Energy Resources Today

Lesson Overview

Year Level: Year 11 Life Skills
Subject: Physical Education (PE)
Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 8 students
Unit: Energizing Survival: Nature's Resources
Lesson 11 of 20
Lesson Title: Energy Resources and Conservation

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Curriculum Alignment

This lesson aligns with the NSW Curriculum's Life Skills outcomes within the Physical Education context, incorporating scientific and environmental understanding relevant to student wellbeing and sustainability. It addresses the following key aspects:

• Outcomes:
  • PES11-2 (participates effectively in physical activities promoting wellbeing and sustainability)
  • ES1, ES2 (Energy and Sustainability concepts within the Science and Life Skills frameworks)
• Content Focus Areas:
  • Identification of various energy sources (renewable and non-renewable)
  • Understanding the impact of energy use on personal and community health and wellbeing
• Cross-curriculum Priorities:
  • Sustainability: recognizing human impact on natural resources and promoting conservation strategies

This lesson integrates science content with life skills by fostering awareness and decision-making skills regarding energy resource conservation, directly supporting student participation in health-promoting physical activity and community wellbeing.

Note: The Life Skills curriculum emphasises practical and accessible learning suited to students with diverse learning needs, particularly those with low literacy.

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Learning Intentions (WALT)

We Are Learning To:

• Identify various energy resources in our environment.
• Understand the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy.
• Recognise why conserving energy matters for our health and the planet.

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Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

• List at least three renewable and three non-renewable energy sources.
• Use a simple chart to compare characteristics of renewable vs non-renewable resources (e.g., availability, environmental impact).
• Participate in group discussions to share ideas about why energy conservation is important.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Use of charts with visuals and simple language supports dyslexia-friendly reading.
• Group discussions allow verbal processing and peer support for understanding complex ideas.
• Provide hands-on examples and realia (e.g., images, objects representing energy sources) to enhance comprehension.
• Offer sentences starters and graphic organisers to scaffold writing where required.
• Adjust pace and provide additional explanations for students needing more processing time.

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Resources Required

• Laminated charts illustrating renewable and non-renewable energy sources (with pictures and keywords).
• Cards with pictures and names of energy resources to use in group sorting activity.
• Whiteboard and markers for teacher to summarise and highlight.
• Dyslexia-friendly handouts summarising key points with clear fonts and spacing.
• Simple quiz sheets or interactive digital quiz (tablet or laptop).

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Lesson Breakdown

Time (minutes)	Activity	Description & Differentiation
0-10	Welcome and Recap	Briefly revisit previous lessons on natural resources. Use a simple Q&A to activate prior knowledge. Use visual reminders on whiteboard. Encourage contributions from all to build confidence.
10-20	Introduction to Energy Resources	Use chart with pictures to introduce types of energy (renewable and non-renewable). Explain simply with real-life examples (e.g. solar panels for renewable, petrol for non-renewable). Ensure clarity by repeating terms and asking for student examples. Provide cards for student handling.
20-35	Group Sorting Activity: Energy Resource Cards	Students work in pairs or groups to sort cards into renewable and non-renewable columns on poster boards. Use peer support and teacher prompts. Provide sentence starters for sharing reasoning: “I put ___ here because…” Encourage group discussion to refine understanding.
35-45	Class Discussion: Why Conserve Energy?	Facilitate guided discussion using prompts: How does using energy affect our planet? Why is saving energy important? How can we save energy at school or home? Use a whiteboard to record key student ideas in simple words and pictures. Use think-pair-share to involve all students.
45-55	Energy Conservation Strategies	Present simple, achievable conservation actions (e.g., turning off lights, walking instead of driving). Model actions physically (e.g., mimic switching off a light). Ask students to identify which strategies they already use or could start using. Use visual checklist for students to tick familiar actions.
55-60	Assessment & Reflection	Read short quiz aloud or use interactive quiz tools with verbal support. Questions align with success criteria to check understanding. End with a quick round where each student shares one new thing they learned or a conservation action they will try.

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Teaching Notes

• Keep language simple and jargon-free. Use repetition and visuals.
• Scaffold reading with dyslexia-friendly formatting: clear font (e.g., Arial, size 14+), coloured overlays if required.
• Use concrete examples linked to students’ daily lives to increase relevance and engagement.
• Encourage positive reinforcement during group work to build confidence.
• Remain flexible with timing to allow more discussion or slower processing when needed.
• Link lesson content to physical education by highlighting how energy choices support a healthy environment and active living.

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Assessment

• Ongoing formative assessment via observation of participation and discussion contributions.
• Group sorting activity outcomes assessed informally for understanding of classification.
• Short quiz ensures recognition of key concepts with teacher assistance as needed.
• Verbal reflections provide insight into personal connection to content and goal-setting for conservation.

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I trust this lesson plan demonstrates strong alignment with NSW Life Skills curriculum principles emphasizing accessible, meaningful content in a physical education setting, complete with literacy and learning support strategies. This approach ensures engagement for diverse Year 11 learners while fostering their environmental awareness foundational to sustainable wellbeing.

If you need, I could also provide ready-to-use dyslexia-friendly handouts or interactive quiz questions tailored to this lesson!