Published by Australian Academy of Science
Activity 7 | Prospect or suspect – uranium mining in Australia

Exporting uranium: a debate

Hold a debate on one of the following topics:

• That Australia should stop exporting uranium so that there will be less risk of nuclear warfare.
• That if Australia wants to export uranium it should do so from deposits other than those in national parks.
• That Australia should continue to export uranium so that the pollution of the atmosphere with carbon dioxide can be reduced.

Teachers notes

Debates are only effective if the participants are well informed on the topic. Encourage students to prepare for a debate by having them individually produce a summary of appropriate facts, or by dividing the class and having half prepare arguments for one side of the topic and half prepare arguments for the other side (either individually or in groups). Alternatively, the debate could be preceded by a discussion of the topic, followed by an opportunity for students to collect information highlighted by the discussion.