Activity details: In this activity students compare how energy is used in their current world to how it was used in the past. They interview an older person about their energy use when they were the age of your student. This person should be at least as old as their parents or as old as their grandparents if possible.
NB: This activity must comply with your school’s privacy policies. Modify the activity if you need to. You may wish for students to contribute verbal rather than written findings.
Key lessons and understandings of activity:
- Students use oral skills to interview and gather information about past energy needs and consumption.
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Year 3 History
- How the community has changed and remained the same over time and the role that people of diverse backgrounds have played in the development and character of the local community (ACHASSK063)
- Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms (ACHASSI061)
Year 3 English
- Understand that successful cooperation with others depends on shared use of social conventions, including turn-taking patterns, and forms of address that vary according to the degree of formality in social situations (ACELA1476)
Year 4 History
Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms (ACHASSI082)
Year 4 English
- Understand that social interactions influence the way people engage with ideas and respond to others for example when exploring and clarifying the ideas of others, summarising their own views and reporting them to a larger group (ACELA1488)
Year levels: 3 and 4
Indoor or outdoor activity: Indoor
Time required: 45 mins class time (plus a few days out of class time)
Learning areas addressed: History, English, Maths.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Familiarise students with interview techniques and recording answers. Engage students in a discussion around interview results following completion of the activity.
Resources required: Printed interview sheets.
Homework and extension opportunities: Parts of this activity can be set as homework.
Keywords: Energy, interview, history.
(Adapted from Sustainable Energy Authority Victoria)
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.