Overview
How can we navigate the modern world and simultaneously care for planet Earth and all the creatures that inhabit it? The unintended consequences of relying on fossil fuels are extensive and long lasting. Assessing risks versus benefits is a tool we can use to make decisions about types of energy for the future, and we can use this tool to weigh the value of other important choices we are faced with.
Objectives
Students will be able:
- To understand the impact of three major oil spills in U.S. history on people, the oil companies and public policy.
- To research and explore the impact of different types of alternative energy sources.
- To practice environmental stewardship and how to express understanding through art.
Subjects
science, social studies, media literacy, civics, social studies, ELA
Grade Levels
Grades 6-12
Estimated time
One or two 50-minute classes
Supplemental Links
Google doc version of this lesson (you will be prompted to make a copy)
Background
- In 1971, two Standard Oil Company of California tankers collided and resulted in a spill of 800,000 gallons of oil that threatened wildlife inside and outside of the San Francisco Bay. Thousands of Bay area residents volunteered to clean up the beaches and to rescue birds that were soaked in the oil.
- In 1989, the Exxon Valdez, a super tanker, crashed into Bligh Reef in Prince William’s Sound, Alaska, and spilled 10.8 million gallons of oil and affected more than 1,300 miles of shoreline. The oil killed an estimated 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 bald eagles, 22 killer whales and billions of salmon and herring eggs. More than 25 years since the spill, the status of killer whales and several species of seabirds in the area is either “not recovering” or “unknown.”
- In 2010, the oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, and resulted in the death of 11 workers. The accident spilled over 4 million barrels of oil over an 87-day period, before it was capped on July 15, 2010. The spill itself and the chemicals used in the clean up continue to negatively impact marine wildlife, beaches and coral reefs. In 2014, a United States District Court judge ruled that BP was negligent and reckless and was mainly responsible for the spill. In 2016, BP agreed to pay $20.8 billion in fines.
Dead bird after 1971 San Francisco Bay oil spill. After the spill, an estimated 7,000 birds were soaked in oil, the majority of which, like the bird in this photo, died. Photo courtesy of Ilka Hartmann.
Cleanup worker on the beach after Exxon Valdez. National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration, U.S. Department of Commerce . March 22, 2019.
“ New science shows Gulf spill is still killing dolphins .” PBS NewsHour. May 20, 2015. Scientists have linked the deaths of over 1000 bottlenose dolphins to the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill.
Note: If there is time, you may also want to watch “ Gulf watch: one year later ,” July 14, 2011. Via American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), WUSF.
Warm-up activity
- Read the background information, examine the photos and watch the video clip.
- Respond in writing to the following questions:
- What questions do you have?
- How is the BP Oil Spill different from the 1971 San Francisco Bay and Exxon Valdez oil spills? Name 3 differences.
- In the video clip: What do you notice about the questions Judy Woodruff asks? What do you notice about how William Brangham explains the data and information the scientists found in their study?
- What are some ideas you have about energy for the future?
Main activity
Materials:
- Paper
- Markers, crayons, paint (use any medium available)
- Ruler
Procedure:
- Choose one of the following forms of energy to read about and take notes (bullet points are fine):
- Consider what you’ve learned about the oil industry and what you’ve read and taken notes on about either solar or wind energy. Then choose a stance (this is your thesis!):
Stance 1: To promote the continuation of oil as a main energy source.
Stance 2: To curb the continuation of oil as a main energy source.
Stance 3: To promote the expansion of the solar energy industry.
Stance 4: To promote the expansion of the wind energy industry.
- Justify your stance with reasons (this is your evidence that supports your stance).
Stance:
Reasons:
- Use art and text to get your idea across. Include these components in your artwork:
- Make one large drawing or painting, (any medium), and create an image that relates to your stance.
- Add a “headline” (your stance) using a sentence with a maximum of five words. Example: “Preserve Wildlife With Solar Energy”
- Add five other words incorporated somewhere within your artwork that support your stance. Example: “Renewable,” “Safe,” “Respects Wildlife,” “Clean.”
Extension activities
- PBS NewsHour's Classroom lesson on Southern California Oil Spill. This lesson examines the effects of the 2021 pipeline offshore oil spill near Long Beach California.
- PBS NewsHour's Classroom lesson on becoming an agent for change through Sustainable Development Goals . This lesson asks students to examine the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and use it as a guide in finding ways to make positive changes to our global community.
Standards
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3)
Specific roles played by citizens
Citizens’ and institutions’ effectiveness in addressing social and political problems
Common Core
RI.6.3-RI.8.3 Analyze connections between individuals, ideas, or events CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a source; providing an accurate summary
About the lesson author
Dina Weinberg has worked with children and teens in public and private schools for the past 25 years. She taught middle school English, worked as a teaching artist on large scale collaborative mural projects, created and led a Seed to Table Garden program and taught fine art to children for the last 20 years. Her approach to teaching and learning stems from her belief that every person has the right to grow in a fulfilling, enjoyable, and safe way. Dina currently works one-on-one with students on expository, personal, and historical writing skills; math and science, and building organizational skills. She is the mother of two grown daughters and lives in Bronx, New York, with her husband.
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