Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: The timeline of unleaded petrol

15 minutes

Find Out: Clean energy case study

30 minutes

Take Action: Scientific communication

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

investigate barriers to adopting clean energy practices
report the progress of communities that are overcoming these barriers.

Success criteria

Students can:

identify social, economic and political barriers to clean energy adoption
write a scientific communication piece about the reality of clean energy adoption.

Tune In: The timeline of unleaded petrol

Preparation

Print 1 copy of the activity sheet per group of students (2-4 students per group) and cut out each row.

Step 1

Introduce students to the historical example of an economic and political barrier to science, which was when Clair Patterson discovered that leaded petrol increased the amount of lead in the environment, posing health risks to the public.

Step 2

Hand out 1 set of the activity sheet per group of 2-4 students and have them arrange the sequence of events chronologically. Please note that the activity sheet is currently in chronological order, so it is important to mix them up before distributing them to students.

For your reference, the correct order is as follows:

Clair Patterson worked on determining the Earth's age using lead isotopes in zircon crystals, discovering unusually high levels of lead contamination.

Clair Patterson identified that lead contamination was widespread in the environment.

Clair Patterson studied lead levels in various sources, including ocean water, ice cores, and human tissues, revealing a dramatic increase since the Industrial Revolution.

Patterson linked the majority of environmental lead pollution to tetraethyl lead, a chemical additive used in petrol to increase engine performance.

Clair Patterson published a key scientific paper demonstrating tetraethyl lead's harmful impact on the environment and human health.

The lead industry, including the American Petroleum Institute, attempted to discredit Patterson’s findings and cut off his research funding, claiming lead was naturally occurring and harmless.

Clair Patterson worked to educate the public on the dangers of lead exposure, emphasising its effects on cognitive development and health, particularly in children.

Patterson’s research contributed to the U.S. Clean Air Act, which led to the Environmental Protection Agency’s investigation and regulation of leaded petrol.

The Environmental Protection Agency began reducing the allowable tetraethyl lead content in petrol during the 1970s, and a full ban in the United States by 1996, and in Australia in 2002.

Clair Patterson’s efforts not only led to the global elimination of leaded petrol but also established an important example for addressing other industrial pollutants and protecting public health.

Step 3

Show the class the correct solution. Facilitate a class discussion on the barriers Patterson faced when convincing the public and policymakers of his discovery.

Find Out: Clean energy case study

Step 1

Have students remain in their groups of 2-4. Explain to students that they will be shown a case study of a clean energy initiative that faced resistance.

Step 2

As a class, watch a segment of The New Joneses video, which focuses on how locals respond to a wind farm, which provides many benefits to the community.

Season 4 Ep3 GOOD NEIGHBOURS Crookwell NSW: “Farms, Turbines + Towns” (https://youtu.be/5oc1QL1NZnM?t=394)

Step 3

Direct students to the Student Worksheet to identify the barriers involved and the strategies used to address them, as outlined in the video. Suggested responses could be:

Barriers

Strategies

• Initial fear of change and unfamiliarity with wind farms.

• Concerns about health impacts (eg, noise, infrasound) and property value depreciation.

• Missteps in early community engagement lead to mistrust.

• Clear and transparent communication to address misconceptions.

• Community benefit funds and renewable energy initiatives provide tangible local benefits.

• Economic opportunities, such as supporting local businesses fostering acceptance.

• Collaborative agreements involving neighbours to build trust and inclusivity.

• Demonstrating long-term benefits to overcome scepticism and build confidence.

Step 4 (Optional)

Next, watch a different episode of The New Joneses, which explores the challenges and opportunities of building renewable energy infrastructure on private rural land in Australia, such as wind turbines and transmission lines.

Season 4 EP1 GOOD NEIGHBOURS, “Farms, Turbines + Transmission Lines” Horsham VIC (youtube.com/watch?v=MO9ZGRww-9U)

Step 5 (optional)

In a class discussion, ask students to identify the barriers and strategies used to address them, as outlined in the video. Suggested responses could be:

Barriers

Strategies

• Mistrust due to poor early consultation and engagement from government and energy companies.

• The perception that rural areas bear the burden of renewable infrastructure for urban benefit leads to resistance.

• Concerns about the physical and operational impact of transmission lines and turbines on farms.

• Leverage existing infrastructure (for example, older transmission lines) to minimise disruption and reduce costs.

• Transparent communication about the minimal impact on farming operations (for example, only 0.01% land loss for transmission lines).

• Highlight economic benefits, such as diversified farm income, increased land value, and regional job creation during construction.

• Demonstrate long-term environmental and societal benefits of renewable energy for future generations.

• Emphasise the necessity of infrastructure (roads, powerlines, etc) to support broader societal needs, including food production and energy delivery.

Take Action: Scientific communication

Step 1

Explain to students that they will individually write a scientific communication piece that provides information on how clean energy initiatives are adopted by local communities, using a case study as a reference. Any case studies that were looked at in the ‘Find Out’ section of the lesson may be used, or students may research their own example.

Students will need to access their devices for research. The scientific communication piece should:

contain 200-300 words of text
include pictures, diagrams, graphs and maps as necessary
communicate the clean energy initiative, its potential benefits to the community and environment, any barriers the community faces, strategies used to address the barriers, and the short and/or long-term outcomes.

Students will have a choice of how they present their communication piece. Options could include:

poster
PowerPoint
Prezi
news article

Learning support: Direct students to use the template on the Student Worksheet for extra scaffolding.

Reflection

Step 1

Students can plan to share their communication pieces within their circles of impact (family, friends, community, etc). As a class, brainstorm on the board who they could share it with and how they would share it, such as sharing it with friends via social media or with the community via a noticeboard.

Step 2

They will pair up for a 1-minute sharing activity to prepare students for sharing with others. One method for ensuring random pairing would be to have students line up from tallest to shortest and then fold the line.

The first line will have 1 minute to speak about their case study while the other listens only, and then the roles will swap.

The Reality of Clean Energy Adoption

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