This engagement activity aims to inspire schoolkids to pursue studies in engineering and environmental sciences. The first stage of reflection of the educational action research led to identify lack of intrinsic motivation of GCSE’s students to learn and deficiencies in active teaching methods, such as the classical project-based learning (PBL), where students do not understand their role in society. In order to address these challenges, a didactic proposal has been elaborated for A-level students (16 – 18 years old) of the subjects of Chemistry and Physics. During the 5 days (week commencing on the 24th July 2023) of the PBL (Make it happen!) students will have to address the real challenge of improving the management of slurry in farms, by developing a prototype (https://youtu.be/6bM9fVIaOow) that stabilises this material as slow-release fertiliser and reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases.
Didactic tools: In addition to the £450-prototype that each group of 3 students will have to modify according to the conveniences of the potential clients (farmers), an adapted template of the Business Canvas Model and a half-day session devoted to primary market research (pedagogic outing to West View Farm in Lancaster) will be included in this engagement activity (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2023.103106).
Morning 1st day: students are introduced to the problem by providing them with secondary sources of information (i.e. articles, videos, and interactive surveys).
Afternoon 1st day: a Prediction-Explanation-Observation (POE) experience will be conducted to enable a basic level of understanding of the physicochemical phenomena (e.g. deliquescence of calcium chloride) that rules the functioning of the rudimental prototype consisting of 2 boxes of 150 L connected by an air conduct.
Morning 2nd day: students will have to apply the first modifications to the prototype (e.g. addition of lime to the slurry to promote the dehydration [tank of stabilization] and the formation of a brine of calcium chloride [tank of condensation]).
Afternoon 2nd day: students can continue to adapt the prototype (e.g. adding an extra air conduct to facilitate the equilibrium between the 2 tanks) based on their suppositions and hypothesis, which rely on secondary sources of information.
Morning 3rd day: the primary market research is organised (visit to West View Farm in Lancaster), giving the chance to students to realize about whether their action plans were really addressing the needs of the potential clients.
Afternoon 3rd day: students can continue with the development of a more sophisticated prototype, by adding a fan that promotes the turbulence and movement of air between the 2 tanks, enhancing the drying and stabilization process of manure.
Morning 4th day: students will have the chance of adding a propeller to enhance the mixing and reduce the residence time of both the manure and the brine, so the prototype can give response to the production of slurry of a small farm of 20 cows (producing 400 tonnes of slurry per year).
Afternoon 4th day: students will have the chance to develop a heating (and insulation) system for the tank of stabilization of slurry using carbon fibre cable and considering Ohm’s law and Watt’s law.
Morning 5th day: students will have the chance of optimising the performance of the sophisticated prototype that they have developed, via calculation of the mass and energy balances.
Afternoon 5th day: students will have the chance do a presentation of the artifact, to prove how their design responds to the demands of the potential clients.
As little guidance as possible will be provided to the 2 groups of students, hence they can develop their critical thinking and come up with more original designs of the artefact. This didactic activity is conducted in collaboration with the charity/company In2ScienceUK (https://in2scienceuk.org/) that promotes Social Mobility and Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.