Renewable Energy Lesson: Citizenship
Lesson Plan
1 hour 30 minutesGrades3, 4, 5Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Written by Ashley Nelson, Lindsey Pockl
About this lesson
In this lesson, students gain inspiration from the work of youth activists around the world. Then, students advocate for renewable energy in their schools and communities.
Inquire: Students hear the stories of other young people around the world who are taking climate action.
Investigate: Students write an opinion piece that advocates for renewable energy usage.
Inspire: Students share their writings and reflect on the experience of taking action.
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Everything you need to teach it
How to edit these materials (video)Teaching tips
Suggestions
- This lesson can be split over a reading and writing block, with the Inquire section in a reading class, and the Investigate and Inspire sections in a writing-focused block.
- Students transform into activists in this final lesson in the unit and learn to engage with community stakeholders outside of the classroom.
- Different community stakeholders can be invited as guest speakers or to listen to students’ letters.
- Teachers can highlight specific letter-writing skills using this lesson’s template or provide alternative templates.
- Instead of writing a letter, students can engage in a different form of activism, including:
- Create a video
- Create a Google Slides presentation
- More extroverted students may want to deliver a speech to a school or community leader or sit down with them for a one-on-one discussion.
- There are many options for differentiation in this unit. Students can work individually or in groups as they design their own activism.
Prerequisites
- This is lesson 6 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Renewable Energy Unit.
- If you or your students do not know how to focus your activism, you can advocate for rooftop solar panels at your school if it makes sense.
- Support your students appropriately if they would like to take this project to the next level. Perhaps they could continue their activism before school, at recess, or after school. It may be nice to ask some of your fellow teachers to also support their efforts.
- This lesson plan might lead to the founding of a student activism group!
Differentiation
- For the read-aloud, consider playing just a few stories from the book or pausing at regular intervals for students to share what they are thinking and noticing. It may also be more engaging to procure a copy of the book and read it aloud yourself in your own style and pace.
- The interactive map can be overwhelming for students to navigate on their own. It can be best for Teacher to display the map and guide students through how to use it, or show students the renewable resources in their area.
- The Student Document includes two different templates for writing the letter with different amounts of scaffolding depending on the grade level and writing abilities of your students.
- Students can identify local stakeholders and their involvement with renewable energy programs in their community.
- Students can identify and research current uses of renewable energy in their school or community.
From the scientist review
This lesson introduces students to understand the importance of renewable energy and how they can advocate for energy and climate justice in their community. All materials embedded in the lesson are thoroughly sourced. Accordingly, this lesson is recommended for classroom use.
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About the teacher writers
Ashley Nelson
K-2 Science and Technology Teacher
Ashley has been teaching for 16 years and has taught in Vietnam, Thailand, California, and Virginia. She is passionate about teaching STEM, computer science, and technology and empowering teachers to try new things in their classroom practice. She is also a certified Yoga and Mindfulness teacher and believes we must take care of our inner world to care for our external environment properly. She lives in Richmond, Virginia and loves vegan cooking, climate change activism, and connecting to the natural world.
Lindsey Pockl
Lindsey worked with SubjectToClimate to develop accompanying materials for lesson plans for grades 3-12.
