Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Using the Student Worksheet provided, students collect data about their school’s energy use. They will use their data to implement a new school energy reduction campaign or improve an existing one.

Learning goals for this activity include:

  • Collect data about all aspects of energy (electricity and gas) use and associated greenhouse gas emissions at the students’ school.
  • Identify opportunities for improving energy efficiency.
  • Demonstrate ability to work collaboratively and follow written instructions to complete activity.
  • Perform mathematical calculations to complete activity.
  • Communicate lessons from activity through art or literacy exercises.

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions:

Year 7 Science

  • Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions (ACSIS130)

Year 7 Mathematics

  • Investigate techniques for collecting data, including census, sampling and observation (ACMSP284)
  • Explore the practicalities and implications of obtaining data through sampling using a variety of investigative processes (ACSMP206)

Year 8 Science

  • Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions (ACSIS145)

Year 8 Mathematics

  • Investigate techniques for collecting data, including census, sampling and observation (ACMSP284)

Topic: Energy

Year levels: 7 and 8

Indoor or outdoor activity: Indoor

Time required: 45+ mins, this lesson may be extended over several lessons.

Learning areas addressed: Mathematics, Geography,

Level of teacher scaffolding: Assist students with design, implementation and analysis of audit, assist students with obtaining school bills and access to all rooms.

Resources required: Printed student worksheet or internet access, writing materials.

Homework and extension opportunities: This is a long activity and could be extended over several lessons, the final of which could be used to present findings and recommendations to the business whose energy use you are auditing.

Keywords: Energy, reduction, school audit.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher preparation

An audit can be used to monitor and improve the schools energy usage. If your school doesn't already have an energy reduction plan, an audit can be the start of a whole school movement to reduce energy. There are many environmental benefits, but also financial benefits for schools to reduce their energy consumption.

When it comes to energy reduction, schools have their own unique issues often due to how the school was built and is currently served with energy. Older schools can have large heating systems, which can only be controlled by turning them on or off. Furthermore, there are some energy usages that at first look wasteful but are a necessary part of running the school. For example, schools have lights on at night for security reasons as vandalism and even arson are a significant issues for education systems across Australia.

Safety

Students must not handle electrical equipment or be exposed to any electrically dangerous environments such as switchboards w

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Student Worksheet

School energy audit workbook

SCHOOL NAME:

START DATE:

FINISH DATE:

Starting your audit

Why do an energy audit?

By doing an energy audit you will be able to:

• Look at the energy uses at your school;
• Record the details of the energy used;
• Make some evaluations or judgments about the schools’ energy use; and
• Make some recommendations to the business about how to save energy and money.

Doing your audit

Start your audit by finding out the total amount of energy used at your school over one year. You can do this by examining the school’s energy bill. By using the school’s energy bill you can also work out the financial cost of this energy for the year (you can always just use a bill for a three-month period and then multiply it by four to get a yearly average).

Mark down your findings on the tables provided (Tables 1 and 2).

Looking at your schools' energy

Table 1. Electricity

Billing date Electricity consumption Electricity cost
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