Introduction

Engage your students in a discussion on how your country manages its domestic energy and supports global energy needs! With energy policy always in the news, it’s a perfect opportunity to host a classroom debate on national energy policies. Students can explore various approaches to energy management and their potential impact on both their country and the global environment and economy. This debate will encourage critical thinking and connect classroom learning with real-world issues.

Length: Part 1: 2-3 Lessons, Part 2: 1 Lesson, Optional Final Step: 1-2 Lessons

Materials

• Student Handout: Debate Planner
• Assessment: Example Rubric

Preparation

National Energy Issues Debate Suggestions

• Should the government incentivize an increase or decrease in the use of coal/natural gas/petroleum?
• Should the government continue to approve the building of new oil pipelines?
• Should the country continue to aim for reaching the Paris climate agreement targets for greenhouse gas reductions? Why or why not?
• Should the government increase or decrease regulation of the fracking industry?
• Should the government go forward with approving new LNG projects, or stop approval of the building of new LNG export facilities?
• Should the government support increasing or decreasing nuclear power’s capacity?
• Should the government take steps to drive or decrease the growth of the offshore wind project and the offshore wind industry overall?
• Should the government implement policies to promote a mandatory transition to electric vehicles, or promote free markets in the auto industry?
• Should the government continue to support the construction of dams to generate hydroelectric power?
• Should the government advance the development of geothermal energy as an electricity source? Why or why not?

Read to the Class

“The goal of this debate is to analyze the benefits and drawbacks of national energy policies. We will debate about how these policies affect our environment, their economic implications, and their sustainability in the long-term. By the end of this debate, we hope to have a better understanding of which energy policies best address the overlapping considerations of energy, environment, and economy.”

Part 1: Research

To prime the pump, consider showing this episode from the Energy Switch TV Series, New Geopolitics of Energy, which explores how energy sources may change through the 21st century.

The teacher will need to choose a debate question which will be the focus of the debate. It could be one of the suggestions above, or another question that is a current energy issue in the news cycle.

Students should be divided randomly into two groups: for and against (affirmative or negative).

To prepare for the debate, students should do the following:

1. Build foundational knowledge of basic energy concepts before jumping into research of the specific issue they will be debating. Explore Switch Classroom’s free resources to do just that.
   
   Switch Classroom has free lessons that dive deeper into each of the energy sources, from coal to nuclear energy. If students are going to be debating the topic of oil pipelines, then they can also build basic knowledge of the topic through Switch Classroom’s lessons on the topic of oil. Switch Classroom has lessons on each of the major energy sources and can be used to build foundational knowledge of whichever energy source students will be debating.
   
   Another source that students can use to gain insight on the U.S. and the world’s energy needs is the EIA’s International Energy Outlook Table, showing that energy consumption is increasing everywhere and the use of all energy sources is up globally. To manipulate the graph, select each region to see the predicted energy demand.
   
2. Research the stance of their assigned energy policy platform on the topic they will be debating. Students can use this Debate Planner Printable to guide their research.
   
   The teacher could also share this handout on Media Decoding from Project Look Sharp to encourage students to be able to recognize bias and use reliable sources that bring both sides of the debate to the table. A good place to have students start research is by choosing some sources from this list from Common Sense Media, Best News Sources for Kids. You can filter results based on the age of your students.
   
   After determining their platform’s priorities, students can then research their arguments, with sources and evidence to back them up, using the Debate Planner Printable to organize their research.

Part 2: Debate

Ground Rules

1. Listen respectfully to all arguments.
2. Base your points on facts and evidence.
3. Address counterarguments thoughtfully.
4. Maintain a constructive and respectful tone throughout the debate.

Debate Flow

1. Opening Statements: Each side will present their arguments for or against the energy topic being discussed.
2. Rebuttals: Each side then has the chance to respond to opposing arguments.
3. Questions and Answers: Open the floor for questions to clarify and challenge the points made.
4. Closing Statements: Each side will summarize their key points and arguments.

Assessment

Example rubric that teachers can use to assess the debate. Students should be given a copy of the rubric as they do their research, so they know how they will be assessed.

Optional Final Step

A final task would be to have each student write a position letter to candidates for national leadership and/or other elected officials explaining what the energy focus should be for the nation. This could also serve as an opportunity for reluctant debaters/speakers to demonstrate their research completed for the debate. It could also serve the purpose of allowing students to express their true thoughts after the debate.