• Home
  • About PIF
  • Contact Us
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Add us to your Facebook

Search

  • Festival
    • Festival Program
    • Industry
      • Filmmaker Events
        • Panels
        • Workshops
      • Green Market
      • Green Pitch
    • Submissions
    • Tickets
    • Venues
    • Festival Forum
    • Film Jury & Awards
      • Eco Hero Awards
      • Film Awards
    • School Program
    • Children & Youth Programs
    • Media
      • Press Kit
      • Press Releases
    • Schedule
    • Special Events
      • Eco Exchange
      • Panels & Special Programs
      • Silent Auction
      • Spotlight
    • Sponsors
    • Photo Gallery
  • PIF 365
    • Archives
      • Festival Archives
        • 2008 Film Festival
        • 2007 Film Festival
        • 2006 Film Festival
        • 2005 Film Festival
        • 2004 Film Festival
      • Film Archive
      • Viewing Archives & Educational Resource Library
    • Screening Room
    • Touring Program
    • Mixed Greens (Monthly Screening)
      • Kids Mixed Greens
    • Youth Camera Action
      • Youth Camera Action Portable Program
    • Green Screen Toronto
    • Special Events
    • Youth & Teacher Resources
  • Youth & Educational Programs
    • OTF Mini Screening Series
    • Youth & Educational Resources
  • Support PIF
    • Advertising
    • Donate
    • Sponsorship
  • Links & Resources
Home | Youth & Educational Programs | Youth & Educational Resources

Youth & Educational Programs

  • OTF Mini Screening Series
  • Youth & Educational Resources
1% For the Planet

1% for the Planet is an environmental alliance whose members give back 1% of their sales to environmental organizations worldwide.

Youth & Educational Resources

Energy Conservation Video & Teacher's Guide

In our efforts to promote energy conservation among young people, and inspire them to become catalysts for positive change in regards to energy use, we undertook the making of a video which balances entertainment with information. Drawing from the Ministry of Energy’s energy saving tips, we developed a storyline which would lead the main characters to discover and talk about energy waste and conservation.

The film has three goals. The first goal is to communicate the negative effects of wasting energy. This is done in a mini-documentary segment of the video in which student's illustrations are used to explain the environmental impacts of energy use. The second goal is to clearly demonstrate several easy ways in which everyone in their home and school can immediately implement to conserve energy. Thirdly, it is important to speak to student leaders who might go beyond making personal changes, and become involved in educating others, or organizing initiatives in their schools and communities.

The narrative element of the video is built around a character who is trying to figure out why her energy bill is so high. She calls a detective named Wattson, because she suspects that someone is stealing her energy. However, after investigating the house, the detective and her assistant, named Volt, discover that no one is stealing energy. The storyline of the detectives is amusing, while allowing Wattson and Volt to illustrate to the audience, the changes that can be made around a typical home.

Also, the detectives have a researcher in the field, named Slick. The interviews in the field are with real young people who have initiated positive change and education in their communities and schools. The young children interviewed are members of the EcoTigers from Gledhill Public School in Toronto. An older student interviewed is a member of the Victoria Park Environmental Club at Victoria Park Collegiate Institute also in Toronto. Both schools have been certified as EcoSchools because of their strong environmental stewardship performance.

The video illustrates that there are things we can all do to support energy conservation. The underlying message is that young people are taking action to promote energy-saving projects and initiatives, and these make a significant difference in their immediate environment as well as the sustainability of the world's environment.

Please note that this video and teacher's guide is available free to educators in Ontario.

To order a copy please contact Anne Mark at annem@planetinfocus.org or call 416-531-1769.

Download a copy of the study guide here.

Download transcription of the video here.

We would like to thank the Government of Ontario for their financial support for the production of this guide through the Community Conservation Initiative program of the Ontario Ministry of Energy

For Teachers:

This teacher's guide is targeted to students in grades 5-12 and provides activity suggestions from two perspectives: environmental education and media arts education. As with any teaching resource, this video can be used successfully in a variety of subject areas and contexts. The teacher's guide provides a detailed view of energy, communications and media arts education in the Ontario curriculum.

This film can be used in essentially two ways:

1. A starting point for discussing specific topics like:

  • climate change
  • the impacts of energy use
  • energy conservation
  • renewable and non-renewable energy sources.

2. More generally, as a starting point for discussing:

  • the creative process
  • design principles of media arts
  • the production of media arts for a variety of purposes and audiences.

 

2010 Planet in Focus Events

 

Upcoming events include our  OTF Touring Program.
 

Read More

Mixed Green Screenings

Last Friday of Every Month, 6:45pm

Gardiner Museum 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario

 

Read More

Donate Through Canada Helps

Please send us a gift today and join our growing group of supporters who are keeping our planet in focus.
 

Read More


© Copyright 2009 Planet In Focus International Film & Video Festival

Design by