Lesson One: Natural Resources – Renewable vs. Nonrenewable

Introduction

The purpose of this lesson is for students to be able to differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable resources and to assess their knowledge of alternative energy. Upon the successful completion of the lesson, students will be able to:

• (intro activity) will know their level of knowledge of alternative energy.
• (follow-up activity) will assess what they have learned about alternative energy.

Materials:

• Student Notebooks
• Whiteboard
• Pre-test
  • (1 per group)
• flip chart paper (2 - 4 sheets)

North Carolina Standard Course of Study

The lesson will address the following AP Environmental Science objectives from the NCSCOS:

Competency Goal 4: The learner will build an understanding of the distribution, ownership, use and degradation of renewable and nonrenewable resources.

• 4.05 Analyze and compare conventional and alternative energy sources.

Competency Goal 6: The learner will build an understanding of global changes and their consequences.

• 6.01 Investigate human effects and consequences on the atmosphere.

Competency Goal 7: The learner will build an understanding of environmental decision making.

• 7.01 Analyze economic forces affecting societies.
• 7.02 Analyze cultural and ethical considerations regarding the environment.
• 7.04 Develop an awareness of environmental options.

Essential Questions

1. What is the fundamental difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources?
2. How are alternative fuels related to renewable energy?

Introduction

1. Students will divide a sheet of paper into three columns; natural resources, renewable, and non-renewable.
2. Students will make a list of at least 10 natural resources.
3. Students will place a check in the second column (renewable) or third column (non-renewable) based on its appropriateness.
4. Students will then explain the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources based on the items in each category.

Activity #1 (K-W-L)

1. Explain to students that they will be taking a pre-test in their science notebooks in order to access their knowledge about alternative energy. Tell the students that their answers today will not be graded and that there will probably be many questions that they don’t know the answers to yet.
2. Pass out a copy of the alternative energy pre-test to each student.
3. Give the students time to answer the questions in their notebook.
4. Label one piece of flip chart paper with a ‘K’ and one with a ‘W’.
5. Ask the students which answer they thought was the best. Chart the correct answers on the flip chart under ‘K’ (if majority of the class is correct) and the incorrect responses under ‘W’. Tell the students that during the unit they will be investigating these questions and finding out which answers are correct.
6. Ask the students to list off any additional things they know about alternative energy and list their responses on the K paper.
7. On the W sheet list any additional things that the students want to know. Don’t answer any questions at this time, just list them.
8. Save these sheets for the follow-up activity.

Activity #2: “How Different Types of Alternative Fuels Are Produced”

1. Give each student the article “How Different Types of Alternative Fuels Are Produced?” http://typesofalternativefuels.com/
2. Inform students that they will be participating in a jigsaw cooperative learning activity dealing with how alternative fuels are produced.
3. Divide the class into 5 pre-designed groups. These groups will be considered the “Home” groups.

Directions to Jigsaw Activity

For this activity students will be selected to go to one of four other stations. At these stations, you will be given the proper materials to read in order to understand two different types of alternative fuel (each group will have two to learn). At least one student will remain at each “Home” group to review their assigned “Home” group alternative fuels with the students coming from other stations.

While at these stations, you will be instructed to read about two specific alternative fuels.

After reading, students should talk quietly with your station group to decide on how to put the information into your own words so that you will be able to explain them to your “Home” groups. You should also take notes on the items you go over in your groups because you will not be allowed to take the papers back to your “Home” groups.

After about ten minutes (or less) instruct students to pile up the materials so that you can collect them.

Students will then be sent back to their “Home” groups where they will have around 15 minutes (longer if necessary) to take turns explaining the two terms each had learned, to the other group members.

Students should also take notes on what each of the Home group members has to say about the alternative fuels they learned about because each student will be responsible for knowing the information (so everyone should try to do a good job explaining and listening).

Homework:

Scenario: You live in the year 2500. Your group is a team of archaeologists who have been studying the time period of 2000-2050 A.D. Your group recently excavated a site that reveals details about transportation during this time period. At the site, you’ve found dozens of old cars and car pieces that were buried due to a catastrophic volcanic eruption in 2050. You will be presenting a report to the country’s leading archaeologist explaining the following things:

• The ways attitudes toward fossil fuel use and the use of alternative energy sources changed from 2000 to 2050.
• The changes to automobile technology and the ways in which these changes reflect the changing attitudes toward fossil fuel use and alternative energy sources.

Students will bring themselves back to the present in order to make predictions about the following things:

• How will attitudes change toward fossil fuels and alternative energy in the next 25 to 50 years?
• The type of local and global transportation changes that will occur based on changing attitudes toward fuel efficiency and alternative energy sources.

Procedure (Follow-up Activity, to be done at the end of the unit)

1. Bring out the K and W sheets.
2. Read through the K items and ask the students for clarification on any items that are incorrect. Correct these statements as needed.
3. Read through the W items and have the students answer each one. If an item on the W list hasn’t been answered yet, you may wish to ask if a student would like to research the answer for the class (this could be extra credit).
4. The learned section of the K-W-L can be completed at this time.

Resources

1. Types of Fuels. 15 September 2008 http://typesofalternativefuels.com/.
2. Living In The Environment, Miller’s 13th Edition (Delmar Publishing)
3. NC Standard Course of Study for AP Environmental Science http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/science/scos/2004/31apenvironm...