"The Steamer", School Journal, level 4, November 2017

24 November 2017

First pages of story with drawing of a steamship on the lake.

This historical story is about a family in Queenstown who offered guiding trips to tourists who arrived on the steamship Earnslaw.

You can find a PDF version of the story here: "The Steamer", School Journal, level 4, November 2017.

Other useful resources

TSS Earnslaw

This is the website for the steamship TSS Earnslaw. It is the only passenger carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere.

Top 7 Green Ship Concepts Using Wind Energy

The maritime industry nowadays is looking for ways to power ships that are more environmentally friendly and that help contain fuel costs.

Sustainable Shipping and Renewable Energy Technologies

This article describes the amount of fuel used by shipping annually and the opportunities to reduce airborne pollution, carbon emissions, and fossil fuel consumption on a global scale.

Discussion questions

These could include:

What are the environmental concerns regarding coal and oil being used as energy sources for shipping?
Why have ships changed from using coal to oil as an energy source?
What are some of the changes being trialled for energy sources for shipping in the future and why?

Indicators of progression for discussion starters

Component	Indicator	Level
Characteristics of technology	describe how societal and/or environmental issues can influence what people decided to make, how they would undertake planning, the selection of resources, and how they would make and test an outcome explain why particular technological outcomes have changed over time describe examples of how technology has impacted on the social world over time describe examples of how technology has impacted on the natural world over time identify that technological knowledge is knowledge that technologists agree is useful in ensuring a successful outcome	3

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