Practice Deep Dive - new exciting practices for the new ingenious database
 

Global energy and petrochemical company, Shell, the world leading vehicle and engine manufacturer, Volvo, and the Dutch youth and technology network, Jet-Net, have built on the success of existing inGenious practices and support tools to offer you fresh material for Pilot 3.

Presented at the inGenious 2013 Summer School in Barcelona and available from the end of September, these very diverse and stimulating tools, ranging from physics to robotics, bridge the knowledge pupils learn at school with its application in the world.  

The new material will be housed in a brand new practice database that enables the upload and collection of many more inGenious practices and provides an open view of the activities and resources that inGenious teachers use. Teachers across the European Union will be able to share experiences with each other and the STEM community through public ratings and comments. 

Learn more about the new material: 

Shell: It's all about Energy Part 2

Those who tested the successful ‘It’s All About Energy Part 1’ will be pleased to know that Shell has provided inGenious with a ‘Part 2’.

This interesting practice builds on the knowledge gained in Part 1 and continues the journey into the world of energy focusing on the following topics: 

• It's all about Electricity

• It's all about gas

• The relationship between energy, climate and CO2

The “It’s all about Energy” series seeks to address our world’s energy issue in a way that inspires, challenges, and is personal and in-depth.

Shell: Biofuels 

Shell’s Biofuels practice covers everything that a pre-university secondary education student needs to know about biofuels. 

Special attention is paid to topics known to interest pupils. For example: Are biofuels actually sustainable? What types of biofuels are there? How much biofuel is used in our country? Can you use deep-frying oil in the tank of your car? 

The answers to questions are either explained in the theoretical section of the 

practice or presented to students as topics for individual or group discussion. 

The objective of ‘Biofuels’ is to arouse students’ curiosity but also, more importantly, to teach them to think critically about what the media presents about biofuels.  Pupils who lack basic knowledge about biofuels, may tend to internalize misconceptions.  

If you’d like to swat up on biofuels ahead of testing this practice, sign in to the inGenious teacher community and listen to the recorded chat on biofuels with Shell’s expert, Ewald Breunesse. 

Volvo: Volvo Adventure

This competition, supported by the United Nations, World Scouts and Ozonaction, recognises work being done to benefit the environment by tomorrow’s decision-makers now aged 13-16.  Projects are judged and the best win an all-expenses paid trip to Goteborg, Sweden for the final. It is easy to enter and pupils have access to free education and support material to help them present their material. 

It is an adventure that offers young people the chance to make new friends from around the world and win international recognition. Watch a video of 2012 winners. 

Volvo: First Lego League 

The best way to summarize First LEGO League (FLL) is to say that it is the world’s largest robotics program for 9 to 16 year olds which is designed to get children excited about science and technology and teach them valuable employment and life skills. FLL, supported by Volvo, can be used in a classroom setting but is not solely designed for this purpose. Teams are composed of up to ten children with at least one adult coach who doesn’t need any technical experience. The children do the work! And the work is programming an autonomous robot (using the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® robot set) to score points and create an innovative solution to a problem as part of a project. 

The robot game, project, and FLL core values make up the FLL yearly challenge. Like any other organised “sport”, teams also fundraise, create a team identity, and go on field trips. There are over 20,000 FLL teams worldwide across 70 countries. 

“It’s a quite amazing thing to visit such a contest, because the teams are cheering like you were at a football game, only that it’s robots and engineering in the centre field.” said Sahlström Johan from Volvo on attending an FLL contest. 

Jet-Net: Ten Years of Inspiring Practices Leaflet

Active in the area of school-industry collaboration for over a decade, the Dutch youth and technology network, Jet-Net, is a powerful repository of learning in the field. For inGenious, Jet-Net has developed a fascinating, easy-to-use guide sharing the lessons they’ve learnt and offering suggestions for effective collaboration building. From ‘Science Markets’ and ‘Guest Lessons’ to ‘Teachers Days’ and parent communications, there is sound advice here for teachers and industry partners alike. 

Published: October 2013