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Preparation time: 10 min
Teaching time: 90 min

Drafting a Position Paper on the Use of Renewable Energy

Students will reflect on their experiences and knowledge gained about energy production and use them to draft a position paper on the importance of saving energy at all levels – from the individual to the state. It will be sent to selected community members. The paper will be produced in collaboration with a language teacher.

Format

  • Discussion
  • Group work

Age

  • 11-12

What

The possible connections with your curriculum

  • Citizenship
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Language
  • Science
  • Social Sciences

Who

The people who take up the teacher role

  • Other school personnel
  • Teacher

Where

The locations where learning takes place

  • Classroom

With

The community stakeholders to collaborate with

  • Municipality

Ready for action?

Resources

Human Resources

Language teacher

Preparation

Liaise with a language teacher.

Goals, messages & concepts

Specific goals

  • Promote involvement and social responsibility in the context of sustainability and conservation of the planet.

Specific messages

  • One way to promote the use of renewable energy is to persuade policymakers that the issue is important by submitting a position paper signed by state residents.

Main terms

  • renewable energy
  • position paper

Practices & skills

STEM practices

  • Analysing and interpreting data
  • Constructing explanations and designing solutions
  • Engaging in argument from evidence
  • Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
  • Asking questions and defining problems

Soft skills

  • Teamwork and collaboration

Management skills

  • Planning
  • Use of resources

Course of activity

step 1

Working in groups, students will draft a position paper about the need and importance of switching to the use of renewable energies, with reference to the following points:

  • To whom do they want to send the position paper? Who sets policy? (School principal? The municipality? Central government? Which officials/department?)
  • Why is it important to increase our use of renewable energies and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels? 
  • How can we reduce our use of fossil fuels?
  • Include a practical recommendation for an action/s that can be implemented immediately. 

step 2

The paper will be put together with the help of a language teacher and sent to those members of the community the students have selected.