PROGRAMMA ERASMUS+ KA2 PARTENARIATI STRATEGICI – Settore Istruzione scolastica

Codice attività: 2015-1-IT02-KA201-014774

Project title: Science and Global Education beyond the barriers of learning difficulties

Authors: Antonio Franzese (IIS Aldini Valeriani Bologna) , Elisa Cavalli (IIS Aldini Valeriani Bologna)

Topic: Today we talk about carbon and Watt’s machine

Total estimated learning time: 3 h.30

Number of students: 24 students age 16-18 in international mixed groups (6 groups of 4 people, couples of the same nationalities)

Short Description: we will represent the carbon cycle with hands on activities using skein of wools of different colours and we will build the slider crank mechanism of the Watt’s steam machine using pieces of wood.

Aims

1) Understanding the carbon cycle which is one of the great bio-geo-chemical cycles present on earth. In this lesson, we will face the issues on how the industrial era and the introduction of Watt’s steam machine have affected the natural processes related to the carbon cycle 2) Strengthening foreign language competences

3) Promoting active citizenship

4) Promoting collaborative work

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

European Key competences: The European Commission works with EU countries to strengthen 'key competences' – knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will help learners find personal fulfilment and, later in life, find work and take part in society. These key competences include 'traditional' skills such as communication in one's

mother tongue, foreign languages , digital skills, literacy, and basic skills in maths and science, as well as horizontal skills such as learning to learn, social and civic responsibility, initiative and entrepreneurship, cultural awareness, and creativity. This lesson will focus on the following

1) learning to learn, it is related to learning, the ability to pursue and organise one's own learning, either individually or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities;

2) Communication in a foreign language:

Communication in foreign languages involves, in addition to the main skill dimensions of communication in the mother tongue, mediation and intercultural understanding. The level of proficiency depends on several factors and the capacity for listening, speaking, reading and writing

Important factors:

•Communicate in a respectful tone and manner •Listen actively and communicate effectively with others •Write clearly and accurately in a variety of contexts and formats •Listen and ask questions to understand other people’s viewpoints •Communicate issues in a timely manner •Be aware of and responsive to verbal and non-verbal communication styles •Recognize cultural differences in communication •Use effective cross-cultural communication skills.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outcomes

Knowledge: students learn what the carbon cycle is, what the main “carbon tanks”are (Athmosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere, Biosphere (animals), Biosphere (plants)), what a Watt’s steam machine is, how it works, why it was so important in the past and how it contributed to climate changes.

Application: -Students are able to apply their knowledge to find out natural processes that connect one natural tank to another by transferring carbon- Students are able to apply their knowledge to assemble a slider crank mechanism

Analysis: students are able to analyse the importance of different factors involved in climate changes and analyse different solutions.

Evaluation: students evaluate the impact of different sources of energy on climate changes

Affective learning outcomes: cooperate, respect each other, learn how to learn, work independently

Interacting in Heterogeneous Groups is particularly important in this lesson

Co-operating well with others requires:

● Empathy – taking the role of the other person and imagining the situation from his or her perspective. This leads to self-reflection, when, upon considering a wide range of opinions and beliefs, individuals recognize that what they take for granted in a situation is not necessarily shared by others.

● Effective management of emotions – being self-aware and able to interpret effectively one’s own underlying emotional and motivational states and those of others.

●The ability to present ideas and listen to those of others;

● Understanding of the dynamics of debate and following an agenda;

● The ability to construct tactical or sustainable alliances;

● The ability to negotiate; and

● The capacity to make decisions that allow for different shades of opinion.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Teaching-Learning activities

Introduce yourself to your peers 20 minutesPractice 5 minutes students Tutor is not available

Each student draw his/her hand on a piece of paper, inside the hand each student writes his/her name and on each finger each student writes something about himself/herself : for example

1) about his hobbies,

2) about his hometown

3) about his school

4) about one environmental problem he/she particularly cares about

Read Watch Listen 10 minutes students Tutor is available

Students hang the papers on the wall and turn around to read them, when the tutor says “stop” everybody tells about himself/herself to the nearest peer from other countries.

Creation of groups 5 minutes Tutor will do the work

The tutor creates mixed international groups and assigns roles. The tutor distributes cards (1, 2, 3, 4) to each country group, then people with the same numbers gather together. There have to be 6 different international groups with 24 students.

Roles must be assigned inside a group: in a group there can be

1) Voice moderator (we will be many people in the same room, the tone of voice must be kept low) plus time controller

2) Coordinator/ Chairperson/forum moderator

Coordinators take on leadership or chairperson roles by clarifying goals and objectives, helping to allocate roles, responsibilities and duties within the group.

3) Monitor Evaluator

The monitor evaluator will critically evaluate and analyse the proposals, ideas and contributions of others in the team. Monitor Evaluators carefully weigh up advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses of ideas and proposals and therefore are usually good decision makers.

4) Plant

The Plant is innovative and will suggest new and creative ways of problem solving within the team. 

THE CARBON CYCLE

Spaced learning first input 15 minutes

Listen 10-15 minutes Tutor

What is carbon cycle? Listen to the teachers and watch the slides.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 MINUTES BREAK During the break breathing activites.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spaced learning second input 15 minutes

Read and complete the sentences Students- Tutor is available

Students read and complete the slides of the power point

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 MINUTES BREAK During the break music walk

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spaced learning third input 20 minutes

Discuss+collaborate 20 minutes students Tutor is not available

Move the desks within the classroom to create five desk-islands. Theseislands will be the carbon “tanks”: Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere,Biosphere (animals), Biosphere (plants).- Write the name of each tank on paper and place it on the desks

Materials- Skeins of wool of different colours;- Skeins of thicker wool, red;- Scissors and scotch tape;- A4 white paper sheets;

Ask the students to think to some natural processes that connect one tank to another by transferring carbon. Each time they find a link, connect the two tanks with some wool thread and attach a sign that explains the reason of the link. Focus on the natural processes only, avoiding the links generated by human activity.For example:Processes that do not include the implication of living creatures (grey wool)Decomposition processes (green wool)Processes that involve living creatures (black wool)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Show + evaluate 20 minutesDiscuss 20 minutes students Tutor is available

Each group explains to the others the connections they have made, each group assesses the connections they have found.

