Environmental Science · Year 12

Active learning ideas

Non-renewable Energy

Non-renewable Energy focuses on the extraction, processing, and environmental impacts of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Students examine the geological formation of coal, oil, and gas, and the technological challenges of nuclear fission. The unit emphasizes the 'hidden costs' of these resources, including carbon emissions, habitat destruction from mining, and the long-term management of radioactive waste, aligning with AQA 3.3.2.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• AQA 3.3.2.1 Fossil fuels
• AQA 3.3.2.2 Nuclear power

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Nuclear Waste Dilemma

Students are given different types of radioactive waste (represented by cards with varying 'half-lives' and 'toxicity' levels). They must work in groups to design a long-term storage facility, considering geological stability, security, and public perception, then present their plan to a 'local council'.

What are the environmental impacts of coal extraction?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: The Impacts of Fossil Fuel Extraction

Stations feature different extraction methods: fracking for gas, deep-sea oil drilling, and mountaintop removal for coal. Students rotate and record the specific environmental risks of each, such as groundwater contamination, oil spills, and biodiversity loss.

How does nuclear fission generate electricity?

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Future of Nuclear Power

Students read two short perspectives: one arguing that nuclear is essential for a low-carbon future and another highlighting the risks of accidents and waste. They discuss in pairs which argument they find more compelling and why, then share with the class.

What are the challenges of radioactive waste disposal?

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Nuclear power plants can explode like atomic bombs.

  Students often confuse a nuclear meltdown with a nuclear explosion. A peer-teaching activity on the physics of nuclear reactors (focusing on fuel enrichment levels and control rods) helps clarify that a Hiroshima-style explosion is physically impossible in a power plant.

• Natural gas is a 'clean' fuel.

  While gas produces less CO2 than coal when burned, it is still a fossil fuel and methane leaks during extraction (fracking) are a major climate concern. Using a 'life-cycle analysis' comparison helps students see the full environmental footprint of gas versus other energy sources.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share