Can We Generate All Our Electricity from Renewables?
A two-week investigation into wind, solar, and the path to a renewable electricity grid. Students examine global data on energy mix, cost trends, and per-capita consumption — then evaluate the social, economic, and geographic tradeoffs that determine which countries and communities actually transition.
Two-week instructional plan
This topic runs across two weeks. Week 1 establishes the data and introduces wind power. Week 2 deepens into solar, global comparisons, and a culminating country research project. Every week follows the standard seminar rhythm: Perusall reading by Tuesday, data days mid-week, group work, and Friday self-evaluation.
Set the table for the week
Students complete the Perusall reading set by Tuesday at 11:59 PM. Use class time to introduce the question, the rules of engagement, and the rough shape of the two-week arc.
- The Race to Roll Out Super-Sized Wind Turbines is On — CNBC
- Most Americans Support Expanding Solar and Wind — Pew Research
- The US Will Need Thousands of Wind Farms. Will Small Towns Go Along? — NY Times
Optional extensions: Advantages and Challenges of Wind Energy (US DOE), How Does a Photovoltaic Cell Work? (Planete Energies), What is the Future of Wind Energy? (CalTech), Are Wind Turbines a Danger to Wildlife? (The Atlantic), How Governments Spurred the Development of Solar Power (The Economist), The Dark Side of Solar Power (HBR).
Land in Perusall, then surface the conversation
Five-minute Perusall mindful moment: students read at least one article and post a comment, then paste that comment into their notebook. As a whole group, discuss what each cohort's Perusall thread is talking about — what's surfacing that isn't in your room?
Free write, then world renewable energy trends
Mindful moment (5 min): "Which form of renewable energy holds the most promise in the future, and why?" Students free-write in their notebook.
Data work: Open the slide deck. Walk slides 4–8 together as a class to establish what the data shows about global energy generation, the definition of "renewables," and recent growth rates.
Small groups (10 min):
- Group 1 — Wind: Slides 8–9, 14–15, 17
- Group 2 — Solar: Slides 10–12, 29, 31
Each group reports back with what they learned about their renewable. Other students take notes in the notebook.
The Power of Wind
Mindful moment: Six-minute yoga energy break — cameras optional, but encourage students to move. Energy week, energy bodies.
Data work: Watch the video on slide 16 together. Then walk slides 16, 19–27 as a group (save 25 and 27 if time runs short).
Discussion prompts:
- Where does the power in your home come from? How would you actually know?
- What positives do you see in wind power? What negatives?
- How does US wind generation compare with other parts of the world?
- Why and how does space (land use) become an issue? How might we remedy it?
Score your participation, then reflect
Students use the participation rubric to self-score the week and explain their score in the notebook. Guides review during the weekend.
Carry forward, keep momentum
Reading from Week 1 carries forward. Students should be reflecting on the wind data from last week before diving into solar this week.
A closer look at solar power
Mindful moment: Continue the Perusall conversation if discussion threads are still active.
Data work: Walk slides 29–41 of the deck in small groups (10 min per group, then share):
- Group 1: Slides 29–32
- Group 2: Slides 33–36
- Group 3: Slides 38–40
- Group 4: Slides 41–43
Every student in the group should plan to speak when they report back. The notebook has a dedicated "Group Notes" page (slide 13) for this — show your active listening.
Country research project
Mindful moment (5 min): "Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of energy? Why?" Students read slides 44–45 for ideas to spur reflection.
Group work: Each small group is assigned a country to research. What is that country doing for renewables? Where are they investing? What's their timeline? How supportive are citizens? What's driving the shift?
Country options:
- Netherlands · United Kingdom · Canada · UAE
- Japan · Germany · China · or another of your choosing
Groups create a short presentation for Thursday. Every member presents.
Country presentations & the big question
Mindful moment (5 min): "After two weeks of study, do you think we can generate all of our electricity with renewables? Why or why not?" Free-write before presentations begin.
Presentations: Each group shares their country's renewable energy approach. Audience takes notes:
- Which presentation stood out, and why?
- Name five things you learned today.
- What lingering questions do you have? (Optional)
Notebook submission & self-evaluation
Notebook is due by end of day Sunday. Students self-score their second week using the rubric and reflect on how their thinking has shifted (or hasn't) across the full two weeks.
Curriculum connections
This topic naturally bridges several content areas. Use these connections to coordinate with subject teachers or to highlight transferable skills with students.
Science
Circuits, energy conversion, solar photovoltaics, wind turbine mechanics, nuclear vs. renewable comparison.
Math
Data interpretation, percentage comparisons, per-capita calculations, growth rate analysis from time-series charts.
Social Studies / History
Energy policy across nations, the politics of infrastructure, the history of US-China energy competition.
English Language Arts
Analyzing argumentative articles (NYT, MSNBC), evaluating source bias, presenting research findings.
World Languages
Country research connects to language programs — students can pull from sources in their target language.
Seminar Skills
Data-supported argumentation, perspective-taking, evidence citation, collaborative inquiry.
Notes for the Guide
This topic is data-heavy, which is exactly why it works well in a seminar format — students need to read the data and the situation around it. A few things to watch for as you facilitate.
Common discussion traps
- "Renewables = good" shortcut. Push students to articulate specific tradeoffs (land use, intermittency, materials sourcing, displaced workers).
- Debate-mode drift. If discussion turns into "who's right about climate change," redirect to the Seminar Purpose — inquiry, not winning.
- Personal anecdote dominance. Honor lived experience, but pull conversation back to the data and to viewpoints from outside the room.
Where students often get stuck
- Reading charts critically. Many students accept a chart at face value. Use slide 5's "How does this chart define 'renewables?'" prompt as a model question for every visual.
- Per-capita vs. absolute numbers. The Denmark vs. US wind comparison is a great teaching moment for why per-capita matters.
- The country research scope. Groups often try to cover everything. Encourage one or two surprising findings rather than a complete encyclopedia entry.
Differentiation
- For quieter students, the small-group Wednesday/Tuesday format gives lower-stakes airtime before the whole-group share.
- For talkative students, lean into "stretch yourself to listen" — the Rules of Engagement give you explicit language to use.
- The optional reading set offers richer extension for students who want more depth.
Adapting this topic
- Compress to one week: Drop the country research project; combine wind and solar data days. The notebook will need to be edited down — start with the second-week notebook pages and pull what you need.
- Extend to three weeks: Add a policy week — students draft a renewable energy plan for their state or city, with cost estimates.
- Localize: Replace one country research slot with "our state" — students dig into where local power actually comes from.