Task 4, Lesson 1: Oil Drilling Proposal

AP Topics Formative Assessment OpportunitiesFossil Fuel Resources & Use: Extraction methods, world reserves and global demand, environmental advantages/disadvantages of sources

Discussion of Drilling 101 video Notebook tool Material tool

The Atmosphere: Atmosphere-ocean interactions, EÑSOEarth Science Concepts: Solar intensity and latitudeGlobal Water Resources and Use: Ocean circulation

Learning Objectives Formative Assessment OpportunitiesStudents will learn about how oil is extracted from under they ocean using offshore oil rigs

Discussion of Drilling 101 video

Students will review what they know about the global supply and demand for oil

Notebook tool

Students will learn about arguments for the need for more drilling off the shores of the United States

Notebook tool Material tool

Lesson Steps in Brief Pacing1: Framing In 52: View to Learn: Offshore Drilling (Video) and the Oil Drilling Proposal

20

3: Read to Learn: Offshore Drilling: Risks 454: Read to Learn: Think Again: Offshore Drilling

10-45 (may be assigned as homework)

5: Homework Application & Preparing for Town Council Meeting

30

6: Framing Out 5

Total time: 115-150

Materials:

What is it? Drilling 101: How a Deep Water Well is Drilled (5:31): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do9dz6ypD7w

OA_T4_L1_Offshore_Drilling.pdf OA_T4_L1_Think Again_Offshore Drilling.pdf OA_T4_Material_Tool

Oceans, Task 4, Lesson 1: Oil Drilling Proposal 1

OA_T1_L2_Notebook Tool

Teacher Background and Planning Notes: In this task, students evaluate the proposal to drill for oil offshore of the island. Begin this lesson by asking what they already know or have heard about off-shore drilling. Students may remember the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico; it’s not necessary to give them too much background at this point, as they will learn a lot more in the upcoming lessons about the benefits and risks of offshore drilling.

As in the previous task, there are two tools that will help students form their arguments and write their position papers. These tools mirror the tools from Task 3, but they are to be used for the oilrig. Again, they are intended for continuous revision as students learn new information. Allow time for groups to discuss and work on the material tool. Students should use the 3 lenses to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the oil rig. Again, only one tool per group should be used. This will facilitate discussion and understanding of the proposal’s complexities.

Students will need to form ally groups in response to the oil drilling proposal. Although this is their first time in ally groups for the oil proposal, the students should have a pretty good sense for each other at this point and may not need much time to form groups.

Keep in mind the Town Council objective is not to decide between the two proposed industries. They can choose to adopt one, both, or neither based on the sustainability of each option. As a Town Council they can also ask for modification of the proposal to make them more sustainable.

There are additional FRQs on ANWR, Fracking, and Energy Consumption in a folder titled OA_T4_Related FRQs for extended AP practice.

Lesson Steps in Detail

Step 1: Framing In

We have spent some time developing our positions about the fish farm. We now need to evaluate the oil drill proposal. Remember, your task as town council is to decide which industry, if any, they would like to adopt, and under what conditions. The goal is to find the most sustainable options for the community. It is not an “either/ or” decision.

Step 2: View to Learn: Offshore Drilling; Oil Drilling Proposal

NOTEBOOK TOOL: Before beginning these lessons, have students set up new pages in their Notebook Tool for Task 4 (Oil Rig) using the same format they used for Task 1, 2, & 3.

Before Viewing: Discuss what students already know about off shore drilling. What do

Oceans, Task 4, Lesson 1: Oil Drilling Proposal 2

they think they would need to know in order to evaluate the proposal? Begin to make a list of questions.

Many students may not be familiar with the process of offshore drilling, so watch this video that shows your students how it works:What is it? Drilling 101: How a Deep Water Well is Drilled (5:31): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do9dz6ypD7w

PURPOSE: Students should watch in order to learn: What is the process of getting oil from under the ocean? What is done to prevent environmental damage? What questions are not answered by this video on the process of

offshore oil drilling? Who created the video and what was their motivation to make it? (i.e.

what did they want you to get from this video)

During Viewing: Have student write down responses to the purpose questions in their

Notebook Tool (OA_T1_L2_Notebook Tool.docx)

After Viewing: Discuss answers as a class and continue to add to the class list of

questions – some of these may be answered by the upcoming readings, and some you may answer or students can research if so inclined.

Have students take out the offshore drilling proposal distributed in Task 1. Have them re-read the proposal and note new details that stand out now that they know more about the island ecology (Task 2) and offshore drilling.

Step 3: Read to Learn: Offshore Drilling

Risks of offshore drilling: Offshore_Drilling.pdf (article from National Resources Defense Fund)

PURPOSE: Read to learn about some of the risks associated with offshore oil drilling.

Before reading: One of the questions students may have raised in the previous discussion is, “Why do we need to drill off shore for oil?” Just as aquaculture is a response to increasing global food needs and the decreasing supply of wild fish, students will be better able to consider the oil rig proposal in light of the global and national thirst for oil. Discuss with them to establish an understanding of why offshore drilling has become popular.

