Tornado machine goes down a storm in schools
A world where children can actually witness a real tornado in their classroom or see in infrared has become a possibility thanks to new equipment.
A library of items are being made available by Warwickshire County Council to schools to help educate children on the impact of climate change and energy use in a very ‘hands-on’ way, plus help schools themselves check their energy use.
By borrowing the thermal imaging camera a school can use it as a teaching resource, but also to identify areas in the school which might be ‘leaking’ heat.
The items made their debut appearance recently at Bishops Tachbrook Primary School where the youngsters learned about the hot and cold air mix needed to create a tornado, and even to check whether a tortoise (named Barney) would still show up on a thermal imaging camera, despite being ‘cold blooded’.
Year 6 pupil Ellie-Mai Bowen, aged 10, said: “It makes the science such fun, you can actually see what happens. And I’ve also learned a lot about energy saving.”
Cllr John Appleton, the county council’s Climate Change Champion, said: “This is a fantastic way for young people to learn about the real impact of climate change, and the importance of energy saving.”
Cllr Les Caborn, the divisional councillor for Bishops Tachbrook, said: “Energy saving for schools is no small matter and can amount to thousands of pounds. I’m extremely pleased that Bishops Tachbrook was one of the first schools to take advantage of this new equipment which the pupils and the school itself will benefit from.”
The county council is currently developing the library and assessing demand for the items. More information is available for schools from Bill Johnson, the county council’s Corporate Energy Manager, on 01926 476623.