Chicago Botanic Garden
Understanding the Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is important, for without it, life on Earth would not exist. An activity that includes modeling the greenhouse effect and acting out the Earth's energy balance makes up the first part in a series of seven...
Curated OER
TV Documentary on Coal
Learners are divided into five groups with each group assigned one of the following topics: how coal is formed, how coal is mined, how coal is used to create energy, environmental impact of coal mining, and the benefits of coal energy....
Curated OER
How Much Does it Cost to Light Your School?
Learners compute the cost of electricity used to light their classroom and their school for various lengths of time. They compute the amount of coal needed to produce the electricity used for one hour of light in their classroom. An...
Curated OER
Residential Power System
Perform data analysis on energy consumption to apply algebraic expressions to the real world. Learners will write and solve equations that answer various questions from residential power use. They will collect data at home and calculate...
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Energizing Resources
Seventh graders describe electrical energy and how it is produced. In this natural resource lesson, 7th graders explain the various ways of obtaining and using natural resources for energy and the environmental consequences. They will...
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Zoo Poo
Students use Internet research to determine the amount of carbon dioxide produced per unit energy for biomass and coal. In this alternative energy lesson, students research to find out how much energy and carbon dioxide several coal and...
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Applied Science - Built Environment (2) Pre Lab
Second graders review how our society affects nature. In this energy lesson, 2nd graders discuss the different ways that energy is collected. They review renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.
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Cooking with the Sun!
Learners access prior knowledge of solar energy and understand that solar energy produces heat. In this solar cooker lesson, students complete grade appropriate experiments using the heat of the sun. Learners complete a worksheet on...
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Greenewables
Students form expert engineering teams working for the (fictional) alternative energy consulting firm, Greenewables, Inc. Each team specializes in a form of renewable energy used to generate electrical power: passive solar, solar...
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Lights Light Up My Life
Students conduct an investigation. In this energy conservation lesson, students observe and make predictions about fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs. Working in groups, students conduct an investigation to compare the two light...
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Climate Change & Coral Activities
Students study how the ocean stabilizes our planet's climates and how global warming is becoming a threat to this fine balance. In this climate change lesson, students identify that fossil fuel emissions are responsible for...
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Geography, Energy, and the Twenty-First Century
Students examine the past and present effects of energy sources on geography in the 21st century. They compare/contrast energy consumption and production in the U.S. and the world, make predictions for future energy consumption, and...
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Fossil Fuels
Fifth graders explore the use of fossil fuels and relate it to effects on the environment.
Kenan Fellows
Electricity: Sources, Usage, Challenges, and the Future
What does the future of energy look like? Junior engineers collaborate to discover a solution to the global energy crisis during a very hands-on lesson. The unit focuses on learning through collaboration to develop a deep understanding...
National Wildlife Federation
Meet the Extractors, Harvesters, and Harnessers: Methods, Technology, Benefits and Consequences in Acquiring Natural Resources
There are advantages and disadvantages to all sources of energy; the trick is determining which one has the least impact! Part six in the series of 12 has learners further explore energy resources. After reading information about one of...
Curated OER
Energy Crisis and Energy Alternatives
In this energy crisis and energy alternatives worksheet, students fill in the blanks of sentences when given terms related to the environment, the energy crisis, renewable resources and non-renewable resources.
Curated OER
What is Coal?
Learners receive instruction to answer the question "What is coal?". They then participate in several puzzles and problems to explore the subject of coal. They solve addition and subtraction problems and match letters with the letter...
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The "Coal LIfecycle" Scrapbook
Students discover how coal is formed. In this science lesson, students create a scrapbook on the life cycle of coal and show how coal is formed by showing pictures of each stage.
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Clean Coal?
Students determine, based on their knowledge of coal pollutants, the effectiveness of clean-coal technologies. They state and defend a position on whether power plants in the United States should be required to upgrade to available...
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Killer Coal
Students explore some of the environmental health risks involved with both the mining and burning of coal. They read articles on coal in the Balkan Peninsula, view the photographs, and then discuss what feelings and thoughts they have...
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The Chemistry of Coal
Students investigate the chemistry of coal. This lesson serves as a review of conservation of mass, simple reactions and equation balancing. During the lesson, students research chemical components of coal, as well as environmental...
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Gotta Have Energy
Students explore energy. They discuss the types and uses of energy and research an assigned energy source. They create a "benefits versus potential environmental impacts" chart that lists energy sources and possible impacts. They...
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The Chemistry of Killer Coal
Young scholars research chemical components of coal, as well as environmental health impacts of mining and burning coal. They discuss conservation of mass as it relates to combustion of organic compounds.
