On Tuesday 19 June Whale Coast Conservation brought their educational road show, made possible by a grant from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, to Mt Pleasant Primary. Mr Hull, principal of the school, graciously hosted the event and welcomed the opportunity for his learners to be exposed to the message of sustainable use of energy.
Learners from the senior grades at Lukhanyo Primary in Zwelihle also attended the event.
The large and airy school hall provided the perfect location for the 10 different exhibits and the well-disciplined learners paid rapt attention to the stories about energy that were brought alive by the able ‘presenters’. The various exhibits explained the nature of energy; harnessing potential and kinetic energy; using the energy of movement to drive turbines; how to save energy in the home through more efficient lighting and cooking methods; how the sun, the wind and the waves can be used to generate electricity; saving energy in transport, and much more. The concepts were brought alive through storytelling, practical examples and toys. The different cars powered by an elastic, a mousetrap and a cool drink bottle filled with compressed air were especially effective in illustrating the concept of different forms of potential energy.
The consensus among educators and learners alike was that they came, they saw and they all took some knowledge away.