Grants to help schools go green

E.ON understands the importance of sustainability and the reduction of carbon emission so they have developed E.ON SOURCE. This is a web resource and a fund that offers grants of up to £30,000 to community groups and not-for-profit organisations for sustainable energy projects in their buildings.

Three schools have been awarded grants so far:

• Ashlawn School and Science College, Rugby awarded £15,000 for a wind turbine
• Claremont School Tunbridge Wells, Awarded £10,000 for solar technology
• Sandwich Technology School, Sandwich, awarded £15,000 for a wind turbine

If your school would like to apply for a grant you just need to complete an application form and email it to source@eon-uk.com. If you have any queries about the fund you can also email source@eon-uk.com.

There is one further round of funding planned for this year. The deadline is Friday 21 December, so get your applications in now.

Work with your pupils to help them to understand the importance of energy by exploring the different ways it is used in their communities:

5–7s: Energy at home

7–11s: Our new school

Carbon offsetting is not a substitute for change

The Sustainable Development Commission believes that carbon offsetting should not be used as a substitute for making crucial changes to our lives. “Emissions trading is simply a framework. Immediate action must also be taken to ensure that low carbon technologies are developed and deployed, perverse incentives are eliminated, and that progress is made on starting the essential process of behavioural change.”

Carbon offsetting can help raise awareness and reduce the impact of people’s actions but it should not be viewed as a solution for climate change. The way that climate change must be tackled is to reduce the amount of carbon emissions.

Work with your pupils to show them ways in which changes can be made to save energy in the activities below:

5–7s: Save energy

7–11s: On the trail of the energy wasters

Finger jumping

Stand up, shake yourselves loose, have a bit of a wriggle. Now place the index finger of your right hand on your nose and the index finger of your left hand at the bottom of your right ear lobe. Now swap over so that your left hand index finger is on your nose and your right hand index finger is touching the bottom of your left ear. Everyone ok? Right, let’s speed it up!

Powered up

5–7s: Ask pupils how many things in their homes need switches to turn them on. Now ask them if they know what the switches do? Explain that when the switch is turned on it makes things work using electricity. Use the activity below to show your pupils how to make a simple electrical circuit.

5–7s: Shine a light!

7–11s: Ask your pupils if they can name different energy sources. Now ask them if they can explain the difference between renewable and non-renewable sources of energy and why this difference is important to our environment. Work with them to explore the importance of this issue using the Energy sources section and think about the advantages and disadvantages of some energy sources.

7–11s: Energy sources

England

The changes planned for the new curriculum in 2008, encourage pupils to become ‘global citizens’ and to understand climate change. There are many opportunities to lay the groundwork for this in Key Stage 1 and 2. Use the Sustainable Schools Development Programme units on ‘Choices’ and ‘Developing our school grounds’. The programme defines sustainable development as caring for oneself, each other (across cultures, distances and generations) and for the environment (near and far).

Scotland

In the new academic year 2007–8 work will begin on planning for the full adoption of A Curriculum for Excellence for young people aged 3–18. Guidance will be published during the autumn and winter of 2007–8. The new curriculum aims to ensure that children and young people acquire the full range of skills and abilities relevant to growing, living and working in the contemporary world; able to anticipate and deal with the changes and challenges they will face.

Wales

The new Foundation Phase covering the 3–7 age range will combine what is currently known as the Early Years and Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. During the academic year 2007–8 the pilot strategy will be extended to 3–7-year-olds in pilot schools and settings.

Did you know that...?

• One recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.
• Once an aluminium can has been recycled it can be part of a new can within six weeks.
• An aluminium can that is thrown away will still be an aluminium can 500 years from now.