FCHgo Toolkit

Facilitating understanding for the way energy works through stories, play and image

Energy in general and renewables especially are a fascinating subject. Also young kids in primary school can comprehend the power of energy, if explained with simple metaphors and images. And easily-bored youngsters get excited over chemical and physical processes, if the connection to real-life applications, e.g. in hydrogen storage or fuel cell electrive vehicles and their contribution to combatting climate change is made. ‘Discover the energy of hydrogen’ – that is the claim and scope of the toolkit developed by FCHgo.

The FCHgo toolkit aims at translating simple energy principles for primary school children (age 8-13) and the opportunities of hydrogen and fuel cell technology for secondary school pupils (age 14-18) into ready-to-teach materials, plays and tools for inspiring lessons.

You would like to find out more about the FCHgo approach? Read the statement of the FCHgo materials development team.

You can download the first version of the materials, which has been tested in the FCHgo classroom activities, below.

Introduction to Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Technology

What it is: For teachers and everyone interested in learning more about fuel cells and hydrogen, this comprehensive guide introduces the main principles of FCH technology, using simple language and pictures. The explanations exemplify the approach of FCHgo to teaching energy.
Key data: The document is about 30 pages.

Download the FCH introduction in English, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Comprehensive teacher guides on FCHgo lessons

The FCHgo toolkit materials described in the following are part of a didactic concept for interactive lessons on energy and FCH developed by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, the Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun and the Technical University of Denmark. The content of the materials as well as the outline of the lessons are a result of many year’s research on the impact of using narrative and metaphors in teaching. The teacher guides below describe an exemplary educational path employing the FCHgo materials the best way possible.

Download the teacher guides below.

Teacher guide on FCHgo lessons for classes 3-4 in English, German, Italian, Danish, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Teacher guide on FCHgo lessons for classes 5-6 in English, German, ItalianPolish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Teacher guide on FCHgo lessons for classes 7-8 in English, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Teacher guide on FCHgo lessons for pupils age 13-17 years in English, German, ItalianPolish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Teaching materials, suited particularly for kids age 8-13

The Apple Story

What it is: A simple illustrated story about a small girl who experiences the magic transformation of blossom to fruit by observing how the tree uses water, air, and sunlight to let apples grow.
Learning objectives: Pupils learn about storage, transmission and transformation of energy.
How it works in lessons: The story is told by teachers and discussed and played out together with pupils; older students read the story themselves. With help of the story, pupils understand the analogy between energy transmissions from tree to human body via apples and from tank to motion in a car via fuel.
Age range: Suitable for all ages, in particular for ages 8 to 11.
Key data: The story is 10 pages long and comes with instructions for teachers. For telling and discussing the story about 1-1,5 hours are needed.

Download the Apple Story in English, German, Italian, Polish, Danish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the Apple Story Analysis guide for teachers in English, German, Italian, Danish, PolishFrench, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Water and Light

What it is: An interactive animated story of hydrogen, fuel cells, and energy. In this story, Bot, a postal services robot, makes use of hydrogen and fuel cells in order to deliver parcels across a mountain range.
Learning objectives: Pupils learn about storage and transmission of energy.
How it works in lessons: The story is played and discussed by teachers together with pupils; older students interact with the story themselves. Using animation in this form where chemicals are active as Forces of Nature, is a new element in science communication that helps the pupils understand the processes of electrolysis, producing hydrogen and running the fuel cell where hydrogen powers electricity.
Age range: Suitable from age 10.

Visit and play the Water and Light in English.

Download the Water and Light story brief description in English.

Download the Water and Light story narration in English, Italian.

The Perpetuum Mobile movie

What it is: A short, animated movie telling the story of an inventor trying to create a perpetuum mobile consisting of solar cells, pumps, water wheel, and generator. Imaginative ‘spirits’ – funny looking figures – represent forces of nature carrying energy from interaction to interaction. The movie was developed by artist Marion Deichmann and is used within FCHgo lessons to demonstrate the principle of energy to children.
Learning objectives: Pupils are introduced to the principles of energy transformation, different forms of energy and the law of energy conservation.
How it works in lessons: Pupils watch the video and analyze together with their teacher the transformation and exchange of energy between the spirits. They learn the name of the ‘spirits’ and observe that the system only works, if energy is sustained by the sun and heat can escape to the environment.
Age range: Suitable from age 10.
Key data: The video is 5:14 minutes long and originally in German with English, Italian and Polish subtitles. Instructions for teachers are provided; screening and discussing the video takes about 0,5-0,75 hours.

Watch the movie in English here and download the Italian and Polish version

See the narration text of the movie in English, Danish, Polish

Energy role plays

What it is: Ideas for different role-plays in which students act as energy carriers (sun, electricity, heat, hydrogen) and film their performances.
Learning objectives: With this playful approach pupils experience natural and technical principles with their own bodies and are able to reproduce energy processes themselves.
How it works in lessons: Pupils write a script for their own energy story; they dramatize for example the processes happening in a fuel cell car. This playful approach allows them to experience natural and technical processes with their own bodies.
Age range: Suitable for all ages.
Key data: The material comprises instructions for teachers and a worksheet for pupils. Implementation of plays with recording and screening in class is for 1,5-2,5 hours/lessons.

Download the role play guide for teachers in English, German, Italian, Danish, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Analysis of Models/Toys

What it is: Kids examine and compare different toys respective models, for example, a dynamo torch (crank flashlight) and a fuel cell model car, using the work sheet provided by FCHgo. Teachers also receive instructions for the lesson.
Learning objectives: Through comparing different models pupils learn about their functioning, similarities and differences, while training their analytical skills.
How it works in lessons: Pupils explore each model in groups and describe how it works, before comparing the two models. They describe analogies and differences of processes that are going on in the two models.
Age range: Suitable for all ages.
Key data: The material comprises instructions for teachers and a worksheet for pupils. Models must be provided by schools. The model analysis takes about 1 hour.

