Resources: Candles, matches, a spoon and computers/tablets for research.
Core Handout (2): Pros and cons table for the children to complete about the industrial revolution.
Stretch Handout (3): Pros and cons table for the children to complete about the industrial revolution and space for them to answer the challenge question.
Enquiry Approach - Research
Using information from a variety of sources to answer scientific questions.
Enquiry Skill - Interpreting and communicating results
Using information, results and data to present findings, including oral and written explanations.
Ask the children to answer 2 questions related to the previous lesson: Identify 3 renewable energy sources and 3 non-renewable energy sources. What does net zero mean and when does the UK hope to achieve this?
Under adult supervision, the children should light a candle and place a metal spoon in the flame (hold the spoon at the very end) for 30 seconds. What do the children notice about what happens to the spoon?
Health and safety - do not hold the spoon in the flame for more than 30 seconds. Do not put your hands near the spoon. If the spoon becomes hot, put it down immediately. This is only one small candle - ask the children to imagine what Britain would have been like with thousands of factories burning many tons of coal each day.
Career Film: This is Jonathan Dodds. Jonathan works as a Technical Manager for National Nuclear Laboratory.
Expert Film: This is Jonathan Dodds. Jonathan works as a Technical Manager for National Nuclear Laboratory. Jonathan talks about how nuclear will help us reach net zero.
The children will observe the effects of combustion and imagine what Britain would have been like during the industrial revolution.
Does the impact of the industrial revolution out way the benefits? Using the handout, the children can research and record the pros and cons of the industrial revolution. Encourage them to think about different people’s viewpoints - from the past and the future.
Challenge Task: Ask the children to explain how the industrial revolution played a part in climate change.
Hold a class discussion. Ask the children to take on different roles to consider different viewpoints (for example; a factory owner, a factory worker, a child in 1800 or a child now).
Remember to record the temperature everyday and the rainfall once a week.
When fuels are burnt, a chemical reaction known as combustion takes place, which involves the combination of a fuel with oxygen from the air. During this process, energy is released in the form of heat and light. The byproducts of combustion depend on the type of fuel being burned.
For example, when burning petrol in a car engine, the petrol combines with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and small amounts of other gases, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO). When burning natural gas, which is composed primarily of methane (CH4), the combustion process produces CO2, H2O, and small amounts of other gases, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
The release of carbon dioxide during combustion is a major contributor to climate change, as carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere. The release of other gases, such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, can contribute to air pollution and have negative impacts on human health and the environment.
To mitigate the negative impacts of combustion, efforts are being made to reduce the amount of fuel burned and increase the efficiency of combustion processes. For example, using energy-efficient appliances and vehicles, improving the insulation of buildings, and increasing the use of renewable energy sources can all help to reduce the amount of fuel burned and the associated emissions. Additionally, efforts to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from combustion are being explored as a way to mitigate the impact of these emissions on the environment.