CoGS Counting on a Greener Scotland A LEARNING RESOURCE FOR TUTORS WEATHER AND CLIMATE, CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY AND RENEWABLES, NUMERACY SUPPORT, PLACES TO VISIT COGS - Counting on a Greener Scotland A LEARNING RESOURCE FOR TUTORS (JUNE 2012) Authors: Heather Reid, Alison Mclachlan Funded by Education Scotland. ISBN: 978 0 902303 75 1 Published by the Workers’ Educational Association, Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2PG. The Workers’ Educational Association is a charity registered in England and Wales (number 1112775) and in Scotland (number SC039239) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (number 2806910). Registered address is WEA, 4 Luke Street, London, EC2A 4XW. © Workers’ Educational Association (JUNE 2012) Email: [email protected] www.weascotland.org.uk You may re-use this publication free of charge in any format for research, private study or internal circulation within an organisation. You must re-use it accurately and not use it in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged. For any third party copyright material use, you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders. DESIGN www.theroundroom.co.uk WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND COGS - Counting on a Greener Scotland A LEARNING RESOURCE FOR TUTORS - ISBN: 978 0 902303 75 1 COGS - Counting on a Greener Scotland - A LEARNING RESOURCE FOR TUTORS CONTENTS Foreword and Introductions 1 Weather and Climate 2 Climate Change 3 Energy and Renewables 4 Numeracy Support 5 Places and Visits 6 COGS Updates Acknowledgements I Foreword and Introductions COGS - Counting on a Greener Scotland - A LEARNING RESOURCE FOR TUTORS How to use this pack The purpose of the pack them. Although the COGS pack is, on Adult Literacies in Scotland 2020, the surface, about climate, weather Scotland’s ten year strategy for improving and energy, at its core sits numeracy. adult literacy and numeracy, is clear In order to understand the numeracy that learners should have access to used in information around weather, high quality resources. The Workers’ climate change and energy, we need Educational Association and Heather Reid, an understanding of the mathematical in collaboration with Education Scotland, nuts and bolts. The pack offers a range have responded to this aspiration by of numeracy related learning activities producing this learning pack- Counting and pointers to further, external resources on a Greener Scotland (COGS). The to enable learners to consolidate and COGS pack aims to provide opportunities broaden existing knowledge and for learners to develop their knowledge, understanding, and apply skills in ways skills and understanding of numeracy, that will help them improve key areas in the particular contexts of weather, of their lives climate change and energy. Using the pack Who the pack is designed for The COGS pack could be used as We have designed the pack to be used a stand-alone course, working from primarily with adult learners. It is put cover to cover or it could be used together with adults in mind and so uses to supplement or complement appropriate language and graphics. existing adult learning activities. However, it could used in schools, youth Equally the pack could be used to clubs, community groups or in any other help encourage a more confident appropriate learning context, including understanding of the three main topics SQA accredited numeracy provision. In themselves, and any related issues, many ways the pack reflects the ambitions with a view to increasing social inclusion, of Curriculum for Excellence: it is rich in confidence in decision-making and opportunities for learning while not being problem solving. prescriptive; it allows for deep learning in We have tried to keep the information contexts that are relevant to the lives of as succinct as possible and have included individuals who understand themselves a variety of activities: calculations, quizzes, as global citizens; and it threads numeracy and case studies. The activities vary in – and literacy – through broader areas length and complexity. Tutors should feel of interest. free to “cut and paste” bits of the pack, or adapt activities, to suit the courses or The content and how it is structured sessions they deliver. We have drawn on expertise and knowledge from a wide variety of An organic resource organisations to bring together information The pack will be hosted online also and activities that will make the content so that development of new activities/ as relevant as possible to learners’ sections can be incorporated. Tutors/ everyday lives and to increase their learners can contribute further material understanding of the world around to the online version as well. II Foreword and Introductions COGS - Counting on a Greener Scotland - A LEARNING RESOURCE FOR TUTORS Counting on a Greener Scotland Numeracy Pack ’A World of Numeracy‘ was the theme of To sustain the momentum from Education Scotland’s 7th annual Scottish the Seminar, Education Scotland Adult Numeracy Seminar. The Seminar commissioned Counting on a