Shedding Light On Energy Lesson Plan (Page 2 of 4) in pdf

Welcome Teachers!

Student Interactive Site:

We’re pleased to present you with Shedding Light on Energy, the ﬁ rst of three

poster/teaching guides designed to bring students the basic facts about energy,

Includes: • Nationwide Energy

while also building real-world skills to help them think critically and make decisions.

Contest for Students

This series, aligned with national standards in science, math, and social studies,

launches with this poster/teaching guide focused on graphing skills and key facts

• Energy Activities,

about energy sources and uses. The next two poster/teaching guides, coming

Fun Facts, and Games

in January and April 2011, will cover such topics as new and emerging energy

• Interactive U.S.

technologies, as well as the story of how energy is transported to our homes and

Energy Map

communities.

Visit

to ﬁ nd a dynamic interactive student site,

as well as a nationwide energy contest for students with great prizes.

We hope these materials will empower your students to join the national conversation

about America’s energy future, and provide critical-thinking skills to last a lifetime.

Look for the next two posters coming soon!

Sincerely,

Karen Alderman Harbert

Ann Amstutz Hayes

President and CEO

Vice President and Group Publisher

Institute for 21st Century Energy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Scholastic Inc.

FOR TEACHERS: Find additional background, a

national standards matrix, and printable copies of this

program at:

FOR STUDENTS: Find energy information,

activities, and contest details at the interactive

Lesson Plan

site

Objectives: Students will understand:

3. Display the poster, which features a

6. Optional: Assign students to research

pie chart of total energy consumption

additional facts related to energy at

• the major U.S. energy sources and

(by source) in the United States.

how they are used, with a focus on

Review why a pie chart is used to

Discuss why some sources are better

residential and transportation uses

display the information. Review

suited for certain applications (e.g.,

• when to use diﬀ erent types of graphs

how the parts are depicted as

wind power is suitable for generating

to display information

wedges proportionate in size to

electricity, but not as fuel).

Standards Alignment: Science, Math,

the percentage they represent.

Wrap-up questions:

Social Studies

4. Next review facts about U.S. sources

• What are some key facts you

Time: 40 minutes, plus additional

of energy as listed on the poster.

learned about energy?

time for worksheets/discussion

Challenge students to come up with

• What do you think could happen

Materials: Poster; worksheets 1 and 2;

fact(s) they already know about

if one of our energy sources was

electric-powered (plug-in) classroom

each of these energy sources.

suddenly unavailable (e.g., power

items, e.g., pencil sharpener

plant maintenance, government

5. Distribute Worksheet 1 (“Electricity”)

Conducting the Lesson:

curb on production, etc.)?

and Worksheet 2 (“Transportation”).

Have students work individually,

• Do you think the graphs used

1. Before hanging up the poster, make

but discuss answers as a class.

in the worksheets were the

copies of the lesson and worksheets.

Review with students, as necessary,

appropriate types of graphs

Prior to conducting the lesson, review

the diﬀ erences between pie

to use for the information

all the lesson steps as well as the

charts and bar graphs.

displayed, and why?

types of graphs on the worksheets,

and how they are used. Find

additional teacher resources at www.

ANSWER KEY: Worksheet 1 Part A: 1. Coal (44.6%) + Natural Gas (23.3%) + Petroleum (1%) + Other

Gases (.3%) = 69.2%. 2. Hydroelectric (6.8%) + Other Renewables (3.6%) = 10.4%. Part B: Answers will

vary depending upon the uses listed by the student. However, the sum of the category percentages on

2. Show students an electric-powered

the graph should equal 100%. Now Try This: Coal: .41 x .446 = .18 (18%); nuclear power: .41 x .202 = .08

plug-in item and ask how it gets its

(8%); renewable sources: .41 x .104 = .04 (4%). Worksheet 2 Part A: 1. Transportation: Diesel (23.0%) +

power. Once they establish that it is

Gasoline (41.5%) + Jet Fuel (9.1%) = 73.6%. Purposes besides transportation: Other Products (15.7%) +

Liqueﬁ ed Petroleum Gases (3.8%) + Other Distillates (3.1%) + Heavy Fuel Oil (3.8%) = 26.4% 2. Answers

can vary, and can include any plastic-based item, and items such as crayons, bubble gum, deodorant,

electricity comes from. Distinguish

clothes, eyeglasses, CDs and DVDs, tires, and ammonia. Part B: 1. 404 million barrels (Texas) + 236

responses between uses (e.g.,

million barrels (Alaska) = 640 million barrels ÷ 1,957 million barrels (Total U.S.) = 33%. 2. 1,957 million

lighting, appliances, etc.), sources

barrels (U.S. Production) + 3,290 million barrels (Total Imports) = 5,247 million barrels. U.S. production

(e.g., petroleum, coal, electricity,

percentage of the total = 1,957 million barrels ÷ 5,247 million barrels = 37%. Import percentage of

the total = 3,290 million barrels ÷ 5,247 million barrels = 63%. Total from North American countries:

etc.), and electricity infrastructure

709 million barrels (Canada) + 398 million barrels (Mexico) + 1,957 million barrels (U.S.) = 3,064 million

(e.g., sockets, cords, power lines).

barrels ÷ 5,247 million barrels = 58%.

Shedding Light On Energy Lesson Plan Page 2

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