Switch off fortnight
Take part

Switch Off Fortnight 19 November - 2 December

 

 

How to take part in Switch-Off Fortnight

Planning

Sign up to join the Pod's Switch-Off Fortnight campaign and then taking part is easy! We'll even help you measure and track any savings you make. NB you need to be registered to the Pod to download our resources and sign up for Switch Off Fortnight.

We have all the information, templates, lesson plans and resources you need and they're all free to download from the Pod.

What's more most of the prep work can be done by students as part of a normal lesson, and progressed as a special project by them in their lunch hour or before or after school.

You can find the activities and teaching resources for Switch-Off Fortnight in the green activities section on the Pod:

Age 7-11 resources
Age 11-14 resources

We'll also be putting lots more Switch-Off Fortnight materials, such as templates, posters and take it home sheets in the 'Tools' tab. Check back in September for the full tools set.

Why not take a look at the gallery and see what other schools have done for previous campaigns?

Switch Off Fortnight Week 1

Setting the scene

  1. Use the Pod's energy information pack to teach students why it's important to even think about saving energy.
  2. Start either the 'Switch On to Switching Off' or 'Goodbye Standby' activities on the Pod. 

Both activities form the focus of the Switch-Off Fortnight campaign and start with an audit to find out where your school is wasting energy. Starting the activity and completing the audits are essential if you want us to help you measure and track savings.

Tip You could make this even more fun by making this an undercover audit.  

Get students to design an awareness campaign

Ask students to think about how they can tell everyone in school and at home about what they've learnt and encourage them to save energy too.  Think about running a whole school assembly and using our 'take it home' work sheets.

Tip Why not download our Switch-Off Fortnight assembly. NB there will be a new assembly coming in the autumn.

Switch Off Fortnight Week 2

Run your awareness campaign

This is the time when the whole school should be taking action and saving energy. 

Create your own categories on the Switch-Off Fortnight tracking chart, available in the campaign packs or to download from the Tools tab, to see which class or year group are the best at switching-off.

Final Audit

Run a final audit and enter the details on the Pod - it is this information that helps you see the changes and potential savings that have been made. 

Tip Don't forget to enter the details of the audit on the Pod and submit your results for a medal.  If you win you can download your personalised certificate to showcase your achievements

Share and celebrate your success

Share the results of the campaign and the audit in a whole school assembly. Why not use the Pod-o-meters to demonstrate the potential savings you have made and share your energy savings with everyone on the Pod. 

And when Switch Off Fortnight is over...

Switch Off Fortnight might be over, but it doesn't mean you have to stop saving energy. Why not use the campaign as the start of a year round initiative and keep up the good work with our follow on activity?

Big Energy Show - see it, save it

Energy usage can fluctuate for a lot of reasons; the weather, the time of year, any events that are taking place at school. Running the Big Energy Show activity is a way to track your consumption month by month, identify reasons for high and low consumption and work towards an energy reduction target. At the heart of the activity is a big bar chart which students design. It should be big, bold and colourful and illustrate past and present electricity consumption. By showing the whole school how much energy you are using and setting reduction targets, everyone will be able to get involved to use energy more efficiently!

The Big Energy Show resources include; an assembly, lesson plan, activity pack and take it home sheet.

Age 7-11 Big Energy Show
Age 11-14 Big Energy Show

 

We hope you have a fun and successful Switch Off Fortnight!