Reading & Writing Lesson: Renewable Energy
Lesson Plan
1 hour 15 minutesGrades3, 4, 5English Language Arts, Visual and Performing Arts
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Written by Lindsey Pockl, Monica Lilley
About this lesson
In this lesson, students discuss and evaluate artwork by Jill Pelto, read Sven's Search for Clean Energy to learn about renewable and nonrenewable energy, and demonstrate their learning through writing and drawing.
Inquire: Students discuss and evaluate artwork by Jill Pelto and learn more about her career.
Investigate: Students learn the definitions of renewable and nonrenewable energy, then read and discuss Sven's Search for Clean Energy.
Inspire: Students read about renewable and nonrenewable energy and write a paragraph or draw an accompanying picture to demonstrate their new knowledge.
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Suggestions
- The Investigate and Inspire sections can be completed on different days. Both can also be extended into full class periods or more than one teaching period.
- Teachers can use their established classroom writing procedures including brainstorming diagrams, outlining worksheets, sentence stems, peer editing, or writer’s workshops.
- Teachers can connect to presentation skills and have students read their paragraphs out loud to a small group or class, and explain their related drawings.
- Teachers can highlight specific art techniques or styles for the accompanying drawing.
- This lesson aligns with Australia’s Visual Art standards ACAVAR113 and ACAVAR117, and Science standards ACSSU075 and ACSHE062.
- Students identify how meaning can be created through art, especially when learning about fossil fuels and how they damage the environment.
- Students engage in identifying and discussing how different communities are impacted differently. Teachers can scale this discussion locally while being sensitive to student experiences.
Prerequisites
- Teachers should review the book and readings and decide on the right reading approaches for their students. Teachers may choose whole class, small groups, or individual independent reading.
- Teachers will need to create a free Newsela account to access the readings on renewable and nonrenewable energy.
- Teachers can adjust reading levels for the Newsela readings to match student needs.
- Teachers should prepare writing tools their students may need including brainstorming diagrams, outlining worksheets, sentence stems, etc. Additionally, if a writer’s workshop format will be used, teachers should prepare ahead of time.
- If using a student KWL chart, teachers should print copies ahead of time or create class anchor charts.
Differentiation
- Teachers can create groups to include mixed ability levels, especially when students are taking notes on renewable and nonrenewable energy in the Investigate section.
- Teachers can pause throughout the reading of Sven's Search for Clean Energy to encourage students to write in the "Learned" section of their KWL charts.
- The two Newsela articles on renewable and nonrenewable energy are available in many reading levels. Teachers can select the appropriate reading level for each student.
- 5th-grade students or high readers can read both Newsela articles, compare and contrast, and engage in further research on different kinds of renewable energy.
- Students can pick one form of renewable energy to research and report on. Topics include but are not limited to solar energy, wind energy, hydropower and geothermal energy, tidal and wave energy.
- Students can explore Jill Pelto’s current art collection for further examination, inspiration, or research.
From the scientist review
This lesson demonstrates the impact of climate change in our ecosystem through Jill Pelto's art. Art appears to be an effective tool in climate science communication. The lesson has passed our scientist review and is recommended for classroom use.
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About the teacher writers
Lindsey Pockl
Lindsey worked with SubjectToClimate to develop accompanying materials for lesson plans for grades 3-12.
