Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Four corner statements

10 minutes

Find Out: Clean energy chats

35 minutes

Take Action: Let’s role play

10 minutes

Reflection: I used to think…Now I think…

Learning intentions

Students will:

identify their own viewpoints, and where they have come from, in relation to clean energy
organise information, and participate in democratic discussion through a scaffolded debate.

Success criteria

Students can:

use conversation tips for conversing about the climate
represent different stakeholders in the community.

Tune In: Four corner statements

Preparation

Label the 4 corners of the room for this activity: strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree.

Step 1

Read statements about clean energy to students. You may like to come up with your own or use the following examples:

Renewable energy is always better than fossil fuels.
Wind turbines are noisy and ugly.
Solar panels should be mandatory for new buildings.
Changing to renewable energy will cost too much money.

After reading a statement, students should move to the corner that best represents their view. Once students are in their chosen corner, encourage them to discuss why they chose that position and what evidence supports their view.

Step 2

Invite 1 student from each corner to summarise their beliefs. Continue this process until all statements have been read and discussed.

Find Out: Clean energy chats

Step 1

Guide students through the 5 conversation tips from the poster that helps when conversing about clean energy. Stick this poster somewhere visible for students to refer to throughout the lesson.

Step 2

Allow students time to practice role-playing these conversation starters with partners, practising their empathetic listening and social skills.

Take Action: Let’s role-play

Step 1

Your students’ task is to participate in a renewable energy town hall debate. Some students will play characters in the debate, and others will take notes and observe it.

Group 1 will represent stakeholders who are experts in clean energy who counter misinformation and disinformation with accurate and credible information. Select 3 volunteer students for the 3 characters and give them a character slip from page 1 of the activity sheet. Group 2 will represent stakeholders who spread misinformation and disinformation. Select 3 volunteer students for the 3 characters and give them a character slip from page 2 of the activity sheet.

You will need to give each group student the group information (pages 3 and 4) from the activity sheet. The remaining students are to take notes and observe the debate.

Step 2

Time to begin the debate! You may consider running your classroom debate using the following guidelines:

Introduction (3 minutes): Present the topic and introduce the teams.
Opening arguments (3 minutes per team):
- state the claim
- present supporting data
- explain how the data supports the claim
Rebuttal preparation (5-minute break)
Rebuttal (3 minutes per team): Address opposing arguments without introducing new information
Closing statements (3 minutes per team): Summarise key points and make final arguments

It is important to set clear ground rules for respectful discussion and use a timer to keep the debate on schedule. As the teacher, you are a moderator to ensure fair participation and order. Ensure that you encourage students to cite their information, referring to the group information they receive.

Step 3

Once the debate has concluded, invite the students who took notes and observed to share their thoughts and insights. You may invite all students to reflect on how easily misinformation and disinformation can be spread.

Learning Extension: Transform the classroom into a mock city council, where students take on roles of various stakeholders to draft and vote on a comprehensive renewable energy policy for their "city". This activity extends the debate experience into a more complex, real-world scenario.

Reflection: I Used to Think…Now I Think…

Using the thinking routine, ‘I used to think… Now I think’, encourage students to reflect on how their perspectives have changed throughout the unit.

On a sticky note, ask students to write what they used to think about clean energy before this unit and what they now think about it. Have students share and explain their shifts in thinking.

Understanding Different Viewpoints

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Summary

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