Grade Five students create webcomics to demonstrate ways to save energy
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 23, 2012
GUELPH, Ontario — Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. is challenging students in Grade Five classrooms in 35 schools in Guelph and Rockwood, Ontario, to create original Bitstrips comics to demonstrate how to conserve electricity in their homes and schools.
Bitstrips (www.bitstripsforschools.com) is a Canadian, web-based educational tool licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Education for use in all publicly funded schools as well as faculties of education in Ontario universities. The simple-to-use software enables students as young as five-years-old to create their own custom characters and use scenes, props, words, actions and emotions to create detailed comic strips that tell a story – all without having to draw a line. Over 300,000 students have used Bitstrips in classrooms across Ontario so far this school year, creating more than two million comics.
“Our students have been using Bitstrips for a few years with great success,” said Andrew Strimas, a grade 5/6 teacher at Rickson Ridge P.S. in Guelph. “It is amazing how engaged and focused the students are when they are using the program. The opportunity to create comics for an important purpose, like energy conservation, is fantastic.”
Guelph Hydro worked with the Bitstrips development team to create a novel Energy Conservation Comic Challenge that teachers can assign to their classes. Children are asked to design a comic that explains why saving electricity is important and show ways electricity can be saved around their home or school. To help get them started, students can access scenes that depict various rooms in a home along with a variety of props such as appliances, compact fluorescent light bulbs, computer equipment, and even a smart meter, that can be used in creating energy conservation messages.
All Grade 5 classes in the Upper Grand District School Board and Wellington Catholic District School Board in Guelph and Rockwood that participate in the Energy Conservation Comic Challenge will be entered into a draw for two iPads (one winning class per school board), pre-loaded with energy conservation applications that can be used in the classroom. Children in the winning classrooms will also receive an energy conservation-related prize. Winners will be announced on March 31, 2012, just prior to Earth Hour.
A selection of the best entries will be featured on the Guelph Hydro website, produced as posters and published in a downloadable anthology.
Interested in Trying Out Bitstrips for Energy Conservation?
Ontario Teachers
Although the Guelph Hydro Bitstrips Energy Conservation Comic Challenge is limited to classrooms in Guelph and Rockwood, ALL teachers in Ontario can use the activity with their students by visiting www.bitstripsforschools.com
Everyone Else (Non-Teachers)
Anyone interested in exploring and experimenting with the Guelph Hydro Bitstrips Energy Conservation Comic Challenge may send an email to Guelph Hydro at [email protected] to obtain access.
For more information about Bitstrips, please visit: www.bitstripsforschools.com
For more information about Guelph Hydro’s energy conservation efforts, please visit: www.guelphhydroinc.com
Contact Information
Media Contacts:
Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc.
Sandy Manners, Director of Corporate Communications
519.837.4703 or Cell: 226.218.0157
[email protected]
www.guelphhydroinc.com
Bitstrips Inc.
Shahan Panth
Business Development
1.888.298.6982
[email protected]
www.bitstripsforschools.com
Upper Grand District School Board
Maggie McFadzen
Communications Officer
519.822.4420 ext. 725
[email protected]
www.ugdsb.ca
Wellington Catholic District School Board
Cathy Chaput
Elementary Program Co-ordinator
519.830.9057
[email protected]
www.wellingtoncssb.edu.on.ca
Categories: Media Releases