Pepsi Challenge reworked

Categories: s1 and s2

Since last Thursday's flashmeeting, I have been thinking about how I could use QR codes. I had originally thought of using them in the fieldwork that s2 did recently, but started to question whether I would be using them for the sake of it. I've concluded that they could be useful for a number of reasons. 1) A class could potentially store a lot of information within one- a wiki page about a project, for example- which could be displayed at a target audience (I'll come back to this), 2) It's something which will create curiosity, and hopefully therefore an interest in the work of a class, and 3) I think that classes themselves might like the idea that they are in on something that only they know about. I still like the idea of a geocaching activity for s1 and I might try this later in the rotation, but I thought for my first run out, I'd stick to s2.

The code above basically contains the learning objectives for tomorrow's lesson and beyond and was made using kaywa. I wanted to introduce the lesson by showing the QR image above and asking students if they knew what it was, or had seen it before. Maybe some will have seen it here:

I wanted to then ask why companies like pepsi were using these codes on their bottles, and hopefully demonstrate this in class by using the reader in my phone to take me to the pepsi site with all of the downloads they are offering. I want to stress the idea that this is a great way to condense and then easily access information. I'll then put it to students that potentially, every assignment that they hand in could be sent as a code, therefore saving paper. This is a good introduction into how much we use that we perhaps don't need to. Really, we are talking about an element of a students ecological footprint.

I'll then ask a student to have a go at using the reader to unlock the learning objectives. These are as follows:

1. What is an ecological footprint?

2.How big is my footprint?

3.How big is my class footprint?

4.How big is the schools footprint?

The class will have a general look at footprints through this quiz. This will also become an individual homework activity, as students will all need their individual footprint for some later work. This then takes care of 1, 2 and 3 on the list. So, where do the QR codes come in? Well, I think there is scope here for some more school based fieldwork. I'd like to approach PSHE teachers about pupils doing this with their form classes, interviewing some teaching staff and hopefully, the head teacher too re: the questions in this quiz. I would then be looking at students presenting back through a wiki page- this again would be homework and then displaying some of the results in QR codes at appropriate areas around then school e.g. for issues about recycling near bins, about power near light switches, food in the canteen and so on. The codes lend themselves perfectly to this type of instant access to lots of information. If students were feeling really brave, they might even want to speak at assemblies about what they have been doing, but I don't remember feeling too brave myself at 13 or 14, so we'll content ourselves with having a trial at this first :-) Finally, I loved this definition of a global footprint from a child:

'A footprint means pressing down and global means world, so 'global footprint' means pressing down on the world and we don't want to press too hard'