Hello Eve, come in and sit down ... Hows it going?
Fine thanks. Im looking forward to my teaching practice next week.
Good. Now youve got two classes, havent you - Year 3 and Year 6. Have you done your lesson plans?
Well, Ive decided to take the topic of renewable energy ... I havent done a lesson plan for Year six yet, but I thought Id base their lesson on an example of very simple technology. So Ive brought this diagram to show you ... I got it from the Internet.
Lets see ... A biogas plant ... So this is equipment for producing fuel from organic waste?
Yes. The smaller container on the left is where you put the waste youve collected ...
Right, and from there its piped into the larger tank?
Thats right. And thats slurry on the base of the larger tank.
Right ... and what exactly is slurry?
Its a mixture of organic waste and water.
So is that pipe at the bottom where the water comes in?
Yes it is ... As the slurry mixture digests it produces gas, and that rises to the top of the dome. Then when its needed it can be piped off for use as fuel in homes or factories. Its very simple.
I suppose theres some kind of safety valve to prevent pressure build-up?
Thats the overflow tank. That container on the right. As the slurry expands some of it flows into that, and then once some of the gas has been piped off, the slurry level goes down again and the overflow tank empties again.
I see. Well I think thats suitably simple for the age level its for. I look forward to seeing the whole lesson plan.
Thanks. And can I show you my ideas for the Year three lesson?
Of course. Lets look.
I thought Id introduce the topic by writing the word energy on the board, and reinforcing the spelling and the pronunciation. Then Ill do a little mime - you know, run on the spot or something - to convey the sense.
Id keep it brief at this stage ...
Yes, I will. Then Ill wipe the word off and write the question Where does energy come from?, and see what the pupils come up with.
Fine. Id suggest that you just brainstorm at this stage, and dont reject any of their suggestions.
Yes, thats what I was going to do ... Then Ive produced a set of simple statements, like Energy makes cars move along the road, and Energy makes our bodies grow. There are eight altogether.
Are you going to give them out as a handout? Or write them up on the board?
First, Ill put them on the board, and then Ill read them out loud. And Ill get the pupils to copy them out in their note books. Ill also ask them to think up one more similar statement by themselves, and add it to the list.
Good idea.
Eve: After that I thought Id vary things a bit by sticking some pictures up ... of things like the sunand plants and food, and petrol, and a running child. And Ill get the pupils to work out what order the pictures should come in, in terms of the energy chain.
Tutor: I think thats a very good idea. You could move the pictures around as the pupils give youdirections.
Eve: Yes, I think theyd enjoy that. And to finish off Ive made a gap-fill exercise to give out.
Theyll be doing that individually, and while theyre writing Ill walk round and check their work.
Tutor: Good ... And have you worked out the timing of all that? Itll probably take you right throughto the end of the...