Green+technology

==Most of the material on this site would make great starters for discussions about the two new strands. If you do have a go, please record some of the questions you used to get your students talking so the rest of us can have something to support us.==

Biotechnololgy Learning Hub
This site has some great resources, there is a general link to it on the left.
 * February**

I have just seen their [|feature story] at the moment which is about using potato starch to make plates, but there is also a clip about using potato starch to make possum bait stations. There are short videos about how the process is handled, how the bait stations were designed (stakeholder changed his mind part way through and this is discussed), what the ingredients are, etc. There is even a unit plan for those of you interested in pursuing the concept with your students - it has a secondary focus but some of the resource links within it would be great for younger students to start discussions in the knowledge and nature strands. Their blurb... //Potatopak is an innovative New Zealand company that makes biodegradable products. This page describes why and how Potatopak use waste potato [|starch] to make disposable plates and trays. Potatopak makes disposable plates and trays from waste starch. These products are [|biodegradable][|sustainable]. In contrast, plastic disposable plates and containers are convenient and cheap, but they are not biodegradable and are made from limited petroleum stocks.// and Happy reading, Heather

Grand Challenges for Engineering
[|Introduction to the Grand Challenges for Engineering] This website resulted from a recent project involving engineers from over 40 countries getting together to think about the big issues of our future such as the vulnerability of our world or the sustainability of our future. There is information, discussions and videos about things such as engineering better medicines, carbon sequestering, providing energy from fusion, secure cyberspace, and the list goes on. Very good to introducution to technology for students, parents and teachers - to think about why we study technology and what are the real issues of our kids' futures. Have a quick look at this short [|video] "Game changers of the 21st century" to have a taster. This [|longer clip] explains the focus of the project in more detail - still only about 5 mins long.

Sustainability and technology
The [|STEP website] is an educational resource for key stages 3 and 4 which uses detailed examples of the way people use technology for sustainable development, in both industrialised and developing countries, enabling pupils to recognise the economic and environmental impacts of their own technology choices. Eight partners from four continents – in the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Peru, Kenya, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka – contributed the materials which are easily navigable by students, while teachers can also find a range of downloadable classroom resources. The [|website] contains a range of case studies drawn from around the world, focusing on practical, sustainable solutions to real problems. The project is ongoing, so more case studies will be added to the site at regular intervals.

=Big Foot=

by [|Michael Specter]
Here's a link to an article about climate change ... http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/25/080225fa_fact_specter This quote from the article should appeal to the technologists using this site //‘The trouble with you environmentalists is that you see a problem coming and you slam your foot on the brakes and try and steer away from the chasm. The problem is that it often doesn’t work. Maybe the thing to do is jam your foot on the pedal and see if you can just jump across.’ (Herman Kahn, Hudson Institute, 1978) At the time, I thought he was crazy, but as I get older I realize what he was talking about. The whole green movement in technology is in that space. It is an attempt to jump across the chasm. (John Elkington)//

No I'm not advertising GM, but these sites seemed to have some interesting material on them that would engage your students - well the male ones anyway. Here's a site that discusses the green technologies influencing the development of cars today //http://www.gm.com/experience/fuel_economy/news/2008/hybrids/plug_in_vue_011008.jsp//

This TV comercial was produced to promte ethanol derived fuel. Since then there has been a lot of controversy over this type of fuel, perhaps your students could have a think about it as a way of generating understanding of the Nature of Technology strand. media type="custom" key="2701415" Another GM site that might provide more information about biofuels for the discussion http://www.gm.com/experience/fuel_economy/e85/index.jsp?deep=where