Hold a brief discussion with students about what they already think they know about off shore drilling, including potential risks and benefits. In the next two reading, students will learn new information and confirm/refute their prior knowledge. Draw students’ attention to the author of this article and how the

Oceans, Task 4, Lesson 1: Oil Drilling Proposal 3

affiliation may influence the information presented (National Resource Defense Fund).

During reading:o Students read in pairs.o Have them mark important background information about offshore

drilling regardless of the position they will take on their proposalo Encourage students to mark benefits/advantages of offshore drilling

with a + sign and any risks/problems with a – sign.o Students should also note any parts of the text that are confusing or

raise questions (? annotation)

After reading: Have students review their annotations and then enter information in their Notebook Tool (Task 4). Review what and how to record information. Discuss the following:

o The potential environmental, economic, and social/cultural risks of offshore drilling

o How oil rig owners might mitigate the riskso How this information has influenced their thinking in their role

Step 4: Read to Learn: Think Again: Offshore Drilling

Benefits of offshore drilling: Think Again (article from Foreign Policy) Think Again_Offshore Drilling.pdf

PURPOSE: Read to learn why offshore drilling in United States waters may be viewed as an environmentally, economically, and socially sound decision.

This reading can be done in class or assigned as homework. The prior reading done in class should help students know how to approach this one. If it is done in class, follow the procedures outlined in Step 3. If assigned for homework, use the following.

HOMEWORK:PURPOSE: Read this article to learn about why offshore drilling in United States waters may be viewed as an environmentally, economically, and socially sound decision. Notice the authoring group and consider how this may have influenced the content of the article.

USE: Tomorrow, when you come to class, you will use the annotations and notes you take in your Notebook Tool tonight, along with the notes you took today (on the risks of offshore drilling) to analyze the evidence and make a decision about your position on the oilrig proposal. You will need to support your decision and consider alternatives using evidence.

PROCEDURE: As you read, annotate the article as you did today in class (important background information, +/-, questions, etc.). After you

Oceans, Task 4, Lesson 1: Oil Drilling Proposal 4

finish reading and annotating, take notes in your Notebook Tool under each section.

Step 5: Homework Application & Preparing for Town Council Meeting

In their ally groups, have students discuss the information they learned about BOTH positions on offshore drilling (risks and justifications). They should discuss and rethink how, in their role, they would view the offshore proposal given the information these articles (Offshore Drilling & Think Again).

While still in their ally groups, have students make a new poster for their ally group’s position on the oil rig. The class should follow the same procedure for these initial oilrig ally groups as they did for the fish farm.

As before, students should do the following to identify their position (later, they can move between groups as their thinking changes): Have students review their roles and their preliminary positions from Task

1. Review Notebook Tool and star or highlight 2-3 pieces of information that

support how they feel about the oil rig. Based on this review, have students choose which of the following position

statements that best represents their current thinking:1. I strongly support the oil drilling proposal2. I mostly support the oil drilling proposal but need more information3. I am undecided about whether to support or oppose the oil drill

proposal4. I mostly oppose the oil drill proposal but need more information5. I strongly oppose the oil drill proposal

Use these 5 position statements to form groups. There should not be more than 3-5 students per group. Some popular positions will need to be sub-divided into more than one group.

To think about how the group will present their strongest arguments to the town council, they will use the OA_T4_Material_Tool as a template for a group poster. This will be displayed in order to get community feedback, but is intended to be a working document, rather than a final product. These can be displayed in conjunction with the fish farm Material Tool posters since both will be used in Task 5.

Each group will use their Notebook Tools to inform their arguments recorded on the poster. They will need to evaluate each argument in terms of island sustainability, the town mission statement, and quality of scientific evidence.

Remember there is to be one material tool per group (Template can be found in the document OA_T4_Material_Tool). Remind students that this is a tool to help them start to prepare for the town council meeting. Students should use the 3 lenses to brainstorm reasons their role/ally group would be for or against the offshore rig, given what they know about offshore drilling now.

Oceans, Task 4, Lesson 1: Oil Drilling Proposal 5

As you circulate, use what they write as formative assessment data (to see what they are understanding about offshore drilling) and use it as a common object to discuss their thinking about the tensions around this issue. Let them know they will revise their reasons on this tool as they learn more. Post each group's tool; this will help them prepare their argument for the town council meeting. NOTE: Student’s will be able to change ally groups if their opinion changes over time.

You may want to also have students work on their position paper focusing on a response to the offshore drilling proposal using this new information about the need and process of offshore drilling. They can use their Notebook Tools along with the information the ally group just added to the material tool.

Framing Out:We have a good sense of the process of oil drilling and why we do it. Yet there are some big environmental risk factors associated with this industry. We need to understand all of the risks and benefits involved with the proposed oil rig to best evaluate its sustainability for our community.

Teacher Notes on this lesson:

Oceans, Task 4, Lesson 1: Oil Drilling Proposal 6