Framework for Energy Transition Lesson Plans

By Chloe Faught and Gillian Petrini

In the following pages you’ll find six lessons you can use to help guide your students in their understanding of what it means to be a human on this Earth today — to be in a time where our actions as a species have put the Earth in peril of becoming one that is severely disrupted for us as well as the billions of other beings with which we share our home. Our reliance on burning fossil fuels and the resulting carbon emissions have created a climate crisis that requires swift, immediate, and pivotal actions to transition to renewable and clean energy sources that do not emit greenhouse gases. Students today are living in this time of transition — a time that has already been impacted by both the changes in climate and the actions to mitigate climate impacts. It is important that young people are informed, that they have a critical lens, and that they know the urgency of the climate crisis while maintaining a sense of hope grounded in clear-eyed realism. It is also key that they know that the adults they look up to are doing something about this issue — that they are listening and acting. This energy transition is happening now — hopefully orienting us toward a society in balance with our natural systems. The energy transition can give us hope; it is a process wherein students can find promising changes in technology, policy, and behaviours and see that the adults of today are increasingly invested in these changes. Supporting our students in understanding the full complexities of our time and this transition can challenge them to collaborate and work together while developing critical core skills to take action for a sustainable and regenerative world.