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1. Description of Our Community
Where we live in is located in the center of Changhua County-- Xihu Township. In the past, due to the river degradation of Zhuoshui River, many swamps were formed. The early inhabitants named it Xihu because it looked like many lakes. Owing to the convenient transportation, extensive inland and fertile soil, Xihu Township is not only the important agricultural collecting and distributing centre in the middle part, but also its livestock industry ranks the third nationwide. In the county, Xihu Sugar Refinery is the only sugar refinery where visitors can not only taste the delicious icy drinks but also take the small Taisugar train to enjoy the idyllic scenery in this beautiful town. There is an important river – Dongluo River within the jurisdiction of this town and its riverside is the important settlement of livestock husbandry. During the period of great prosperity in 1996, there were about 40-50 pig farmers. After the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in March 1997, the relevant quarantine measures become more rigorous. Besides, the rise of environmental awareness in recent years causes the costs of hardware facilities in animal houses to increase and the food crisis causes the feed cost to increase continuously. Thus, there are only 16 pig farmers left under the natural elimination of market mechanism. Due to the operational difficulties, the operators who are willing to stay behind to fight for this traditional industry work harder to contribute to environment and such spirit is very admirable. Dongluo River is renovated by the local people through their hard working and it has gradually recovered its former prosperity. During the holidays, bike enthusiasts often visit the Dongluo River by bike and have a rest there!
2. Summary of Our Project
“Electricity” is one of the indispensable elements in the daily life. Nowadays, Taiwan still relies heavily on the nuclear electricity generation. However, in the era when the global warming and depletion of energy are the main trend, after the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, people become more cohesive to create the non-nuclear homeland. Thus, the policy to promote the renewable energy has become the main trend in the world. In Taiwan, there is abundant sunshine in summer and it is suitable to solar PV to make up for the deficiency during the peak power times in summer, but the erection of solar PV needs larger area of land. So it is really difficult to find a suitable land. Changhua County is a big traditional agricultural county and both its livestock industry area and output value rank the top nationwide. If the solar PV facilities are erected on the roofs of livestock farm, livestock husbandry can be combined with optoelectronics industry to achieve the win-win strategy. Mr. Liao is engaged in traditional pig raising work (livestock husbandry). After the pig’s foot-and-mouth disease in 1997, he applied vegetarian formula to improve the pig production and try his best reduce farming risk and the emission of stink. Due to his various careful management measures, he is reborn after the hardships. So far, he has occupied his own space in the livestock husbandry. We took Fumao Farm’s operator Mr. Xue-liang Liao in Xihu Township as the subject to discuss his efforts in operating livestock farm as well as the erection of solar photovoltaic facilities to protection environment.
3. Our Computer and Internet Access
A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%
B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6
C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection
D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:2-3
E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):
Sihu Junior High School has provided the very convenient and fast information equipment and network and team members often need to use the regional or wireless network to link internet, so as to discuss, make and complete the CyberFair project. Therefore, we make good use of the computers in computer room and teacher’s office room at school and personal computer at home.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
It is inevitable to run into difficulties during the process of webpage making. At the beginning, we have not become acquainted with the theme of the renewable energy “solar PV”, so we are at a loss. Then our teacher advises us to use the network to collect the renewable energy data and submit a report on feelings and experiences of “solar photovoltaic”. In order to discuss and formulate the theme direction and compile interview questions, we must use the holidays to conduct a field investigation into Fumao Farm and interview Mr. Xue-liang Liao and the problems such as time arrangement, negotiation with Mr. Xue-liang Liao and roundtrip pick-up service have to be overcome one by one. It is painful to listen to tapescripts, write the verbatim transcription and compile manuscript. Sometimes the students in the same team are not good at writing and cannot understand the meaning of interviewee or cannot focus on the interview theme, causing that the interview manuscript written by us laboriously is returned by our teacher again and again to be revised. This process also tests our perseverance. Of course, a good article needs to be illustrated by suitable pictures. Choosing pictures for the manuscript seems to be easy, but actually it is very difficult to choose the pictures because several pictures have been taken for the same object from different angles!
5. Our Project Sound Bite
During the painstaking process, we have learned the knowledge and skills which cannot be learned in the textbooks. In the whole processes from contacting CyberFair to compiling verbatim transcription and writing our own feelings and experiences, we have not only learned the knowledge and ability of special research but also had a better understanding of solar PV than other students.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
We have conducted the following learning activities: Language: Written expression ability, summary and collection of materials and writing of webpage manuscript. Nature and life technology: Solar power generation principle, electrics and circuit principle and renewable energies. Topic for information education: Computer revision and cropping of digital photos and the operation of webpage making software. Arts and humanities: Shooting skill of digital photos and aesthetic design of webpage making. Comprehensive activities: The politeness required in the interview, team’s division of labor and cooperation and self-time management. Social studies: Procedure and value of Taiwan Power Company’s purchase of electricity energy.
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