Rubric for the assessment of the connections (1 evaluation grid per group)

Group number

Tank Number of links with carbon going out form each tank

Number of links with carbon going in in each tank

Atmosphere

Lithosphere

hydrosphere

Biosphere animals

Biosphere plants

There are at least 3 links with carbon going in and out form each tank - excellent

There are 2 links with carbon going in and out form each tank - good

There is 1 link with carbon going in and out form each tank - sufficient

There are less than one link per tank and/or the number of links going in and out are not in the same number- insufficient

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BREAK 30 MINUTES Italian coffee break

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

SLIDER CRANK MECHANISM

Warm-up – Brainstorming

Discuss 15minutes students Tutor LEADS THE DISCUSSION

1 a- Ask students if they know the meaning of ‘steam machine’. Ask them if they know why the steam machine is so important and discuss it.

When and where did the first industries arise and develop? Industries before 1769 were built near rivers to exploit water energy. Their operation was conditioned by the flow of rivers.

What happened in 1769? James Watt's ingenious intuition was to create a machine that transformed thermal energy into mechanical energy. He exploited the fuel he had in England at that time, that is, coal. The coal was extracted from mines and the miners worked in very difficult and dangerous conditions. The scientist James Watt invented the steam engine, which was a real and unique invention. Steam machine brought about important changes in English society. New factories were built and industrial towns developed near factories. Steam machines were powerful, so manual work was gradually replaced by machines.

1 b Explain how steam is made:

+ =

WATER HEAT WATER VAPOUR= STEAM

1 c -Ask students if they know the meaning of the verb ‘to slide’. 1 d- Make examples to help students get the meaning:

TUBE SLIDING DOORS A SLIDE TO SLIDE

1 e- Ask students to label the parts of the slider-crank mechanism below - Tell them there is an extra word in the box.

1- Crank 2- Nail 3- Connecting rod 4- Slider

How to make a slider-crank mechanism

MAKE 20 minutes students Tutor is available

Play the video below about how a slider-crank mechanism works. –

(Video IMG_0920.MOV ______) Point out that if you move the crank, then the slider will also move. Similarly, if you move the slider, the crank will move as well.

SLIDER CONNECTING ROD CRANK

MATERIALS: Wooden crank, wooden board, connecting rod (wooden strip), slider (wooden strip) screws, washers, bolts, wooden guide fixed to the wooden board.

ASSEMBLY OF THE DEVICE

First step: Let’s make the crank first. Place the washers on the bore on the wooden board. Then screw, through the crankshaft hole, a pin on the wooden board.

Second step: Now we need to connect the slider to the connecting rod. To do so, connect the two wooden strips along the longitudinal side with a bolt.

Third step: Connect the connecting rod to the crank using a screw.

Fourth step: Finally, set the slider between the slide guides. This will allow a linear movement only. Turn the wheel to make the mechanism work.

5 MINUTI – Feedback- Ask students if the activity was engaging and/or they had trouble with assembling the mechanism.

Applications of the slider-crank mechanism in Watt’s steam machine. Listen 15 minutes Tutor speaks

Below is a drawing of Watt’s steam engine. He patented it in 1781. We can see the slider-crank mechanism there as well. The picture shows how the steam engine works. The pressure steam that enters the cylinder makes the piston move. Then, when the steam leaves the cylinder, the piston returns to its original position. In addition, we can see the crankshaft mechanism that transforms the piston's translational motion into rotational motion of the flywheel connected to it. Watt’s steam engine was made to pump water into coal mines, but it could also be used to drive an operating machine: it turned the alternating piston motion into rotary motion. Steam engines brought about a scientific and technical cultural revolution: we refer to it as the Industrial Revolution. To produce steam to power machinery, coal was used.

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ilhgfy6DrcQ/U1_PXStpKdI/AAAAAAAAASA/M5_6vQXRKvk/s1600/Steam_engine_in_action.gif

Focus on: -Difference between a machine and mechanism - Slider crank mechanism in internal combustion engines

A workshop at the time of the Industrial Revolution

A mine at the time of the Industrial

Revolution

(image from https://commons.wikimedia.org)

Final reflection and test - 15 minutes

Discuss 15 minutes students tutor not available

QUESTIONS ANSWERS1 Insert the name of each slider crank mechanism

component next to each number

--------------------------------------

------------------------------

-----------------------------

-----------------------------

2 Which function does the slider crank mechanism perform in Watt’s machine?

3 A machine is a system made of stationary and ………… components where ……………. transformations occur. A mechanism transmits ……………. only but doesn’t transform energy.

4 A slider crank mechanism transforms alternate linear motion into rotating motion and vice versa

TRUE

FALSE5 Which component moves with alternate straight

motion in a slider crank mechanism?

SLIDER

CONNECTING ROD

ROD6 Plants use CO2 to make glucose TRUE

FALSE7 WHAT DO Many aquatic animals BUILD pulling

carbon from water?

8 Where can the largest store of carbon be found on earth?

9 Complete the sentence

Burning anything ……..more carbon into ……….— especially fossil fuels

10 Which is the process animals and plants do that releases CO2?