Building the World's Largest (and Most Controversial) Power Plant

• This resource describes how hydroelectric power plants work and details the largest hydropower plant in the world, the Three Gorges Dam in China. 
• Students will learn about how hydropower plants operate, why Three Gorges Dam is controversial, and the future of hydropower. 

Positives

• The animated video is engaging and easy to comprehend.
• The assessment questions are scaffolded and will quickly determine the student's level of understanding.
• The Dig Deeper section provides links to sources for further reading.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students will need to enter their names or create a TEDEd account to complete the assessment. 
• Prior knowledge of different power sources would be helpful for understanding. 

Differentiation

• Cross-curricular connections could be made in economics or social studies classes by discussing how different types of energy generation impact the economies or governments that support them. 
• This resource lends itself well to creating a pro and con list, either in groups or as a whole class. The list can review the positives and negatives of the Three Gorges Dam and hydropower in general. 
  • As an extension, have students debate the topic, using Dig Deeper resources to help them make their points. 
• Other related resources include this interactive database of global power plants and this video about another controversial power generation technique.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.