Fossil Fuels
As the human population increases, as developing countries become more industrialized, the demand for energy continues to skyrocket. Mankind's quest for cheap, reliable energy has lead to a great number of environmental disasters. Nonrenewable energy sources are the ones that we utilize the most, but are also the most damaging. This unit explores the environmental costs of the generation of energy from coal, oil, and natural gas. By the end of this unit you will learn about the extraction of these resources, the political consequences of oil, and the air pollution and waste made by each.
Fossil Fuels Powerpoint
Purpose: In this lecture, you will learn the origins and applications of each of the three fossil fuels, including coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Specific issues covered include surface and subsurface coal mining, oil drilling and spills, and the debate over hydraulic fracturing.
Essential Concepts: Nonrenewable energy, fossil fuels, coal, natural gas, petroleum, oil, coal mining, strip mining, oil drilling, electricity generation,power plants, generator, turbine, hydraulic fracturing.
Essential Concepts: Nonrenewable energy, fossil fuels, coal, natural gas, petroleum, oil, coal mining, strip mining, oil drilling, electricity generation,power plants, generator, turbine, hydraulic fracturing.
Fossil Fuels Powerpoint Notes Outline
Purpose: Taking efficient notes can be a big challenge for many, especially when working from a Powerpoint lecture. This outline gives you a means to take notes that guides you towards important concepts and avoids the pitfalls of writing word-for-word or simply not taking notes at all. The outline is written as a series of questions, fill-in-the-blanks, or diagrams. This outline is based on the powerpoint above and written specifically for this unit.
Essential Concepts: Nonrenewable energy, fossil fuels, coal, natural gas, petroleum, oil, coal mining, strip mining, oil drilling, electricity generation,power plants, generator, turbine, hydraulic fracturing.
Essential Concepts: Nonrenewable energy, fossil fuels, coal, natural gas, petroleum, oil, coal mining, strip mining, oil drilling, electricity generation,power plants, generator, turbine, hydraulic fracturing.
Unit Video- Walking With Monsters, Episode 2 - Reptile's Beginnings
Purpose: The BBC Walking With Monsters series takes the known pieces of the fossil record from some of the major evolutionary moments in the history of life on Earth and makes them come to life. This episode begins in the Carboniferous period, when the majority of the Earth's coal deposits were formed. As the oxygen content of the atmosphere was much higher, the land arthropods evolved to be huge in size.
Essential Concepts: Carboniferous period, Permian period, coal.
Essential Concepts: Carboniferous period, Permian period, coal.
Task 1- Coal-Fired Power Plants Webquest
Purpose: This online activity takes students to an interactive website where they will watch the process of converting the energy of coal into electricity step-by-step. They will then identify coal plants near them using the Sierra Club website. Finally, they will look at a live wind map to see where the air pollution from the nearest plant will go.
Essential Concepts: Coal, coal-fired power plant, air pollution, wind.
Essential Concepts: Coal, coal-fired power plant, air pollution, wind.
Task 2- 30 Days/Working in a Coal Mine Worksheet
Purpose: This is the first episode from season 3 of Morgan Spurlock's documentary series on FX. Originally from the hills of West Virginia, Morgan has a close connection to the coal industry, and decides to spend 30 days living and working with the miners of the Double Bonus Coal Company. Students will gain insight into the dangers of underground mining, health risks faced by the long-time workers, and specific techniques used to try to manage the danger. Morgan is also taken on a brief tour of a surface mining operation, and is able to witness a mountaintop explosion while learning about the environmental hazards of this practice.
Task 3- Hydraulic Fracturing Webquest
Purpose: In this online assignment, you will access an interactive animation produced by Halliburton to understand step-by-step how the fracking process works. At the end you will then visit an interactive map produced by Earth Justice to see where fracturing is occuring around you, and if any accidents have happened nearby.