About This Lesson
Thinkalong.org is a free, evidence-based interactive tool for students to develop media literacy skills by applying the 5 Key Questions of Media Literacy to public media content. Importantly, the tool does not require registration for teachers or students, abides by student privacy laws, and is advised by a board of both youth and educators.
Each module consists of:
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a compelling and timely question;
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related current and age-appropriate public media content including audio, video, and text;
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extension resources for advanced or highly-interested students;
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student graphic organizers;
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a simple debate tool;
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a teacher's guide to the module;
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and a guide to the 5 Key Questions of Media Literacy.
This Teacher's Guide supports the Is nuclear power a better option for energy than fossil fuels? module on thinkalong.org. Here is the full module and below is a summary.
As the debate over how to mitigate global climate change continues, one of the biggest issues is how to replace fossil fuels that create carbon emissions with clean and sustainable energy. While wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower are big contenders, there's a renewed interest in nuclear energy as a way to provide efficient power. But with the fallout of well-known disasters like Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima hanging over the industry; the environmental impact of uranium mining and storing radioactive waste; and the costs of building and maintaining reactors, is nuclear power really a better option than fossil fuels?
To use this module with learners in any setting, we recommend using one of the structured discussion formats outlined at thinkalong.org/structuring-discussions. You can find options for a small or large group, so that all students or just a few participate, and examples of some discussion formats.
