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Green Schools

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  • 09-02-2019 4:54pm
    #1
    Moody_mona
    Registered Users Posts: 1,107 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,
    Looking for some activities for our "Energy" action day in Post Primary school, if anyone has any suggestions? Budget is minimal unfortunately.
    Thanks in advance!!


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    #2
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,130 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Not a Science teacher so not sure if this would be hard or easy to make...a bicycle with a dynamo connected to an LED bulb and one with a normal bulb to see which uses less pedal power (presuming the LED?).

    Soup (all made at the same time) from insulated containers...yum, from non-insulated, tepid and bleh...


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    #3
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,130 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Thought of another possibility. My Dad was a Science teacher and a great fan of the Leonard De Vries books, one of which had an experiment where you rigged up potatoes with (I think) zinc and brass and they powered a bulb.


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    #4
    r93kaey5p2izun
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,962 ✭✭✭r93kaey5p2izun


    Contact SEAI for Energy workshops. Or there's a guy does one called Pedal Power where the bike powers a smoothie maker - Paul D Finch I think his name is. Hold an energy themed quiz for one year group with small prizes.


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    #5
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    Do some maths if students use disposable plastic water bottles. In my own kid's class they would have thrown away about 3500 plastic bottles per year, For the whole school it's well over 50,000 bottles.

    Save energy and just encourage reusable bottles (metal is best).

    Also cuts down on refuse costs if you calculate the weight.

    We realised our computers were never shut down properly and ipad charging station was on 24/7. Stuck a timer plug on it and saved energy.


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    #6
    Moody_mona
    Registered Users Posts: 1,107 ✭✭✭Moody_mona


    Thanks so much folks, mocks and cba time so my head couldn't think clearly, some lovely and very doable ideas here, thank you!!


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    #7
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    Switch letters home to email rather than printing tonnes of paper.


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    #8
    mcgowak3
    Registered Users Posts: 17 ✭mcgowak3


    Hi Guys,

    These are some great ideas!

    I'm just new to Green Schools this year myself and I am a total newbie.

    I'm trying to create a long Term Plan to get a green Flag for our secondary school. Would anyone here be willing to share theirs so I can see if I'm on the right path or is there a resource like this online anywhere? I'd like to give it to the principal before the end of the year if possible I just don't want to give him one that is totally unrealistic and then leave myself with a lot to do!

    Thanks!


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    #9
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    A Few schools get local beekeepers in to give talks on providing pollen supplies.

    Leave a green area go fallow and plant flowers or a buddleia.
    Tomatoes or strawberries... saves importing them from Egypt or Spain.
    Peas are easy too.

    Drinking Waterfountain then ban single use plastic.


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    #10
    r93kaey5p2izun
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,962 ✭✭✭r93kaey5p2izun


    mcgowak3 wrote: »
    Hi Guys,

    These are some great ideas!

    I'm just new to Green Schools this year myself and I am a total newbie.

    I'm trying to create a long Term Plan to get a green Flag for our secondary school. Would anyone here be willing to share theirs so I can see if I'm on the right path or is there a resource like this online anywhere? I'd like to give it to the principal before the end of the year if possible I just don't want to give him one that is totally unrealistic and then leave myself with a lot to do!

    Thanks!

    All the resources are on their website under each theme, including case studies of what schools have done to get a particular flag and templates. Your first flag is Litter and Waste and it takes two years min to achieve. You have to set up a committee with students involved.

    You first need to assess how the situation is at present by conducting an environmental review and a survey of awareness. The review would include measuring how much of each type of waste your school is producing over a certain period (say 3 weeks) - easiest thing is to count how many of each bin type is being put out. Also do a map of litter black spots in the school/grounds. Your aim then is to reduce litter, reduce waste and raise awareness over the next two years.

    You will need to introduce recycling school wide if not already in place and see if there's any other avenues to reduce packaging. Try introduce composting. Monitor how many of each bin type is going out periodically. Look at having groups pick up litter on a rota if necessary. Participate in the National Spring Clean. For awareness you need a Green Code for your theme - a short and catchy slogan. Maybe hold a competition to choose one and then make posters to display around the building. You need cross curricular links so each subject needs to do something on the theme in class. You have to hold an Action Day on your theme too. There's a group that run an entertaining show for schools called Bin It who are good for 1st/2nd Years. Everyone in the school needs to be on board and know the green code.

    Then you need to repeat your environmental review to show a reduction in litter/waste, increased recycling, less litter etc. And redo survey to show improved awareness.


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