Green Energy and Electricity

Introduction

We hear about renewable resources and green energy all they time.  Many of you can probably list several sources of green energy that are generated from renewable resources.  Of course it is better for the health of our environment if we use as much green energy as possible.  However there are many form resources that can provide us with more energy than green resources, so which should we use?  

How much do you really know about solar or wind power? Are there other types of green energy?  How about non-green energy like natural gas or coal? Can we really make as much green energy as we need to provide us with enough power?  Are we really doing irreparable damage to the environment with non-green energy? And how exactly to we make electricity and then transport it to our homes from any of these sources?

The answers to all of these questions lie ahead!

Good Luck!

Task

Your task at the end of this quest will be to convince consumers that they must switch to one type of energy provider.  It may be a green energy source and it may not.  It all depends on the information you gather and what type of energy source you believe is the best energy provider based on the evidence you collect throughout your quest.

Process

Renewable resources are those that earth has an unlimited supply of.  This resource will naturally replenish over time. On the other hand non-renewable resources exist in finite amounts.  In other words when they run out, they're gone.

Green energy sources use renewable resources to provide energy to people, while non-green energy sources use non-renewable resources to provide energy.

  1. Watch the video below to learn about our natural resources.
    1. BrainPop: Natural Resources
  2. Check out the websites below to learn about some non-green energy providers.  Take a few notes about at least 3 of them.
    1. BrainPop: Energy Resources  (NOTE: this has non-green and green resources)
    2. NatGeo: Non-renewable Resources
    3. Your Dictionary: Non-Renewable Resources
  3. Check out the following websites to learn about some different types of green energy.  Take a few notes on at least 3 of these as well.
    1. BrainPop: Energy Resources  (NOTE: this has non-green and green resources)
    2. Green Living: Renewable Resources
    3. Scholar Schools: Renewable Energy
  4. Choose one type of non-green and one type of green energy to study more in depth.  Use the websites below to help you take more detailed notes on your chosen energy sources.
    1. Non-Green Energy
      1. BrainPop: Fossil Fuels
      2. AEKids: Natural Gas
      3. NEED: Natural Gas
      4. NEED: Coal
      5. WCA: Coal
      6. NEED: Nuclear Power
      7. Science Kids: Nuclear Power
      8. NEED: Oil (Petroleum)
      9. Kids: Oil (Petroleum)

    1. Green Energy
      1. BrainPop: Wind Power
      2. AEKids: Wind Power
      3. BrainPop: Biofuels
      4. AEKids: Biofuels
      5. BrainPop: Solar Power
      6. AEKids: Solar Power
      7. AEKids: Hydropower
      8. NEED: Hydropower
      9. AEKids: Geothermal Power
      10. NEED: Geothermal Power

4. Use the websites from # 3 or those below to learn how electricity is generated by the energy providers you chose.  Take some notes comparing the two resources in terms of the amount of electricity produced using a Venn Diagram.  You also need to create a diagram or two from the websites on how the electricity is made.

    1. AE Kids: Making Electricity
    2. NEED: Making Electricity
    3. GE: Making Electricity
    4. American History: Making Electricity
    5. YouTube: Making Electricity
    6. TSP: Electricity Amount
    7. Electricity Use

Evaluation

Web Quest Rubric
Requirements Points Possible Points Earned
Record 3 facts about two types of non-green energy. 3
Record 3 facts about 2 types of green energy. 3
Record at least 10 pieces of information about our chosen form of energy. 20
Venn Diagram comparing one green and one non-green energy source is well filled in. 10
Create at least one diagram of how electricity is made. 5
Poster contains accurate and convincing information. 10
Poster is neat and visually appealing. 5
TOTAL 56

Conclusion

Your final job is to create a poster comparing your two energy sources.  The idea behind your poster is to convince people to switch to the resource you feel is best.  There is no right or wrong answer as long as you provide the consumer with evidence as to why one resources is better than another!  Use diagrams, pictures, words, and anything else to make your argument.

Credits

Resources

*All resources were first accessed on 7/19/16 or 7/20/16

     

Image Credits

Teacher Page

The purpose of this web quest is to have students compare and contrast a green energy resource and a non-green energy resource.  The will also learn a little bit about how electricty is produced in both cases.  Students must then create a product to try and convince other of which type of resouce is the best.

"Best" is left open to the interpretation of the student.  It could be best for the environment, the best price, the best energy producer in terms of amount or any other number of things.  The idea is for students to provide evidence to support their choice and present their ideas in a clear, and concise manner.

There are many ways this web quest can fit within the 7th and 8th grade Massachusetts NGSS curriculum.  For example it can be fit in with standards MS-ESS3-4,  MS-LS2-5 and MS-ESS2-1, as well as basic inquiry standards.