Greener reminded us that numeracy can be the Scotland, a numeracy pack containing key to gaining a critical understanding learning resources and activities to of the world around us. Meteorologist support the development of skills and Heather Reid gave a keynote address knowledge to understand numeracy and on the topic of ’Numeracy and Climate environmental topics and their impact Change‘. In addition, Heather, together on everyday lives. The pack, developed with the Workers‘ Educational Association by Education Scotland, WEA and Heather (WEA), delivered a workshop called Reid, is full of useful and easily accessible ’Climate Counts‘ where they used information and aims to provide numeracy to analyse the weather. opportunities for learners to develop The keynote address and the workshop their knowledge, skills and understanding explored the many causes and of numeracy, in the particular contexts consequences of climate change and of weather, climate change and energy. the impact on food security from both There are many interactive and thought local and global perspectives. The provoking activities that use numeracy to workshop offered practical resources explore the themes outlined in the pack. and ideas for tutors to use with learners I am pleased to recommend a learning and highlighted links between climate resource that is empowering, relevant, and numeracy. Both the keynote address inspiring and important to learners, and the workshop were well received tutors and communities. and resulted in further interest in using numeracy as a means of understanding environmental issues. Dr Alasdair Allan MSP Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages The Scottish Parliament III Foreword and Introductions COGS - Counting on a Greener Scotland - A LEARNING RESOURCE FOR TUTORS Introductions The impacts of climate change are far reaching and likely to affect all of our lives: From changes in the weather, to questions about food security and how we produce and use energy. Numeracy underpins our understanding of these issues, consequently I hope this ‘Counting on a Greener Scotland’ learning resource can raise awareness about many of these important issues and help to develop the necessary numeracy skills for learners to make informed decisions now, and in the future. I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this resource and hope it will be useful to many practitioners involved in both numeracy and science education. Thank you to Education Scotland for asking me to be involved and it’s been a pleasure to collaborate with the Workers’ Educational Association. Dr Heather Reid OBE Meteorologist & Science Education Consultant WEA Established in 1903 to open up education for working people, the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) has grown to be the largest voluntary sector provider of learning in the UK. With a long and distinguished history in delivering learning in communities and workplaces the WEA continues to respond to emerging social justice issues of the day. Working together in partnership with a range of agencies our learning provision is always student-centred and focuses on the most socially isolated or disadvantaged. The WEA has built up a wealth of experience in numeracy and environmental learning over the last ten years; developing courses at Glasgow Science Centre and successfully delivering a range of innovative projects on behalf of the Scottish Government. Our work contributes directly to building a Smarter Scotland by supporting learners to gain the numeracy skills and confidence that allow them to grasp the opportunities around them. Counting on a Greener Scotland tutor resource pack is the result of the partnership working, innovative tutoring practices and student feedback from the past ten years of the WEA’s involvement in Numeracy and Environment studies. Jayne Stuart Director, WEA Scotland IV 1 Weather and Climate COGS - Counting on a Greener Scotland - A LEARNING RESOURCE FOR TUTORS The Importance of Weather Weather affects all of our lives It not only dictates what clothes we wear and how we travel to work but also what sports we play and how we spend our leisure time. It is not surprising that the world’s best skiers come from countries with snow covered mountains like Norway, Italy and Canada. At the same time, warm weather locations like Australia, Hawaii and the Caribbean are associated with barbeques, surfing and playing on the beach. Scotland is well-known for its ‘changeable’ weather and is often described as a country where you can get ‘all four seasons in one day’, but compared to other parts of the world, the weather is rarely extreme. Scotland does not often experience hurricanes, tornadoes, drought or temperatures below minus 20ºC. Weather also influences how we use the land around us. The weather directly affects how crops will grow and whether global food supplies can be maintained. Prolonged severe weather can often lead to food shortages and ultimately higher prices. In the developing world, where food can be scarce, drought and flood can lead to starvation on a massive scale.