In the following lesson students learn how geologists locate fossil fuels by using a straw to extract "core samples" from a model that has different layers. Student sheets are provided in English and in Spanish.

A case study approach on fossil fuels is provided along with an objectives and question and answer section in learning more about this environmental subject.

For this activity, students read informational text on natural gas and compare it to other fossil fuels for its greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact. They then prepare a pro or con position on whether natural gas is good...

Energy production from natural gas is less destructive to the environment than energy produced from coal, but it is still produced from fossil fuels. While advances have been made in reducing its detrimental effects, our resources are...

In this lesson, students investigate sources of fossil fuels, particularly oil. Students will learn how engineers and scientists look for oil by taking core samples from a model of the Earth. Also, students will explore and analyze oil...

There's a game of Tetris happening on a global scale: The playing space is planet Earth, and all those pesky, stacking blocks represent carbon dioxide- a greenhouse gas that is piling up ever more rapidly as we burn the fossil fuels that...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes the air pollutants released from fossil fuels, biomass burning, and volatile organic compounds.

A collection of facts about energy use broken down into various topic areas, e.g., health impact of fossil fuels, transportation, energy consumption, alternative energies, etc.

Burning fossil fuels is causing the planet to heat up, causing weather patterns to change, sea levels to rise and diseases to spread. Scientists are concerned with the rising temps of Earth.

Canada's Petroleum Heritage website is a learning resource that presents the oil and gas industry from past to present. Its rich history, the challenges it faces today and its future potential are explored. The site showcases the people,...

Interactive learning activity examines the global carbon cycle and describes the exchanges of carbon between the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land and fossil fuels.

In this What's Up in the Environment? video segment, an electrical engineer in Virginia and his 13-year-old son explain how they produce electricity in their home. [3:58]

Explains what gasoline is and the different terms used for it, describes how it is produced, and what effects different properties of a gasoline can have on its performance. Also discusses how the composition of gasoline varies depending...

The World Wildlife Fund offers a comprehensive overview of climate change, also known as "Global warming." Content includes basic information about the process and its effect on the environment, the science to back it up, conservation...

In this intimate talk filmed at TED's offices, energy innovator Amory Lovins shows how to get the US off oil and coal by 2050, $5 trillion cheaper, with no Act of Congress, led by business for profit. The key is integrating all four...

The buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising faster than at any time since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The burning of fossil fuels is largely to blame.

This lesson focuses on the scarce and non-renewable nature of fossil fuels in order to stimulate student thinking about energy conservation. It emphasizes the fact that saving energy can be good for the wallet as well as the earth's...

Provides good information about oil made from petroleum. Covers production, offshore drilling, fuel products made from crude oil, the refining process, and environmental issues. Includes helpful charts and maps.

This article discusses New England's developing hybrid power grid, a network that relies on a variety of energy resources, including fuels and alternative energy sources and technologies. The ongoing transformation to renewable energy is...

Learn what the International Institute for Sustainable Development is doing in Canada to help ensure that clean, alternative energy sources are used in the future.

With this resource, users join investigators in the exploration of humans' use of and dependence on the many energy resources. Learn about new technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration as an alternative to reduce our carbon...

Examine these graphs from the NOVA/ FRONTLINE Web site to see dramatic increases in the temperature of Earth's surface and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Learn how natural gas forms, how scientists find it beneath the Earth's surface, and how it is produced, stored, and transported.

This site provides an in-depth exploration from PBS into the international issue of global warming. Find out why scientists believe the global climate is changing, and explore actions certain governments have taken to prevent this...