Having covered “Work and Energy” in Chapter 8, Grade 8 students carried out extensive research related to “joules” and “watts” to strengthen their overall understanding of each unit, supplement and contextualize the content and encourage students to develop a healthy dose of skepticism by questioning their sources.

The research process allowed students to fully appreciate a vast array of scientific endeavors and achievements, such as Watt’s steam engine, which was developed during the first industrial revolution. Other achievements that ignited interest were Joule’s brewery, as well as the fact that “the original tutor of Joule was Dalton, a chemist”. Students were also excited to discover that Joule was responsible for the discovery of the Law of Conservation of Energy.

Throughout the research process, students were not only able to understand the evolution of physics-based units of measurement but were also able to fully appreciate the scientists upon which such units of measurement were named. Their stories paint an impressive picture of tireless and persistent dedication and will hopefully continue to guide and inspire the next generation of scientists.

(Written by Linqiong Qiu Pictures by Grade 8 Physical Science Teachers )