Conservation
Energy-saving pledge
Get committed to saving energy by making a pledge and taking action.
Grade
4
Duration
30 mins
Type
Group work
Overview
Students pledge to take on one energy-saving action and make their commitment known by creating posters to share with the class.
Instructions
What you'll need
- Chart paper and markers
- Masking tape
- Construction paper
- With one minute on the clock, students think of ways we use energy every day. Ask for some examples.
- Our energy comes from the world around us (the Earth and the Sun) which means that using energy can impact the environment. Get small groups working together to brainstorm ways we can reduce our impact on the environment by using less energy, and have them write their ideas on chart paper.
- Post the ideas up around the room. Choose a few examples and talk about the connection between the energy-saving action and the impact it would have.
- Students pick one energy-saving action that they can commit to for the next two weeks (or time frame of your choice) and design and decorate a poster with their personal pledges.
- Share pledges as a class and put the posters up in the classroom or hallway.
- Over the next two weeks, check in with your students and discuss their pledges, successes and challenges.
Modify or extend this activity
Extension
- Run a school-wide campaign challenging classes to save energy.
Curriculum Fit
Grade 4 Science
Content
- Energy has various forms
Curricular competencies
Questioning and predicting
- Demonstrate a sustained curiosity about a scientific topic
Evaluating
- Identify some simple environmental implications of theirs and others’ actions
Assessments
- Assess student participation during the brainstorm session.
- Assess student understanding of environmental implications of their actions through the energy-saving actions they commit to.
Teaching Notes
Ideas to save energy
- There are many ways your students can save energy. Here are some suggestions:
- Walk or bike to school.
- Pack a lunch using reusable containers.
- Carry a reusable water bottle and refill with tap water.
- Use both sides of the paper.
- Unplug chargers when their device is fully charged.
- Turn off lights when leaving a room.
- Take shorter showers.
- Turn off the tap after use.
- Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible.
- Turn off the light and use the sun shining through the window.
- Check out energy-saving tips for more ways to save energy
More activities from this unit
Grade 4
Group work
30 mins
