On the 28th May 2024, Data Education in Schools and Digital Skills Education welcomed a class of 24 students (P7) from Newcraighill Primary School to the University of Edinburgh for the Interactive Lesson Plug in the Numbers, delivered in a hybrid format for the first time. Six primary classes from the City of Edinburgh Council, East and West Lothian and Fife local authorities registered to attend online.
Craig and Daniel (Digital Skills Education) led the pupils through a fantastic activity that allowed them to develop data skills while reflecting on the impact of the schools’ consumption of electricity on the environment.
Both in-person and online attendants answered tailored questions that enabled them to calculate the average electricity consumption of their schools. Then, they used data from NASA to determine their schools’ exposure to light throughout the year. Finally, they estimated electrical efficiency were their schools to use solar panels and downloaded a report of their results.
The activity has shown potential to implement creative methods to develop young people’s ability to use and interpret data, as well as environmental awareness.