Explore

Explore
====Throughout the Explore stage you will be working through activities that are designed to challenge your ideas and understandings discussed during the Engage stage. You will be working through a series of experiments that will prompt you to ask questions and seek answers to those questions. ====

Learning Intention
====In this stage you are expected to explore and experience what energy is used for and what types of energy there are by developing questions and find the answers to these questions. You will also take place in experiments designed to challenge your understandings about water, wind and sun energy sources. ====

** Overall Objective for explore stage **
====You are required to create a podcast as a group of 3 on one of the three experiments that predicts what you think may happen during your chosen experiment. You are then required to create a gloster blog poster in your group that presents your finding from one of the three experiment using video, images and text. You will need to create your glogster poster on the same experiment you created your podcast on. ====

At the end of this stage you are expected to have completed the following tasks:

 * 1) ====Choose one of the three experiments as a focus. ====
 * 2) ====Create a podcast to predict what you think will happen ====
 * 3) ====As a group, do your experiment, making sure you are collecting resources to use in your glogster poster (film, photos and notes) ====
 * 4) ====Create a gloster poster that shares your findings. ====

**1. Wind Power Lesson **
===="Nowadays, the need for reliable sources of energy has a lot of people talking about wind power. Wind power is collected using wind turbines—tall pole structures with a machine at the top that looks like a very large fan. Instead of blowing air, however, turbines catch the air. When the wind blows, it makes the blades of the fan, called rotors, spin around, which moves the turbine on the inside and generates electricity. Basically, the wind does work on the turbine when it makes it spin. Work is an application of energy, which makes something move. The energy from the wind's work is taken by the turbine and converted into electricity for use in homes and cities" (Science Buddies,2012). ====

1. As a class we will brainstorm and discuss what we know about wind power, wind turbines and where we have seen them.
====2. The class will then split into groups of approximately 3 to plan, reherse and create a podcast. You podcast will be use as a tool to review your understanding so far and then use this knowledge to predict what you think will happen during your experiment. ==== ====2. The class with remain in our groups and begin the experiment. In this experiment you will develop and investigate wind turbine rotor designs to see which rotor produces the most energy at a certain wind speed. ==== ====3. Create individual roles within your team. Roles include: Team leader, material collector, results keeper (will need a pen and paper) and camera operator (you will need to be taking photos and videos of your progress and results) plus any other roles you may come up with. ==== ====4. [|Click on this link] to read what you are testing and follow the procedural text and create your wind turbine. ====

5. Record your results of which rotor produced the most energy.
====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. Create a Glogster poster showing your findings from your experiment using photos, text and video. Scroll down and click the Glogster in the Web 2.0 section ====



====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before you start recording your podcast, make sure you have written your script, clearly label who is speaking for each part and practice reading your podcast together. Remember, your podcast needs to be interesting for your peers to listen to and still sound professional. Check the rubric to make sure you’re including everything required. You can create your podcast using any sound recording device of your choice. For the example I have used Windows Sound Recorder. Once you have finishing recording you will need to upload your sound file onto the class Podbean account. This site can be found here. ====

====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before you begin creating your Glogster blog poster, you will need to create an account for your group. To create an account click here. Once you have created an account you will need to choose either a poster Glog or a wide Glog and drop and drag different items from the tool menu to start designing your Glog. Don’t forget to check the rubric to make sure you have everything you need included in your Glog and double check your spelling. ====

**<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Science: **

 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To improve and change science knowledge through the outcomes of new investigations and explorations ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For students to use everyday examples to illustrate the transforming and transferring of energy ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Create awareness of the connections between concepts related to energy and time ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Construction of a simple model, following teacher directions, that illustrates a scientific concept (wind turbine) ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Application of safe and ethical procedures in performing experiments, including responsible handling of standard equipment and materials ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Develop knowledge of the social impact of science (impact of energy in the home or school) ====

**<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mathematics: **

 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They measure as accurately as needed for the purpose of the activity and have an Awareness of the accuracy of measurement required and the appropriate tools and units (when creating a wind turbine) ====

**<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">English: **

 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Selection of vocabulary, text structures and visual features to effectively communicate ideas and information ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inclusion of appropriate visual images and information in print and electronic texts (during Glogster) ====

**<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Information Communication Technologies: **

 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Creation of files, saved in nominated locations, which demonstrate the use of ICT for learning ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use electronic tools and programs to organise and analyse data and information. ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Electronically create designs for the layout and solutions of information products that demonstrate their knowledge and skills ====

**<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Interpersonal Development: (During team investigations) **

 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Understanding of their own role in a task, as well as the roles of other team members ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Develop skills in shared understanding of tasks and team plans ====
 * ====<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Provide feedback to others and evaluate their own and teams performance ====