Thanks to the Younity Powering Communities Fund Powering Communities Fund | Younity we have been working with pupils in two Newport Schools, Llanmartin Primary School and Caerleon Comprehensive School, with the sculptor Ami Marsden, Cardiff University Engineering Department and Sion Tomos Owen. Our aim was to engage pupils in energy reduction awareness activities by becoming Eco Homes designers (with cardboard) or what we liked to be known as – Dengineers!
Dengineers at Llanmartin Primary School
After visiting Cardiff Universities Engineering Department and hearing from engineers and scientists working at the cutting edge of sustainability, pupils decided that to be truly eco we needed to build houses that use less fossil fuels, protect and restore nature, and adapt to climate change. Through playing games and drama activities we shared our learning and explored new ideas and concepts.
We created design briefs and through reflecting and evaluating each other’s ideas we became eco house engineers as you can see below: from idea to reality!
Here are some more of their finished houses:
Highlights included:
- Swiveling solar panels
- 3D printed flowerpots
- Water wheel
- Wind turbines
- Living walls
- Vegetable gardens
- Collecting water through sustainable drainage
- Lotus leaf roof which can self-clean and be protected from weather and pollution
Dengineers at Caerleon Comprehensive School
We are in a Climate Emergency!
Working with Ami Marsden we went on a design journey making shelters to keep us safe from storms, going on a nature trail, using the sun to power solar gadgets and making a bug hotel!
Teamwork proved important as we built a house that we could get into so pupils took on team challenges to make it more eco.
Can you spot how we used less fossil fuels, protected and restored nature and adapted to climate change?
Highlights included:
- A bird house
- Window boxes
- Bug hotel
- Electric car charging point
- Solar heat tubes
- Wind turbines
A Dengineer Energy Warrior
We needed to share our message, so we worked with the artist Sion Tomos Owen to design our very own Dengineer Energy Warrior. Sion has been working with schools across South Wales to create Energy Warriors that fight fossil fuels with renewable energy!
Caerleon pupils designed the most unique Dengineer based on their Dengineers journey. Can you spot the solar cockroach scales, crushing recycling jaws, rubbish smashing hands, bug hotel core, flower seed shooting fingers and much much more!
Would you like to build your own Eco House?
Use our Dengineers Education Resources If you want to find out How to Build an Eco House use our resource created by Sion Tomos Owen, Caerleon Comprehensive School and Ami Marsden – click on the link below. Cut out the templates and build your own Eco House.
How to build an Eco House cym.pdf
Dengineer Cards
Make your house more eco and use our Dengineer Cards. Sort out the cards by category, by importance of the eco feature, by impact on the environment or your favourite eco feature. Dengineer Cards 4 to a page
Colour in an Energy Warrior
Can you find?
- Solar cockroach scales
- Crushing recycling jaws
- Rubbish smashing hands
- Bug hotel
- Flower seed shooting fingers
- Wire arms
- Thermo nuclear pulse
Use our teaching resource pack to help you Design an Energy Warrior!