Search results

Listed under:  Science  >  Forces and energy  >  Energy use
Text

Sustainable classrooms

In this set of learning activities, students explore how the environmental impact of human development can be reduced in the context of their school’s use of energy and material resources. Students have the opportunity to make positive, practical and actionable changes at a school level. They engage in planning for greater ...

Downloadable

Water use activity

In this indoor or outdoor activity, students (working in small groups or as a class) listen to a story about how two people use water every day. They add water to two jugs (one for each character) which correspond to an amount read in the story. It is a great way to show how much water is used for everyday activities and ...

Text

Output of a Solar Cell

This activity invites students to measure the efficiency of solar cells as they convert sunlight to power. The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, assembly instructions, what to do and notice, an explanation for the underlying science of what students observe and suggestions for further activities.

Video

Comparing fuel consumption

Is it more fuel efficient to drive or fly between two places? Watch this clip and learn how to calculate the answer. What are the various factors that need to be taken into account? This video was made using the American measurement of gallons per hour, American firgures for the average number of passengers in a car and ...

Video

Catalyst: E-waste, recycling, and sustainability

What happens to electronic waste (e-waste)? Watch this clip about the physics of recycling to find out the way that useful materials are captured from waste at a local materials recovery facility. Presenter Tanya Ha investigates e-waste, the products it comes from, and the sustainability challenges it poses.

Video

Catalyst: Shining the light on a more sustainable globe

Artificial lighting methods have changed with the invention of new lighting technologies designed to be more energy efficient and to reduce the use of resources. Since electricity has been used as an energy source, incandescent and fluorescent globes and, more recently, light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been used in our ...

Video

Catalyst: Supercapacitors: new battery technology

Discover how nanotechnology is contributing to the creation of new, improved batteries that may soon be used in all our mobile phones and portable music devices - even in cars and trams. Catalyst's Tanya Ha looks at how traditional batteries produce electricity and how their efficiency may be increased by tiny devices known ...

Online

Home energy use

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions and sustainable energy use and are two of the major issues facing the world today. This project explores energy use in homes, and compares individual energy use with the class average and calculate and graph CO2 emissions.

Video

For the Juniors: Super-fast jet boats

Jet boats can go really fast. Instead of an outboard motor and propeller, jet boats have an inboard engine and they eject a jet of water out the rear of the boat. Watch this clip to see how they work.

Text

Energy efficiency in industry

Find out how industries can reduce their carbon footprints. This is an information sheet describing practices that can be used by industry to make energy use more efficient and thus reduce power bills as well as lowering greenhouse-gas emissions. A number of examples from the mining industry, such as the redesign of dragline ...

Text

Energy efficiency in homes

Find out how to save energy at home and reduce your carbon footprint. This fact sheet describes strategies that can be used in the home to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Online

Activity: energy saving devices

This is a web resource about the symbols used on appliances and devices to indicate energy saving and energy rating. It provides a teacher guide and a student activity that prompts the student to carry out internet searches for images using the search terms 'energy saving' and 'energy rating' and to compare the results ...

Online

Activity: energy then and now

This is a web resource about changes in energy use over time that provides a student activity and a detailed teacher guide. The activity requires the student to record the types and numbers of electrical appliances used at home, interview an older person about appliances they used when growing up and any alternatives used, ...

Online

Activity: don't waste energy poster

This is a web resource about conserving energy that provides a student activity accompanied by a teacher guide. The activity requires students to create a poster based on an energy saving tip. A student worksheet provides activity instructions, including a list of energy saving tips. The teacher guide suggests the posters ...

Online

Investigating key Australian fibre production practices in the cotton, timber and wool sectors

This is a unit of work about how cotton, timber and wool are produced, processed and brought to customers in Australia. It explores: where cotton, timber and wool comes from; past, present and future production systems; and a range of other related topics including land management, water management, waste management, revegetation, ...

Interactive

Waste and materials – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on waste and materials using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate ...

Online

Carbon is energy

We all use energy every day. Energy is available to us in many different forms - food, heat, electricity, petrol. But where does it all come from? This unit investigates the science of energy, renewable and non-renewable energy sources and how they can be sustained into the future. The unit includes PDF resources and video ...

Online

Activity: homework task - energy then and now

This is a web resource about changes in energy use over time that provides a student homework activity and a detailed teacher guide including questions for student discussion. The resource requires students to compare the electrical appliances currently used in their home with those used in the past. The activity encourages ...

Online

Activity: make an energy saving book

This is a web resource about conserving energy that provides a student activity accompanied by a teacher guide. The activity requires students to each design a one-page document exploring an idea for saving energy, and then to combine their documents to create a class energy saving booklet. A student worksheet provides ...

Online

Investigating Australian approaches to producing fish, seafood and meat

This is a unit of work about the Australian fish, seafood and meat industries. It has a particular focus on farming practices, processing methods and how food is brought to customers. The resource explores: where meat, seafood and fish come from; past, present and future farming and production systems; and a range of related ...