Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Students conduct research to compare energy sources being used now or with future potential. After presenting their findings to the class, they draw together their key points that will dictate the future of energy.

Learning goals for this activity include:

  • Understand basic ideas about forms of energy (both renewable and non-renewable) and their relationship to our environment, including ways to limit the impact of energy use on our environment.
  • Communicate effectively in fair and considered class-wide discussion on issues.
  • Demonstrate the ability to read, evaluate and interpret information about the issues.

Australian Curriculum Mapping 

Content descriptions:

Year 9 Science

  • Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS174)
  • Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically (ACSIS164)

Year 9 English

  • Interpret, analyse and evaluate how different perspectives of issue, event, situation, individuals or groups are constructed to serve specific purposes in texts (ACELY1742)

Year 10 Science

  • Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS208)
  • Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically (ACSIS198)

Year 10 English

  • Identify and analyse implicit or explicit values, beliefs and assumptions in texts and how these are influenced by purposes and likely audiences (ACELY1752)
  • Use comprehension strategies to compare and contrast information within and between texts, identifying and analysing embedded perspectives, and evaluating supporting evidence (ACELY1754)

Syllabus Outcomes: SC5-4WS, SC5-9WS, EN5-2A, EN5-8D. 

Topic: Energy

Year levels: 9 and 10

Indoor or outdoor activity: Indoor

Time required: 90 + mins

Learning areas addressed: English, Geography, Science, Sustainability.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Lead students in class discussion around energy in Australia.

Resources required: Internet access, materials for presentations.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher preparation

Introduction

Groups of students will conduct independent research and develop a class presentation. The main question they will answer is:

Which energy sources will be the most commonly used in the future and which energy sources are going to be less important?

Discuss what is meant by:

1. Energy sources and the most common forms of energy sources being used at present.
2. New technologies and how some of these are starting to replace fossil fuel energy.

Each group will investigate one source of energy and draw conclusions about how important it will be in 30 years from now and 60 years from now. The sources of energy should include:

• Coal
• Oil
• Natural gas
• Hydro
• Wind
• Solar
• Nuclear
• Deep geothermal steam
• Biofuel
• Wave energy

As part of the students’ research they need to:

• Find out how important the current source of energy is?
• Find out why the importance of the source of energy might change in the future?
• When the amount

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