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Energy's Hidden Truth?

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Lesson Plan

Energy's Hidden Truth?

Students will be able to identify and describe different types of non-renewable energy sources and explain their formation, uses, and environmental impacts.

Understanding non-renewable energy sources is crucial for students to make informed decisions about energy consumption, evaluate global energy challenges, and consider the environmental implications of human activities.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

This lesson uses an engaging slide deck, interactive discussion, and a quick reflection activity.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Markers/pens, Slide Deck: Non-Renewable Energy, Warm-Up: Energy Starter, Discussion: Energy Dilemmas, and Cool-Down: My Energy Footprint

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction & Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Begin by presenting the Warm-Up: Energy Starter question on the board or via the slide deck.
    - Allow students 2-3 minutes to individually brainstorm or jot down their thoughts.
    - Facilitate a brief class share-out of initial ideas, prompting students to think about where their daily energy comes from.

Step 2

Exploring Non-Renewable Energy

10 minutes

  • Present the Slide Deck: Non-Renewable Energy to introduce different non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels, nuclear).
    - Discuss the formation, extraction, uses, and environmental impacts of each type.
    - Encourage questions and provide clear examples relevant to students' lives (e.g., gasoline for cars, electricity for homes).

Step 3

Class Discussion: Energy Dilemmas

10 minutes

  • Transition to the Discussion: Energy Dilemmas.
    - Divide students into small groups or conduct a whole-class discussion using the provided prompts.
    - Encourage critical thinking about the pros and cons of non-renewable energy and its role in society.

Step 4

Cool-Down & Wrap-Up

5 minutes

  • Distribute or display the Cool-Down: My Energy Footprint activity.
    - Have students complete the cool-down individually.
    - Collect responses as an exit ticket or briefly review key takeaways from the lesson.
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Slide Deck

Energy's Hidden Truth?

Where does our energy really come from? And what does 'non-renewable' even mean?

Welcome students and introduce the topic of energy. Ask them to think about where their electricity comes from, or what powers a car. Transition to the main question of the lesson.

What is Non-Renewable Energy?

Definition: Energy sources that cannot be replenished in a human timescale.

  • Formed over millions of years.
  • Finite supply.
  • Once used, they're gone forever (on our timeline!).

Explain what non-renewable energy is. Emphasize the 'finite' aspect and that these resources take millions of years to form, meaning they cannot be replaced within a human lifespan.

Fossil Fuels: Coal

  • Formation: Decayed plant matter compressed over millions of years.
  • Uses: Primarily for electricity generation.
  • Impact: Major contributor to air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Discuss Coal. Talk about its formation from ancient plants, its primary use (electricity generation), and its environmental impact (air pollution, greenhouse gases).

Fossil Fuels: Oil (Petroleum)

  • Formation: Decayed marine organisms compressed over millions of years.
  • Uses: Gasoline, diesel, plastics, asphalt.
  • Impact: Oil spills, air pollution from burning.

Discuss Oil (Petroleum). Talk about its formation from marine organisms, its widespread uses (transportation fuel, plastics), and its environmental impact (oil spills, emissions).

Fossil Fuels: Natural Gas

  • Formation: Often found with oil, from marine organisms.
  • Uses: Heating homes, electricity generation.
  • Impact: Burns cleaner than coal/oil, but methane leaks are a concern.

Discuss Natural Gas. Explain it often forms with oil, its uses (heating, electricity), and its environmental advantages (burns cleaner than coal/oil) but also its challenges (methane leaks).

Nuclear Energy

  • Source: Uranium, a radioactive metal.
  • Process: Nuclear fission releases massive amounts of energy.
  • Pros: Very efficient, produces no greenhouse gases during operation.
  • Cons: Radioactive waste, safety concerns.

Introduce Nuclear Energy. Explain it's from uranium, not fossil fuels. Talk about the process (fission), its high energy output, and the waste disposal challenge.

The Big Picture

  • Non-renewable resources are essential to our current way of life.
  • They are finite, meaning they will eventually run out.
  • Their use has significant environmental consequences.
  • What are the alternatives?

Summarize the key issues. Reinforce the idea of limited supply and the environmental trade-offs. Ask students to think about why we still rely on these sources.

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Warm Up

Warm-Up: Energy Starter

Take a moment to think about your day so far. What sources of energy have you used, seen, or benefited from?


List at least three examples and briefly describe how they are connected to energy.





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Discussion

Discussion: Energy Dilemmas

Work with your group to discuss the following questions. Be prepared to share your thoughts with the class.

Question 1: Our Energy Needs

Consider how much we rely on non-renewable energy sources in our daily lives. What are some advantages of using these types of energy right now?





Question 2: The Downside

What are the biggest challenges or disadvantages associated with non-renewable energy sources, both for the environment and for future generations?





Question 3: A Future Without?

Imagine a world where non-renewable energy sources are completely depleted. What would change? How would society adapt? Think about transportation, electricity, manufacturing, etc.










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Cool Down

Cool-Down: My Energy Footprint

Reflect on today's lesson about non-renewable energy. Answer the following questions:

  1. Name one non-renewable energy source and one interesting fact you learned about it.


  2. How does your daily life connect to non-renewable energy? Give one specific example.





  3. What is one small change you could make, or one question you now have, regarding your energy use?










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