SDG 7 - Use your own energy to introduce clean energy !

Poster with message “Break free from fossil fuels” (By Eelco Böhtlingk on unsplash.com)

Energy is something we consider to be self-evident. But do we ever wonder where electricity comes from when we turn on the lights, charge our phone, cook dinner, watch tv....? Do we think about the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted when driving our car? That is the point: we do not realise how it impacts the environment, but as soon as there is a power failure or when our car is out of gas, we start to panic. We even start thinking out loud: “How can I solve this as soon as possible?”.

People need to be aware of the fact that our current energy sources are not inexhaustible. The energy sources we use are not beneficial for the environment. You could even state the contrary. Instead of trying to fix shortages or issues from the moment we run out of energy sources, we should find solutions to implement so that we can prevent shortages, and to minimize the negative impact these sources have on the planet. It is time to find solutions. Not in 10 years, not in 5 years but as soon as possible. And students can have an important role to help in the process of increasing sustainable energy use.

In this activity the students will be introduced to the forms of energy we use nowadays and the negative aspects of them. They are encouraged to reflect on their own energy use and that of humans around the world. After the reflection phase, students will actively search for alternative sources of energy in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the last phase of this activity, the students will create useful output for a company/organisation of their choice, by advising how to (locally) have an impact in reducing the ecological footprint of it. When creating this output, they are challenged to think on different levels: individual, local-professional and on macro level (global). This approach raises awareness on the global effects, while being able to make achievable changes on a local level.

Action Areas

Learning Objectives

Cognitive learning objectives:

The learner knows about different energy resources – renewable and non-renewable- and their respective advantages and disadvantages including environmental impacts, health issues, usage, safety and energy security, and their share in the energy mix at the local, national and global level
The learner knows about harmful impacts of unsustainable energy production, understands how renewable energy technologies can help to drive sustainable development and understands the need for new and innovative technologies and especially technology transfer in collaborations between countries

Socio-emotional learning objectives:

The learner is able to communicate the need for energy efficiency and sufficiency.
The learner is able to cooperate and collaborate with others to transfer and adapt energy technologies to different contexts and to share energy best practices of their communities.
The learner is able to clarify personal norms and values related to energy production and usage as well as to reflect and evaluate their own energy usage in terms of efficiency and sufficiency.

Behavioural learning objectives:

The learner is able to apply and evaluate measures in order to increase energy efficiency and sufficiency in their personal sphere and to increase the share of renewable energy in their local energy mix.

Competences

Strategic competency
Critical thinking competency
Self-awareness competency

Instructions

Step 1) Introduction (15 minutes)

Class conversation :

Project the picture “Don’t be a fossil fool” on the screen in front of class. Ask the students what they think the persons in the picture mean by that statement.
Show the video “SDG 7: AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY”
- Ask the students if they already know something about this topic. Is this new information?
- Ask the students if they sometimes reflect on their energy use.
  - Why/Why not?

Step 2) Reflection (30 minutes)

Individually, in class :

Ask the students to draw themselves in the middle of a sheet of paper. This can be done in a very basic way; the goal is to reflect. Give the students the following instructions:

Draw yourself in the middle of the paper.
Write down all the devices you use on a daily basis that consume energy.
- (E.g. your smartphone and charger, electric toothbrush, coffee machine, microwave, lights, laptop and charger etc.)
What means of transport do you use to come to school? Write it down.
Do you work as a student? If so: what kind of energy consuming devices do you work with?

Step 3) Critical thinking competency (30 minutes)

Individually + in class or at home :

Take a look at all of the objects you wrote down.

Which of these do you think are the most polluting for the environment? Draw a red circle around them.
Look up (on the internet or in other sources) alternatives for the objects you circled in red.
- Which one of these could you implement in your own lifestyle?
- Write down alternatives next to the red circles, in green.

- CALL TO ACTION 1

An energetic campaign! (120 minutes - in groups of 2 to 4 - in class)

Divide the students in groups of 2 to 4, depending on the group size. The students will now apply the previous exercise to their educational institution. Give the following instructions:

Take a look at our building. What seems like sustainable energy consumption to you?
- E.g. Lights that go out automatically, limiting the use of elevators, computers that are turned off when they are not used,...
What do you see as points of improvement for our school?
- E.g. too many people using elevators, leaving the school computers turned on, lights that are on in rooms where no one is present, revolving doors that open all the time, leaving on heating systems when no one is around…
Make a small campaign that can be published on the school’s socials (Facebook, Instagram,...)
- Decide with the whole class on a name for a hashtag (e.g.: cleanenergyat*name school*)
- Prepare 3 very short posts per group with tips and tricks for more sustainable energy consumption in the school. Make sure these a) include a picture the students have taken themselves and b) that the accompanying text is very short: 2-3 sentences as a maximum. Save your ideas in a Word document that you will later send to the teacher.
  - Allow the students to walk around the building and take pictures of examples/locations in the school that might become more sustainable when it comes to energy consumption. It is important to use personal pictures to comply with copyright.

Note: The students are allowed to use the same locations and examples because only the most original pictures/texts will be posted online. It works best to use creative and/or funny pictures that involve the students instead of bland and formal pictures of locations.

Ask each group to send the prepared posts in the document to you via email.

It is now up to you to decide if you can post the ideas yourself, or whether you have to contact the responsible of the social media for it.

Tip: In order to keep the conversation on sustainable energy consumption going, it is recommended to spread the posts over a few weeks (3 to 5 in which you post once or twice a week). Posting all ideas on the same day would not have an effect in the long term.

- CALL TO ACTION 2

How to incorporate new technologies in my personal and professional life? (60 minutes - individually, at home)

The students now have reflected on their personal energy use. It is now time to expand this: how will they be able to do this as a professional?

Give the assignment to apply the strategy in the previous step to a company of choice that they are familiar with, in the sector of their field of study. Give the following instructions:

Make the same short analysis as in step 3. List the devices/machines that require energy.
Do they have a large negative impact on the environment? Circle them in red.
Are they neutral? Circle them in blue.
Are they as sustainable as possible? Circle them in green.
Can you find alternative, more sustainable forms of energy? Look up sustainable forms of energy that can be implemented in your (future) field of work. Write these down, in green.
Make a short presentation of 5 minutes to explain your findings.

Requirements

Resources

Click each section below to see all resources available.

Links

“SDG 7: overview”
https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7

Videos

SDG 7: AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

Can 100% renewable energy power the world? - Federico Rosei and Renzo Rosei

Understand Goal 7: Affordable Clean Energy (Secondary)

Notes for Educators

Estimated Total Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes + Call to Action

For a thorough personal reflection, the students need to work individually. In order to foster creativity for the social media posts, it is recommended to work in groups of at least 2 people.
If necessary, additional videos on renewable energy can be shown to the students (see list of videos below).
The call to action depends on the context: If the students do not feel comfortable presenting in front of a possibly large class group, the task can be converted into a short writing assignment.