Students will develop a clear understanding of the differences between scientific facts, expert opinions, and social perceptions when it comes to clean energy. They will be able to identify perspective, bias, and falsehoods in texts. They will be able to use facts, evidence, and strong argumentation to support a claim with a global and local context. Students till develop their knowledge base about energy sources and the benefits of clean energy. 

Guiding Questions:

What should be our criteria for a good source of energy?

How do we learn about energy sources—through knowledge, belief, or media-driven opinions?

What are the environmental and social implications of energy choices?

How is energy portrayed in entertainment and news media?

How can we determine whether an argument about energy is credible?

How do energy issues relate to careers and our local/family contexts?

Big Ideas:

Clean energy refers to renewable, sustainable energy sources with minimal environmental impact.

Public opinion and media portrayals influence energy debates and perceptions.

Media literacy enables us to evaluate arguments, identify bias, and distinguish between truth and misinformation.

Clean energy solutions are complex and context-dependent.

Careers in clean energy are diverse and growing.

Prior to instruction beginning, send home the family clean energy survey Clean Energy Unit – Family Survey: Perceptions of Clean Energy. Obtain survey data on 1-2 members of students’ households. 

Week 1 – 

• Introduce the unit’s essential question –  “How do different media shape our understanding of clean energy, and what responsibilities come with having such power?”
• Engage students with a quick-write or discussion on the famous line from Uncle Ben Parker (Spiderman, 2002), “With great power comes great responsibility.” How might it relate to both electric power and the power of information? Consider using a think-pair-share or other structured student interaction strategy.
• View the short clip Renewable Energy 101 | National Geographic and start a KWL chart of student knowledge – what do they Know, what do they Want to know, and later return to document what students Learned as a reflective activity.
• Assign the following activity. Students will perform a CRAAP test of an introductory text from a scientific journal, perform annotations, and respond to relevant comprehension and reflection questions. Clean Energy Responsive Annotation
• Introduce students to clean energy vocabulary at the start of the week, and consider a short quiz or a fun formative activity like a Kahoot at the end of the week. Clean Energy Unit – Vocabulary List

Week 2 –

• Use the SBCE ENERGY Slides to provide direct instruction, or have the students engage with the slides directly and learn the basics about energy and energy sources. Then, organize into groups of 3-4 and assign different energy sources to be studied. Students will complete an Energy Poster and present on their energy source the following week. Links in the slides are included to reputable sources for information, but feel free to provide additional info sheets. A 4-point holistic rubric is provided
• Begin media analysis tasks daily using the Argument Evaluation or Source Evaluation tools, and/or a variation of the Clean Energy Responsive Annotation –Clean Energy Unit – Argument Evaluation Graphic Organizer Clean Energy Unit – Source Evaluation – The CRAAP Test
• Have students view varied media presentations of different energy sources. Ideas for these activities include:
• Hybrid vehicles and social perceptions: Flaunting Your New Ride – SOUTH PARK
  • Simpsons Solar Eclipse!!
  • → Textual connection: Speech: “All the world’s a stage” | The Poetry Foundation 
  • → Question: Is the cartoon arguing that people who drive EVs or Hybrids are smug, or is it saying something deeper about how we perform our roles in society?
  • → Question: What is the social impact of this presentation of hybrid technology on the public? Are we more or less likely to want to purchase a clean energy vehicle after seeing this cartoon?
• Range anxiety and its impact on EV adoption: 
  • The Simpsons – High Speed Racing!
  • → Textual connection: Is it right to be worried about getting stranded in an electric car? | Business | The Guardian
  • → Question: How do common social scripts around range anxiety get reflected in our media, and how does this impact our social behaviors? 
  • → Question: What is the social impact of this presentation of EV and solar weaknesses on the public? Are we more or less likely to want to purchase solar or clean energy vehicles after seeing this cartoon?
• Solar power’s fatal weakness – clouds?:
  • The Simpsons Mini Episode – The Cosmic Ballet
  • → Textual connection: Do Solar Panels Work When It’s Cloudy? Here’s What You Need to Know – CNET
  • → Textual connection: Star Power: A Look at Solar Energy in Pop Culture
  • → Question: Are there effective solutions for the criticisms and problems with solar that are commonly portrayed in entertainment?
  • → Question: What is the social impact of this presentation of solar weaknesses on the public? Are we more or less likely to want to invest in solar after seeing this cartoon?

Week 3 –

Arrange for a final assessment based on your preference or student preference. Final assessment options include:

• Debate: Students are grouped into teams for a formal debate on a resolution, such as, “Chula Vista should prioritize [assigned energy source] as its primary clean energy investment.” One side argues in favor, the other against or for an alternative solution. Teams must incorporate evidence from unit resources (and additional research if desired) to support their arguments and also anticipate counterarguments (such as addressing safety concerns, cost, reliability, or media misinformation). 
• Op-Ed Writing: Students individually write a persuasive op-ed or open letter on a clean energy topic of their choice, addressed to a local governing body, official, or news outlet. It could be an op-ed for the school newspaper about installing solar panels on campus, a letter to the editor responding to common misconceptions about wind power, or an opinion piece analyzing how an energy issue was covered in the media. Students must take a clear stance and support it with well-chosen facts from what we’ve studied (for instance, citing a statistic from an infographic or referencing the Simpsons episode as a hook or counterpoint). Students can then peer-edit drafts, focusing on argument strength, effective language, and proper attribution of facts as a formative step before delivering their final product.
• Multimedia Presentation: Students create a short multimedia project (2–4 minutes if video, or ~5 content slides if a slideshow) that explores the reality and perceptions of a clean energy issue. For example, a student might create a video titled “Solar Energy: Hype vs. Reality” that uses clips/images from anti-solar viral video with voiceover commentary providing factual corrections and clarification. They might choose to do a slideshow presentation for the class embedding images and bullet points summarizing differences, along with data from research. Students planning multimedia projects must outline their content and ensure they too have a strong thesis message. A peer review can also be embedded in this project.