Fracking

Massachussetts Next Generation Science Standards:

8.MS-ESS3-1. Analyze and interpret data to explain that the Earth's mineral and fossil fuel resources are unevenly distributed as a result of geologic processes.

8.MS-ESS3-5. Examine and interpret data to describe the role that human activities have played in causing the rise in global temperatures over the past century (fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, agricultural activity).

Guiding Questions on Research:

What is fracking?
List as many reasons as you can why the US relies on fracking.
List as many concerns as you can about the safety of fracking.
What other reasons might there be against fracking?
What other reasons might there be in favor of fracking?
What are some of the changes in our society since fracking became commonplace - around the year 2000? (Energy usage? Economy? Jobs? Green energy?)
Should the United States continue to rely on fracking for its energy needs in the near future?

***NOTE***

Students need a way to make the economic role of petroleum relevant to their lives. It may be helpful to send students home with an extra question to ask their parents/guardians:

"If the price of gasoline was double what it is today, how would that affect your life? Would you be able to afford the same after school activities, the same vacations, etc.?"

Some students may be able to discuss with families the impact on the broader economy.

Sources for Fracking:

newsela.com/read/overview-fracking/id/21698

Newsela Article - students able to level the reading

Oil #3: How Fracking Changed the WorldThird of five episodes. The Planet Money oil faces a test, we sell it, and we meet the man who set off the fracking boom in America.

Reading: https://energy.gov/fe/shale-gas-101

Hydraulic Fracturing | US EPAEPA works with states and other key stakeholders, through sound scientific research and regulation; to help ensure that natural gas extraction from shale formations, also called fracking or hydrofracking, does not harm public health and the environment.

Facts About FrackingHydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking, is a drilling technique used for extracting oil or natural gas from deep underground.

Pros and cons of fracking: 5 key issues » Yale Climate ConnectionsHave you been asked if you support or oppose fracking? A brief guide to sorting out the plusses and minuses of key fracking issues.

What is fracking?Drilling companies suggest trillions of cubic feet of shale gas may be recoverable from underneath parts of northern England, through a process known as "fracking". But what is fracking and why is it controversial?

Fracking | What is Fracking? | Shale Oil and Natural Gas | IPAAHydraulic fracturing is a proven drilling technology used to extract oil or natural gas from deep underground. Fracking has been safely used in the U.S. since 1947 and on more than 1.7 million wells.