Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Trustworthy sources

20 minutes

Find Out: Misinformation on social media

25 minutes

Take Action: Hi Neighbour

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

understand how misinformation can affect public perceptions of clean energy.

Success criteria

Students can:

explore how community-led programs can advocate for and support adopting clean energy practices.

Tune In: Trustworthy sources

Step 1

To get your students thinking, write the following quote by Mitchell Kapor on the whiteboard:

‘Getting information off the internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant’ (Source: Goodreads.com)

Step 2

After reading the quote aloud to students, invite them to share their thoughts regarding the provocation quote with the person next to them for 2 minutes.

This provocation aims to get students thinking about how they consume information on the internet, how they can filter misinformation and disinformation from the facts, their ability to critically evaluate information, and the source they are getting it from.

Learning extension: Provide students with examples of clean energy myths and their scientific counterarguments using Skeptical Science. Invite students to share their thoughts.

Step 3

Introduce the concept of misinformation and disinformation to students. You may like to explain that misinformation is false or misleading information shared unknowingly. It occurs when someone believes something true but is mistaken, such as misquoting a news report about the weather. Disinformation, on the other hand, is the deliberate spread of false information with the intent to deceive or manipulate, often to influence public opinion or obscure the truth.

Both play a significant role in media and public discourse, particularly in climate science and clean energy, where misinformation and disinformation can shape policies and public perceptions.

Find Out: Misinformation on social media

Step 1

Explain to students that misinformation and disinformation are often spread throughout social media. Read the case study from this article (npr.org: Misinformation is derailing renewable energy projects across the United States) with students.

Case study - Citizens for Clear Skies

On a winter night in early 2016, Jeremy Kitson gathered in his buddy's large shed with some neighbours to plan their fight against a proposed wind farm in rural Van Wert County, Ohio. The project would be about a mile from his home. From the beginning, Kitson - who teaches physics and chemistry at the local high school - knew he didn't want the turbines near him. He had heard from folks who lived near another wind project about 10 miles away that the turbines were noisy and that they couldn't sleep.

‘There were so many people saying that it's horrible, you do not want to live under these things,’" Kitson says.

He and his neighbours went on the offensive. ‘I was just like, there's got to be a way to beat 'em,’ he says of the developer, Apex Clean Energy. ‘You got to outsmart them. You got to figure out the science. You got to figure out the economic arguments. You got to figure out what they're going to say and figure out how to counter it.’

At the shed, according to Kitson, they agreed that part of their outreach would involve posting information on a Facebook community page called ‘Citizens for Clear Skies,’ which ultimately grew to more than 770 followers.

In between posts selling anti-wind yard signs and posts about public meetings opposing local wind projects, there were posts that spread false, misleading and questionable information about wind energy. Links to stories about wind turbine noise causing birth defects in Portuguese horses. Posts about the health effects of low-frequency infrasound, also called wind turbine syndrome. Posts about wind energy not actually reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Photos of wind turbines breaking, burning and falling - some in nearby counties and states, but some in Germany and New Zealand.

Kitson, the administrator of the Facebook page, says he knows that these accidents aren't typical. ‘Those events are not likely. We know that,’ Kitson says. But Kitson has seen a broken piece of a fallen turbine blade himself, which got him worrying about how the fiberglass might affect the integrity of the soil and the crops. So he posts the photos and articles, many of which he receives from an anti-wind email list. ‘I do that just to try to show people what's possible.’

Kitson's group is one of dozens in the United States and abroad that oppose utility-scale wind and solar projects. Researchers say that in many groups, misinformation is raising doubts about renewable energy and slowing or derailing projects.

(Source: npr.org: Misinformation is derailing renewable energy projects across the United States)

Step 2

If possible, have students explore the Citizens for Clear Skies Facebook Page (facebook.com/notowind). Students work in pairs to answer the following questions on the Student Worksheet:

What is the claim or misinformation in the case study and/or Facebook posts?
What evidence is used to support the claims (if any)?
How does this compare to the scientific consensus on the issue?

They may need access to their devices to research the scientific consensus surrounding the claims in more detail.

Step 3

Invite students to share their responses with the class.

Take Action: Hi Neighbour

Step 1

Introduce students to the organisation Hi Neighbour (hineighbour.com.au). You can explore the website with your students to learn together. Explain that this organisation brings the community together to help local businesses loan upfront costs for solar rooftops and training scholarships to support local fossil fuel workers transitioning to clean energy.

Step 2

As a class, watch the following video about Hi Neighbour.

Will you join the party? Hi Neighbour (youtube.com/watch?v=o2r6AJIm9NU)

Step 3

Students are to write a newsletter article addressing the following prompts:

What is 1 key benefit of combining community advocacy with clean energy adoption?
How could an organisation like Hi Neighbour combat the spread of misinformation about clean energy?
How could a program like Hi Neighbour impact your local community?

The newsletter must reference the Hi Neighbour initiative, and any other relevant information they source, using their devices to combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation and the benefits of community advocacy.

Step 4

Students pair up to share their articles and provide constructive feedback. Allow students time to apply the feedback before submitting their newsletter article to you for review.

Share the news! Brainstorm with your class an exciting and engaging way to share their newsletter articles with the community and their circles of influence.

Reflection

Hand out a sticky note to each student. Their task is to write a 1-sentence response to the question: What is 1 thing you learned today about how misinformation or community advocacy impacts clean energy adoption?

Invite students to stick their notes to an area of the classroom.

Advocacy to Adoption

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

Success criteria:

Students can...

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

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