Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: First Nations clean energy project stations

20 minutes

Find Out: Case study analysis

25 minutes

Take Action: Infographic task

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

synthesise insights from multiple First Nations-led clean energy projects
develop a strategic plan in response to environmental, social, cultural and economic factors
communicate a clear vision for enabling community energy sovereignty and youth leadership.

Success criteria

Students can:

analyse case studies and identify the lessons they offer for sustainable futures
create a realistic community power plan that includes environmental, social and economic impacts
communicate a convincing, well-structured vision for clean-energy futures.

Tune In: First Nations clean energy project stations

Preparation

Display the case studies from the First Nations Clean Energy Projects Factsheet at different stations around the classroom.

Step 1

Distribute one copy of the Student Worksheet to each student and direct them to the first task. Ask them to walk around the classroom, visiting the case study stations you have set up and reflecting on each project using the questions provided on the Student Worksheet.

Step 2

Once complete, invite students to share their reflections with the class, considering the following questions:

Were there any similarities between the challenges the communities faced that led them to seek a clean energy solution?
What evidence did you see for the roles of science, culture and leadership in these projects?
How can First Nations communities be involved in designing and managing their own clean energy projects?

Through your discussion, lead students to the concept of energy sovereignty, for example, whether or not communities should be able to decide how their energy is generated, stored and shared.

Find Out: Case study analysis

Step 1

Students will now work in teams to analyse and explain what each case study contributes to our understanding of community-led decision-making, the role of scientific knowledge, economic opportunities arising from clean energy projects, and the importance of considering culture.

Students can use the information already provided in the case studies and conduct their own online research (note: a number of these case studies feature in interesting news articles that can be sourced online). A good place to start with this research includes the following websites:

First Nations Clean Energy Network - Energy projects (firstnationscleanenergy.org.au/energy-projects)
Original Power (originalpower.org.au/)

Students can use the information on the Student Worksheet to guide their analysis. Students can record their research in the table on the Student Worksheet (or create their own), and then synthesise this information by responding to the questions on the Student Worksheet.

Learning differentiation: Adjust the number of case studies, the analysis topics (for example, economic opportunities or scientific knowledge), or the reflection questions based on your cohort. Alternatively, you could work as a class to complete some or all of the analyses.

Step 2

Invite students to share their responses to the synthesis questions through class discussion.

Take Action: Infographic task

Step 1

As a class, explore the Building Capacity of Proponents Toolkit (proponents-toolkit.firstnationscleanenergy.org.au/?utm_campaign=building_capacity_of_proponent&utm_medium=email&utm_source=fncen) by the First Nations Clean Energy Network. Explain to students that this toolkit has been: "created to equip proponents, governments and investors with the guidance needed to engage First Nations early, meaningfully, and on equal terms, offering clear, practical guidance leading to strong agreements, shared equity, and benefits for all" (Source).

Step 2

Invite students to work in pairs or small groups to create an infographic for their community that:

Outlines the key points of this toolkit.
Uses examples from the case study analysis as evidence to support these points.
Is visually appealing.
Provides suggested resources to find out more (for example, students could add QR codes with these links).

Learning differentiation: Adjust the number of points covered in the infographic based on your cohort.

Step 3

Groups could provide feedback on another group's infographic using a feedback sandwich (i.e. identifying two things they thought the other group did well and one point for improvement).

Reflection

Complete the lesson by inviting students to join a reflection circle based on the following question:

What kind of energy future do we want to shape, and what part could we play?

Designing Future Community Power Plans

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson

Designing Future Community Power Plans

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson