Renewable & Non-renewable Energy Resources

A lesson about renewable and non-renewable sources of energy for 4th, 5th and 6th grade

Teachers' notesLesson objectives

Objectives – Students will be able to: Assessments

Understand how non-renewableenergy resources are made

Whole class discussion, andcompletion of student guide

Understand the basic concepts of sixdifferent renewable energy resources

Whole class discussion, and completion of student guide

Consider advantages and disadvantagesof renewable and non-renewableenergy sources

Class discussion and end of lessonactivity

Lesson objectives Teachers' notes

Subject:

Topic:

Grade(s):

Cross-curricular link(s):

Science

Energy, renewable and non-renewable resources

4th, 5th & 6th grades

Mathematics, ELA

Lesson notes:

See the teacher's guide for this lesson for additional information.

What is energy?

> Energy is needed to power all sorts of living and non-living things. > People need energy to move, breath and play. We get energy from food.> Non-living things need energy to power themselves.> Energy is present in many forms and can change forms.

How do you define energy?

Write your thoughts here:

Energy and Your Life

Energy is needed for many aspects of our daily life to go smoothly:

Fuel for transportation

Heating/cooling homes and other buildings

Electricity

But where does the energywe use come from?

U.S. Energy Consumption

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Showing what you know

In the United States, 93% of our energy comes from non-renewable resources, and 7% comes from renewable energy.Using a graph, how could you illustrate the percentage of renewable and non-renewable energy utilized by the United States?

Non-renewable energy resources

In our words, non-renewable energy is: Non-renewable energy also:

Non-renewable resources take a long time to make and cannot be replaced once they are used. Most non-renewable resources are made from fossil fuels.

Non-renewable energy:

Fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are a primary source of non-renewable energy

Fossil fuels come from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.

Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum oil and natural gas.

Fossil fuels are used to heat buildings, fuel vehicles and make electricity.

Let's learn more about fossil fuels:

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=77641

How petroleum & natural gas are made

How coal was formed

So what's wrong with fossil fuels?

Pu ll

Oil is difficult and costly to drill for and gather, so the cost of oil continues to rise

Pull

Pull

Natural gas is cleaner than many other fossil fuels, but scientists think reserves of gas will be gone by 2085.

Pull

Pull

Burning coal is a main cause of smog, acid rain and toxic substances in the air.

Our alternative is renewable energy.

* comes from energy resources that can be easily replenished * utilizes resources that are safer and cleaner for Earth & people* utilizes resources that have multiple purposes* needs more research, investment and practice to have expanded success

Let's learn more about the five types of renewable energy!

plants like soybeans, corn and sugarcane produce ethanol, an alcohol that a type of transportation fuel

oils from vegetables can be used to make biodiesel

cow manure, garbage and wood products can be burned for heat or to make electricity

Let's learn more about bioenergy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kloBSpvxkJY&feature=related

Renewable energy source:

Bioenergy

Bioenergy in the U.S. today

.

PullPull

Wood and Wood Waste

About 84% of the wood and wood waste fuel used in the United States is consumed by industry, electric power producers, and commercial businesses. The rest is used mainly for heating in homes. Many manufacturing plants in the wood and paper products industry use wood waste to produce their own steam and electricity.

Landfill WasteToday, we throw away about 4.5 pounds of trash every day. What are we going to do with all our trash? Landfills can burn garbage in special waste-to-energy plants and use its heat energy to make steam to heat buildings or to generate electricity. There are about 90 waste-to-energy plants in the United States. These plants generate enough electricity to supply almost 3 million households

Pull Pull

Bioenergy in the U.S. today

PullPull

Animal Waste

Some farmers collect all of the manure, dirt, and waste from their barns in large tanks, or digesters. Inside the digester, methane gas is separated from the liquid and solid waste. The methane gas can then be used to generate electricity to light a barn, or to sell to the electric power grid.

Gas from Landfills

Organic waste produces a gas called methane as it rots. Landfills can collect the methane gas, treat it, and then sell it as a commercial fuel (natural gas is often used for heating & cooling homes). It can also be burned to generate steam and electricity.

Today, there are almost 400 operating landfill gas energy projects in the United States.

Pull Pull

Environmental Impact of Bioenergy

* Bioenergy pollutes the air when it is burned--not as much as fossil fuels

*waste-to-energy plants produce air pollution that can be dangerous to people and the environment

* some ash produced from burning is used to build roads, cement blocks, and even artificial reefs for marine animals

*using crops for fuel may limit their other uses (food)

*using plants to make ethanol or biodiesel may offset carbon dioxide emissions because plants absorb carbon dioxide as they grow

Hydropower, or water power, is using of moving water to make energy. Energy can be harnessed from rivers, dams, waves or tides.

Let's learn how hydroelectric power works --

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEL7yc8R42k

Renewable energy source:

Hydropower

Content/writing space

Hydropower in the U.S.

Hydropower is one of the oldest sources of energy. Hydropower is the renewable energy source that produces the most electricity in the United States. It accounted for 6% of total U.S. electricity generated and 67% of energy generated from renewables in 2008.

Environmental Impacts of Hydropwer

* A dam to create a reservoir may obstruct migration of fish

* A reservoir or operation of the dam can change the natural water temperatures, chemistry, flow characteristics, and silt loads, leading to changes in the ecology of the living environment

*Reservoirs may cover important natural areas, agricultural land, and archeological sites, and cause the relocation of people

*Greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane, may also form in reservoirs and be emitted to the atmosphere

The Earth's daily wind cycle can be used to produce energy. Wind energy is most often used to make electricity.

Today’s wind turbines use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy and then convert it to electricity.

Let's learn how wind can make electricity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kx3qj_oRCc&feature=related

Renewable energy source:

Wind Power

Wind Power in the U.S.

In 2008, wind machines in the United States generated a total of 52 billion kilowatthours, about 1.3% of total U.S. electricity generation. Although this is a small fraction of the Nation's total electricity production, it was enough electricity to serve 4.6 million households or to power the entire State of Colorado. Generation from wind in the United States nearly doubled between 2006 and 2008.

http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_installed_capacity.asp

In 2008, wind machines in the United States generated about 1.3% of total U.S. electricity generation. That's enough electricity to serve 4.6 million households or to power the entire State of Colorado!

Generation from wind in the United States nearly doubled between 2006 and 2008.

The Environmental Impact of Wind Power

* wind power plants produce no air or water pollution because no fuel is burned to generate electricity

* negative effect on wild bird populations

* visual impact on the landscape

* other energy must be used at times when the wind isn't blowing strong enough

The sun's heat and light can produce energy called solar power

Let's learn how solar power works:

Renewable energy source:

Solar Power

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZO2gtWY2iY&feature=related

Over 10,000 individual U.S. homes and businesses use solar energy for their own electricity and/or heat today.

Pull

Pull

Solar Power in the U.S.

There are nine solar power plants in California's Mojave Desert. They are the largest solar generating plants in the world.

Pull Pull

Tucson is one of 25 cities designated as a Solar America City by the U.S. Department of Energy. These solar panels help to provide electricity for the whole city.

Pull Pull

* produces no air or water pollution and no greenhouse gases

*large solar thermal power plants can harm desert ecosystems if not properly managed.

* Birds and insects can be killed if they fly into a concentrated beam of sunlight

*Some solar thermal systems use hazardous fluids to transfer heat.

* Using water for regular cleaning of solar plant equipment may affect the ecosystem in some arid locations.

The Environmental Impact of Solar Power

Geothermal energy is heat from within the Earth. It comes from volcanoes, hot springs and geysers. People can harness this heat as steam or hot water and use it to heat buildings or generate electricity.

Let's see how it works:

Renewable energy source:

Geothermal Power

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfUQy86ZMpQ

Geothermal Energy in the U.S.

A geothermal heat pump system consists of pipes buried in the shallow ground near the building. Water circulating in the pipes carries heat into a building in the winter and pulls heat out of the building in the summer.

Geysers in California supply power for several plants. These power plants emit only excess steam and very minor amounts of gases.

Most geothermal resources in the United States are found in the western U.S.

Why do you think this is?

Geothermal Resources in the U.S.

The environmental impact of geothermal power

* Direct use and heating applications have almost no negative impact on the environment

* Geothermal power plants do not burn fuel to generate electricity, so they release less than 1% of the carbon dioxide emissions of a fossil fuel plant

* emit 97% less acid rain-causing compounds than by fossil fuel plants.

*Steam and water from a geothermal reservoirs are placed back into the Earth after being used.

* Laws protect the use of geothermal features in national parks

Renewable Energy--Past, Present & Future

People and communities have been using renewable energy for hundreds of years. Why do you think renewable energy sources aren't more popular forms of energy? List some advantages and disadvantages of energy sources.

Advantages Disadvantages

Rank these factors when considering an energy source

Most important

Least important

efficiency of source

Cost of improving/expandng

Effects on the environment

geographic area where source is used

ability for source to be used on it's own

individual homes/businesses can use

entire community can use

research currently done on source

Sharing what you know.

Select one of the following:1. Construct a timeline highlighting the history of one renewable energy resources over the last 100 years. You will need to include at least 12 facts about the history of the energy resource. Include photos or illustrations of your resource's history as well.2. President Obama has said that renewable energy should be a priority in the United States. Do you agree or disagree? Write President Obama a letter telling him a. If you agree or disagree and why; b. what renewable energy resource(s) you think the U.S. should focus their expansion efforts on and why. Remember, your letter should be persuasive while keeping in mind your audience. You must use facts about energy to back up your feelings!3. Create a poster advertising support for one form of renewable energy. You must use graphics/illustrations, as well as brief text to persuade viewers to support your energy resource. Your ad must have a title, a slogan and a paragraph of information synthesizing why someone should support the energy resource.

You will be graded for this activity using a rubric that assesses your participation and knowledge development over the course of this lesson.

The future is up to us!

People are using non-renewable energy faster than the Earth can create it.

without other energy resources that can be produced quickly and safely, we will run out of the resources we need to keep us warm, provide us with electricity and run our vehicles

References & Resources

Benduhn, T. (2009). Energy for Today: Oil, Gas and Coal. Weekly Reader Publishing: NY.Benduhn, T. (2009). Energy for Today: Solar Power. Weekly Reader Publishing: NY.Benduhn, T. (2009). Energy for Today: Water Power. Weekly Reader Publishing: NY.Benduhn, T. (2009). Energy for Today: Wind Power. Weekly Reader Publishing: NY.Biomass? Maybe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEL7yc8R42k.Energy Kids. United States Energy Information Administration. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=1.Facts about solar energy and solar power. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZO2gtWY2iY&feature=related.Fossil Fuels with Bill Nye. http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php? video_id=77641Geothermal Energy Process. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=rfUQy86ZMpQHow Wind Turbines Generate Electricity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kx3qj_oRCc&feature=relatedHydroelectric power--how it works. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=cEL7yc8R42kPetersen, C. (2004). Alternative Energy. Scholastic Inc: New York.U.S. Installed Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations. http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_installed_capa city.asp