Download the teacher guide for this activity in English, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the toy work sheet for pupils for this activity in English, German, Italian, Polish

Energy playing cards

What it is: A set of playing cards to ‘play through’ energy chains in games of domino and speed. The set contains cards for every main energy carrier, including hydrogen. Every card displays a specific intensity to indicate the energy content of the carrier.
Learning objectives: Pupils learn to correctly identify energy carriers and “exchangers” and deepen their understanding for the process of energy exchange, transformation and storage.
How it works in lessons: Kids play different card games, e.g. domino or find the energy carrier, according to instructions and learn about the way energy carriers and exchangers are interconnected.
Age range: Suitable from age 10.
Key data: 15 energy carrier cards; introducing and playing with the cards is for 1 hour.

Download the playing cards in English, German, Italian, French, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the card game rules in English, German, Italian, Danish, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Kids Lab for pupils age 10-14

What it is: A set of instructions, worksheets, poster, cards and teacher’s guides for experiments with young pupils.
Learning objectives: Pupils learn to correctly identify the forces of Nature and deepen their understanding for the process of energy exchange, transformation and storage.
How it works in lessons:The teacher explains the experiments and pupils conduct them together in small teams. Teachers can work with decks of cards and/or let the kids draw and write. After working with experimental equipment, students are asked to put cards in the order they believe forces act in the system investigated, or they write and draw the experimental setup and the results from their experiments.

Age range: Suitable from age 10 to 14.
Key data: Poster and cards of forces of nature cards; the lab can run from 4 to 8 hours.

Download the teacher guide for this activity in English, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the forces of nature cards in English, German, Italian

Download the forces of nature poster in English, German, Italian 

Download the guide to the potato battery experiment in English, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the worksheet of the potato battery experiment in English, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the guide to the solar cell experiment in English, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the worksheet of the solar cell experiment in English, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the guide to the fuel cell experiment in English, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the worksheet of the fuel cell experiment in English, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

PowerPoint presentations and videos for pupils age 13-18

To help teachers discussing Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Technology with older pupils, FCHgo partners UMK and DTU developed a set of PowerPoint presentations and videos. They provide pupils with facts and background knowledge about climate change, alternative energies and introduce to electrochemistry taking the example of Volta’s pile. Also, different applications of fuel cells and hydrogen, e.g. in mobility, are highlighted. By covering social, ecological and technical aspects of the energy transition, the materials foster comprehensive understanding of the issue and prepare pupils for exploring energy science and technologies themselves.

0.1) Introduction to fuel cells and electrolysis – DTU Energy

This online teaching module gives an introduction to fuel cells & electrolysis with special focus on high temperature cells (solid oxide fuel & electrolysis cells: SOFC & SOE) aimed at the level of high school students, older primary school students. It contains slides and videos in English, provides basic and advanced information, and theory and practical elements (including SOFC stack in operation).
View the course in English here.

0.2) Video presentation: How fuel cells work

Download the video in English, Danish

This is a video presentation by DTU explaining why combustion is different to the process happening in a fuel cell, taking the example of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC).

Overview of PowerPoint presentations and complementary lesson guides

1) Climate change: why it is urgent to stop burning carbon and hydrocarbons

Download the PowerPoint ‘Climate Change’ in English, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the teacher guide ‘Climate Change’ in English, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Watch the video lesson ‘Effetto Serra’ in Italian and Polish

2) Alternative energies: why the choice of alternative (i.e. renewable) energy “sources” is not easy and different in every country

Download the PowerPoint ‘Alternative Energies’ in English, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the teacher guide ‘Alternative Energies’ in English, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Watch the video lesson ‘Energie Alternative’ in Italian

3) Volta’s pile: A prototype of all electrochemical energy “sources”, still in use around the globe

Download the PowerPoint ‘Volta’s Pile’ in English, German, Italian, Polish, French, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the teacher guide ‘Volta’s Pile’ in English, German, ItalianPolish

Download the experiment guide ‘Volta’s Pile’ in English, Italian, PolishDanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Watch the video lesson ‘Pila di Volta’ in Italian

4) Hydrogen fuel cell: Its principle of operation, construction details, implementations and open problems

Download the PowerPoint ‘Hydrogen Fuel Cell’ in English, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the teacher guide ‘Hydrogen Fuel Cell’ in English, Italian, Polish, French, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the guide ‘Electrolysis Experiment’ in English, Italian, Danish

Watch the video lesson ‘Celle all’idrogeno’ in Italian

5) Energy: what does energy transformation mean and why we cannot “create” energy

Download the PowerPoint ‘Energy’ in English, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Download the thesaurus of suggested didactical experiments ‘Energy, Electricity and Hydrogen’ in English, Italian, Polish

Watch the video lesson ‘Energia’ in Italian and Polish

The FCHgo Toolkit genesis – Background on the process

Developing the teaching materials of the toolkit was a joint effort of FCHgo partners – mainly UNIMORE, ZHAW, UMK and DTU -, teachers, didactic and FCH tech experts. It started with co-creation workshops in March 2019, at which the just mentioned stakeholders provided a first feedback to the materials envisaged for the FCHgo toolkit. Teachers then tested first versions of the toolkit at training workshops in autumn 2019. This cycle of iteration between development and feedback culminated with the actual and first implementation of the materials during pilot lessons concluded in February 2020. We published a first story about the pilot lessons in Switzerland here.