• Challenges- getting pupils to manage their time.

Finding time to do team teaching.• Future Challenges- Timetabling issues, teaching

the topic concurrently.