Teaching Tips

• Print Energy Source Jigsaw Reading pages (1 of each example unless you have more than 32 students), familiarize yourself with the EPA mapping tool, and print and cut out the weather report cards (optional) in advance.
• They include a mindfulness exercise called "weather report" where students can assess how they are feeling during the activity.
• The reading level of the jigsaw readings in Appendix E is high school, but this could be lowered by shortening sentences and using simpler words.

About the Content

• Students learn about different types of energy (renewable and nonrenewable) and uses of energy impact climate change causing greenhouse emissions. The lesson is for students to compare and contrast different energy sources, focusing on the hidden negatives and positives for each source.
• This lesson uses data from the EPA's US emissions. Different energy sources are listed in background materials.
• Passed initial science review – expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

• The teaching sequence is listed, including past activities explaining differences between climate and weather. The lesson beings with a comprehensive introduction to climate change including a list of key vocabulary terms.
• Included are 4 activities that involve looking at a county map and determining energy use, reading about different types of energy sources (8 in total including photos and resources), use of a map where kids identify sources of energy use, and finally solutions to reduce energy use.
• Also included are mindfulness activities for students, as this lesson could evoke strong emotions as it might address/conflict with misconceptions/values they might have.
• Students create a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast different energy sources.
• Students will be working in groups, so creative solutions will be needed to engage students that might not thrive in group settings.

• This resource engages students in using scientific data.
  See other data-rich activities

Technical Details/Ease of Use

• The information is readily available and the lesson plan is simple to follow and run. The activity does not require any additional materials from the teacher or school.
• Requires the use of a computer, but there is no cost associated with it.
• Links attached to the lesson plan PDF are not available, some of them work but most do not link to any site. Teachers may have to search for these resources.
• This is lesson #3, it builds on two previous lessons.