Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

5 minutes

Tune In: The cost of electricity

20 minutes

Find Out: Exploring the cost of energy insecurity

25 minutes

Take Action: Mini data investigation

10 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

understand what energy insecurity is and how it affects remote First Nations communities
investigate how scientific knowledge (e.g., understanding energy use, heat, supply systems) helps communities identify problems and respond.

Success criteria

Students can:

explain why energy costs more and is less reliable in many remote communities
describe how prepaid meters work and why they can lead to unsafe power cuts.

Tune In: The cost of electricity

Step 1

Share the following graphic with students:

Source: Original Power and Solar Calculator

Pose the question:

Electricity is described as an ‘essential service’. Why might households in remote communities pay so much more than city households for an essential service?

Engage students in a class discussion around this question. Introduce the notion of fairness, explaining that they will explore this in more detail throughout this lesson. Explain that because the topics being explored relate to individual and community financial vulnerabilities, students have a responsibility to engage respectfully and empathetically with these topics.

Find Out: Exploring the cost of energy insecurity

Step 1

Share the following videos with students. As they watch, ask students to pay attention to anything that feels surprising or unfair, and encourage them to take notes as they watch:

Video 1: Borroloola project (watch until 02:48)

Update on the Borroloola solar homelands project 2023 – (vimeo.com/802904528?fl=pl&fe=sh#end=2m48s)

Video 2: Crisis of prepaid energy

The hidden crisis of prepaid energy in First Nations communities –(youtube.com/shorts/-eBlEesRx_s)

Video 3: Ending energy inequality

The report Fighting to End Energy Inequality – (youtube.com/shorts/n9QgL3gi8Xo)

Once complete, engage students in a discussion around what they found surprising or unfair.

Step 2

Write the term ‘energy insecurity’ on the board and explain that:

Energy insecurity is when people cannot reliably afford or access the energy they need for everyday life, such as heating, cooling, lighting, cooking, and using essential appliances.

Explain to students that energy insecurity can affect many parts of daily life. When people do not have consistent access to energy, it can impact their health, comfort, education, and ability to carry out normal activities at home. You can also highlight that energy insecurity is often influenced by factors like high energy costs, low household income, poor housing conditions, and limited access to energy services, which can make it harder for people to meet their basic needs.

Step 3

Break the class into 7 groups and give each group one set of The Right to Power - Quotes Factsheet. Ask each group to read and discuss their quotes, focusing on what surprises them or feels unfair.

Invite students to share their quotes and reflections with the class, recording key themes on the board, such as heating and cooling, food, medicine, hygiene, access to charging points, and the high cost.

Through your discussion, pose the following questions:

In what ways do you think these quotes reflect experiences of energy insecurity?
What everyday tasks become difficult when power cuts happen suddenly?
Have you ever experienced a power disconnection? What was it like? How did it make you feel?
What challenges with getting the power back on are described through these quotes?
Does a prepayment system seem fair to you?

Take Action: Mini data investigation

Step 1

Students will now conduct a mini data investigation by examining data on how people in remote households in different parts of Australia experience electricity disconnections. They will examine a dataset gathered from surveys and create a graphic based on the information.

Break the class into groups and give each group a set of data from one state or territory from The Right to Power - Data Sets Factsheet.

Using this data and the questions below (also available on the Student Worksheet), students can design a digital (e.g. Canva) or hand-drawn graphic that:

is visually appealing and correctly references the data,
communicates the main challenges households face in accessing electricity,
compares data to a metropolitan or urban area,
describes the main impacts of electricity disconnections, and
attempts to address one or more of the following questions (adjust according to students):
- How might the risk of food being spoiled affect the food households buy?
- How might the risk of no communication access affect schooling or work?
- How might electricity disconnections affect the elderly?
- How might electricity disconnections affect people your age?
- How might the system of prepaid electricity meters contribute to energy insecurity?

Students could include a map in their graphics and could create charts or graphs based on the data.

Learning differentiation: Students familiar with the cause-and-effect chains explored in Lesson 1 could include a chain in their graphics, for example: High cost → Less ability to top-up meters → Frequent disconnections → Health risks → Increased insecurity

Step 2

Ask students to share their graphics with the class. Pay attention to how experiences of electricity access and disconnections are similar and different across regions, and speculate on why this might be the case. Consider factors such as climate, environment, infrastructure, and population size.

Reflection

Direct students to the Reflection section on the Student Worksheet and ask them to work in pairs to create a 90-second advocacy pitch titled ‘Energy is a Right, Not a Privilege’.

It should include a definition of energy insecurity, an example of energy insecurity encountered in this lesson, and one possible solution to alleviate it.

They have 2 minutes to prepare their pitch! They can then deliver their pitch to another pair.

Energy Insecurity on Country

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

Energy Insecurity on Country

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