Rosebank: Energy at Sea
Aims
Explore life on a North Sea oil ship and the debate over what energy the UK should produce.
The lesson, stage by stage
- News10 min
In the news: The story
Read a 138-word news story: A Job at Sea, and a Choice About Energy
The Rosebank oil field lies far out in the North Atlantic, where the weather can be rough. Workers live on a ship called the Petrojarl Rosebank, often spending two weeks there before going home for three weeks. The ship is offshore, so workers cannot simply go to a shop or visit family. The field holds large reserves of oil and gas, but it still needs government approval before it can produce them. Workers say the project could provide jobs and energy, while campaigners warn it could add to climate change. A key question is how the UK should balance energy needs with lower emissions. Some people want more oil and gas, while others say the country should move faster towards renewable energy such as wind and solar. The decision could affect both workers and the wider energy shift.
- Vocabulary8 min
Vocabulary: Words in the news
6 items
- Discussion10 min
Discussion: Life offshore
2 discussion questions
- What do you think would be the best and hardest parts of spending two weeks offshore?
- Would you enjoy working somewhere far from shops and family? Why or why not?
- Discussion10 min
Discussion: Energy choices
2 discussion questions
- What kinds of energy do you think your country should invest in most?
- How might a move towards renewable energy affect workers in older industries?
- Discussion10 min
Discussion: The bigger picture
2 discussion questions
- When a country needs energy, what should matter most when leaders make a decision?
- What changes do you expect in energy use over the next twenty years?
Target vocabulary
In a Tuton account these words become your student's vocabulary deck, so they come back in practice between lessons.
- offshore
- in the sea, away from the land
- reserves
- supplies of something stored or still underground
- approval
- official permission for something to happen
- emissions
- gases released into the air, often by fuel
- renewable
- made from a source that nature replaces
- shift
- a change from one way to another
This plan comes from the Environment course in the Tuton library. Browse all free lesson plans.