1.3 What are our energy sources?

Instructional Sequence 

Teacher choice

If teaching mechanical, potential, and kinetic energy is an important part of your standards, you can do alternative slide decks and additional activities that address this information. 

Alternative Materials: 

Introducing Mechanical Energy Teacher Slides

Introducing Mechanical Energy Student Notes

Energy Transformations Teacher Slides (do in place of original 1.3 teacher slides. It is similar, but there is a focus on energy transformations, i.e., kinetic --> electrical in wind energy)

Energy Transformations Teacher Notes

If Mechanical Energy and Energy Transformations are not relevant to your teaching, continue below. 

Materials: Teacher slides 1.3 What are our energy sources?

Generating electricity (Slide 2)

Start the lesson with a series of questions to discuss with the entire class:

• How is energy used in the classroom? (answers: the power the light, AC, computers, projectors, etc)

• What is the energy used in the classroom? (Electricity)

• Most electricity is made by rotating a turbine. Note: If you have a turbine, demonstrate that rotating the turbine can generate electricity. Or you can show the video to students. 

• What energy sources can rotate the turbine? Note: You can explain how generator works using the small generator in your hand. This is a place for you to elaborate.

Introduce wind power and hydropower, and thermal power stations (Slide 3-13)

The key concepts addressed in this part is the energy transformation between kinetic energy, potential energy, and electricity. Note:this is a place to elaborate on the transformation of energy

Pair and share: How is energy transformed when water moves from the reservoir to the river? (Slide 9-11）

Introduce thermal power station (slide 12) 

In a thermal power station, energy transformation involves converting chemical energy from fuel into electrical energy. Below we provide a detailed explanation of the process:

1. Chemical Energy:

   • Fuel Combustion: The process begins with burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas in a boiler. This combustion process releases the chemical energy stored in the fuel.

2. Thermal Energy:

   • Heat Production: The combustion of fuel generates a large amount of heat, which is used to convert water into steam. This thermal energy is a key part of the process.

3. Kinetic Energy:

   • Steam Turbine: The high-pressure steam produced in the boiler is directed onto the blades of a turbine. The force of the steam causes the turbine blades to spin, converting thermal energy into kinetic energy.

4. Electrical Energy:

   • Generator: The spinning turbine is connected to a generator. Inside the generator, the mechanical energy from the turbine's rotation is converted into electrical energy. This is achieved through electromagnetic induction, where the rotating turbine causes magnets in the generator to move past coils of wire, inducing an electric current and therefore generates electricity.

Show students a short video about how engines work (Slide 13).

Fossil fuel (Slide 14-15)

Whole class discussion:

• In addition to wind and hydropower, what are our energy sources? (Slide 14)

• Guess what are the top three energy sources used nowadays?

Jisgaw: Fossil fuels

Materials: Student worksheet 1.3 Fossil Fuels

There are three sections in the article: coal, oil, and natural natural gas. Divide your class into three groups. Each group will be assigned to read one type of fossil and fill in the corresponding column on Page 3. After the group work, ask two students to stay at the table, other students go to the other tables to learn about the other two fossil fuels. They will need to bring back now knowledge learned at the other tables and share it with their groups. Note: Direct your students' attention to the first paragraph of the article.

Question 2: When all students fill in the table on Page 4, finish question 2. Note: Make sure students understand why fossil fuels play an important role in our life.  Answers are provided in the answer sheet.

This activity can be organized in two ways, depending on your students' reading proficiency. If your students are good readers, they can read all three fossil fuels and fill in the table on Page 4.

Modify the Carbon Cycle model (Slides 16-18)

Summarize how fossil fuels are formed (slide 16). Emphasize that the formation of fossil fuels takes millions of years.

• Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. These remains were buried under layers of sediment and subjected to heat and pressure over geological time. This process transformed the organic material into coal, oil, and natural gas, which we now extract and use as energy sources.

Ask students to modify their model to include how fossil fuels are involved in the carbon cycle model (slide 17). 

Present and discuss the class consensus model (slide 18).

Materials: Student worksheet 1.3 How much energy do we use?

How much energy do we use? What energy sources have we been using?(Slides 19-21)

Read the graphs about the global energy consumption and energy consumption in the US and in Israel. Emphasize that fossil fuels are our major energy sources. 

Ask students: 

• Do you think that fossil fuels have always been the largest energy source? 

• What energy sources did people use 150 years ago?

Students work in small groups on “How much energy do we use? What energy sources have we been using?”

In the second page of the student worksheet, we provided a brief explanation on how to create a line graph. If your students are new to creating a line graph, you may lead them through the processes.