In this activity, students will work in groups to debate one of two climate change issues in Israel: gas pipelines or electric vehicles.
The resource provides a lesson plan as well as links to resources for students to use for research.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Both debate topics will help students to think about global climate issues in a new way.
The guides can be downloaded and used offline.
Additional Prerequisites
The handout uses the term "fossil gas" which is more commonly known in the United States as "natural gas".
The resource recommends using credible resources for research and provides some examples. It's important to reiterate this with the students.
The teacher's guide presents this as one lesson activity, but it may be more manageable to split it up into two lessons.
Differentiation
The debate topics could be used for a debate club or as an inter-school activity.
Students who enjoy this activity may also enjoy this Climate Science debate activity that focuses on climate change issues in Brazil and this debate activity about limiting the number of visitors to the national parks.
After the debate, teachers could have students write an essay on the pros and cons of the topic they debated.
Scientist Notes
The resource provides students deep analytical prowess on energy debates and lobbying for sustainable and efficient energy production and consumption. This is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-1 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.
MS-ESS3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Civics
D2.Civ.12.6-8 Assess specific rules and laws (both actual and proposed) as means of addressing public problems.
Dimension 2: Economics
D2.Eco.1.6-8 Explain how economic decisions affect the well-being of individuals, businesses, and society.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
