1.4 What are the problems with fossil fuels? 

Instructional Sequence

Materials: Teacher slides 1.4 What are the problems with fossil fuels?

Discuss the central problem of fossil fuels (Slides 2-5)

Review the pie chart “Global energy consumption by source in 2020”, the top three energy sources nowadays are oil, gas, and coal (slide 2).

Ask students to brainstorm: what are the problems with fossil fuels? (slide 3) 

Problem 1 - Climate change

The central problem is the CO2 emitted by burning fossil fuels. Because the major component of fossil fuels is carbon. When we burn fossil fuels, carbon reacts with oxygen and creates carbon dioxide (Slide 4).

Problem 2 - Resource depletion

Another issue is the depletion of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels take millions of years to form. Once they are used, they are consumed (slide 5).

Problem 3 - Health hazards

Great Smog of London (Slides 6-11）

Students watch the video about the Great Smog of London (slides 6-7) and pay attention to the questions: 

• What was the cause of the Great Smog of London?

• What were the pollutants that caused respiratory diseases? Answers: soot, smoke, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide (slide 8）

Use the slides, you explain the formation of acid rain (slide 9)

Explain that acid rain does not have to be “rain”. It could be any precipitation that is acidic, such as snow. 

Explain that the PH of acid rain is between 4 to 5 or even lower. 

How damaging acid rain can be? Let’s do an experiment. (slide 10)

Student lab: How damaging is acid rain ？(Slides 11-12)

Lab procedures:

• Students work in pairs.

• First, test the PH of water and carbonated water. The PH of carbonated water should be between 4 to 5, about the same PH as acid rain.

• Use 2x2 experimental design, add water in two beakers and carbonated water in the other two beakers. Egg shells are placed in a beaker with water and a beaker with carbonated water. Do the same to the green leaves. Remember to label the beakers with water or carbonated water.

• Place the beakers aside. Students will observe tomorrow.

Suggested Stop Point - We recommend stop here for today’s class and have students observe the result the next day. Also, this is a place to explain 2x2 experimental design to your students.

The next day

Start the lesson with students observing and comparing the egg shells and green leaves placed in the water and carbonated water. Compare the color of the leaves and the hardness of egg shells.

Argumentation - How do human activities indirectly impact the rainbow trout population? (slides 13-16)

Carbon Monoxide (CO; slides 17-21)

Remind students that Carbon Monoxide (CO) is another pollutant created by burning coal. 

• What CO is (slide 17), 

• How CO is produced (slide 18), 

• Why CO is poisoning (slide 19)

• Symptoms of CO poisoning (slide 20)

• How to prevent CO poisoning(slide 21)

Pollution caused by coal use in NC (slide 22).

Explain that transferring and storing fuel may also result in pollution(slide 23).