Lesson Plan
Lesson 7: Is It Sustainable? Evaluating Sources of Electricity
A 60 minute lesson in which students will consider whether energy sources are sustainable.
Preparation
Provide texts and/or access to research materials about various sources of electricity.Lesson Plan
This lesson contains a link to an external video. Please watch the video prior to presenting this lesson to ensure that the content is appropriate for your students.
Tuning In
- Display slide 5 of the It’s Electric! PowerPoint. Discuss the questions posed on the slide:
- What is electricity?
- Where does it come from?
- Will we have it forever?
- Encourage the students to share their responses. For the third question, invite the students to provide justifications for their position.
Teacher Instruction
- Ask the class if they know the meaning of the word ‘sustainable’. Encourage the students to share their thoughts, providing specific examples where possible.
- Watch the Sustainability Explained Through Animation video on YouTube. Afterwards, discuss and review the main concepts addressed in the video.
- Display and discuss slides 20-22, drawing attention to key terms (sustainable, renewable, non-renewable). Allow opportunities for the students to ask clarifying questions if needed.
Guided/Independent Learning
- Distribute the Is It Sustainable? Evaluating Sources of Electricity Worksheet to the students. Read through the questions on the worksheet as a class and check that the students understand the task.
- Monitor and support the students as they complete the activity. The worksheet can be completed independently, in pairs or in small groups. Ensure that the students have access to appropriate research materials.
- When the research is completed, encourage the students to present their findings to the class, then use these to state whether their chosen source of electricity is sustainable.
- Collect the students’ worksheets. These could be included in a portfolio of work samples and used to assess the students’ understanding of the unit objectives.
Wrapping Up
- Revist the Electricity Word Wall. Add the words ‘sustainable’, ‘renewable’ and ‘non-renewable’ to the display.
Differentiation
Extending Students
- Encourage more capable students to create a presentation which explains the reasons why their chosen source of electricity is/is not sustainable.
Supporting Students
- Encourage less confident students to choose one or two questions only from the worksheet to research.
Assessment Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
- used strategic whole class or individual questioning
- observed student participation during learning activities
- recorded student progress on a checklist
- annotated student work samples
- collected and reviewed student work samples
- facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
- encouraged student self-reflection
- administered formal assessment tasks.
Resources
NSW Curriculum alignment
- ST3-8PW-ST
Explains how energy is transformed from one form to another
- ST3-8PW-ST
Explains how energy is transformed from one form to another
Victorian Curriculum alignment
- VCSSU081
Energy from a variety of sources can be used to generate electricity; electric circuits enable this energy to be transferred to another place and then to be transformed into another form of energy
- VCSSU081
Energy from a variety of sources can be used to generate electricity; electric circuits enable this energy to be transferred to another place and then to be transformed into another form of energy
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