TOPIC 6.

1 Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING Listed here are the types of energy resources we will learn about in this Unit. Circle the form(s) of energy that are renewable. In the space
OBJECTIVE to the right, jot down as many things that you already know about each type of energy resource (at least two).
ENG-3.A Identify
differences between Fossil Fuels
nonrenewable and
renewable energy
sources. Nuclear Power
ESSENTIAL
KNOWLEDGE Energy from Biomass
ENG-3.A.1
Nonrenewable
energy sources are
those that exist in a
Solar Energy
fixed amount and
involve energy
transformation that Hydroelectric Power
cannot be easily
replaced.
Geothermal Energy
ENG-3.A.2
Renewable energy
sources are those Hydrogen Fuel Cell
that can be
replenished
naturally, at or near
the rate of
Wind Energy
consumption, and
reused.
●​ Put a star beside the resource that is most relied upon worldwide.
●​ For each nonrenewable resource, look up how many years remain until it runs out (at current rate of consumption). Include it in
the table above.

What happens when the non renewable resources run out?

 TOPIC 6.2 Global Energy Consumption
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences

LEARNING OBJECTIVE What type of energy was used the most during the preindustrial era?
ENG-3.B Describe trends in
energy consumption.
Which type of energy was used the most during the industrial era?
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.B.1 The use of
energy resources is not Create a pie chart of the world’s current energy consumption of these forms of energy:
evenly distributed between renewable energy, coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear
developed and developing
countries. Developing countries become (more / less) dependant on fossil fuels as they develop.
Why?
ENG-3.B.2 The most widely
used sources of energy
globally are fossil fuels.

ENG-3.B.3 As developing Of those five categories, what type of energy will humans be using less of in the next 50 years? Why?
countries become more
developed, their reliance on
fossil fuels for energy
increases.

ENG-3.B.4 As the world What is OPEC? How does it influence the world’s oil supply?
becomes more
industrialized, the demand
for energy increases.
During the energy crisis of 1973, energy consumption (increased / decreased). Why?
ENG-3.B.5 Availability,
price, and governmental
regulations influence which What caused the energy crisis?
energy sources people use
and how they use them.
Describe one specific way the United States responded (changed) to alleviate the energy crisis.
 TOPIC 6.3 Fuel Types and Uses
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE As a source of energy, wood is more commonly used in (developed / undeveloped) countries. Explain why.
ENG-3.C Identify types
of fuels and their uses.

ESSENTIAL
KNOWLEDGE Wood is a (renewable / nonrenewable) source of energy. What is one disadvantage wood?
ENG-3.C.1
Wood is commonly used
as fuel in the forms of
firewood and charcoal. It
is often used in What type of biome can form peat? __________________ Briefly describe how (and from what) peat is formed.
developing countries
because it is easily
accessible.
With more time, peat can become ________ (what type of fuel). How long does this process take? _________
ENG-3.C.2
Peat is partially Compare each type of coal
decomposed organic
Lignite coal Bituminous coal Anthracite coal
material that can be
burned for fuel.
Appearance
ENG-3.C.3
Three types of coal used Carbon content / amount of
for fuel are lignite, impurities
bituminous, and
anthracite. Heat, Value as a fuel (relative
pressure, and depth of amount of energy held)
burial contribute to the
development of various
coal types and their In the United States, coal is most commonly used for ______________________________.
qualities.
What type of biome forms crude oil (petroleum)? ______________Briefly describe how (and from what) crude oil is formed.

ENG-3.C.4
Natural gas, the
cleanest of the fossil
fuels, is mostly
methane. Tar sands are (solid / liquid / gas) depositess that can be refined to make crude oil, which is a (solid / liquid / gas)

ENG-3.C.5 Oil is primarily used for _________________________________________________.

Crude oil can be Briefly, how is crude oil processed to separate the different hydrocarbons for various uses?
recovered from tar
sands, which are a
combination of clay,
sand, water, and
bitumen.

ENG-3.C.6
Fossil fuels can be In the distillation tank to the right, (larger / smaller) hydrocarbon fuels would be found at the top, while (larger
made into specific fuel / smaller) hydrocarbon fuels would be at the bottom.
types for specialized
uses (e.g., in motor Place these fuels in order as they would be in the tank from bottom to top: gasoline, lubricating oil, diesel,
vehicles). jet fuel

ENG-3.C.7 What refined type of petroleum powers most motor vehicles? _________________
Cogeneration occurs
when a fuel source is Natural Gas is often found along with (coal / oil) and is mostly composed of ____________.
used to generate both
useful heat and Between coal, oil, and natural gas, which type of fossil fuel is most versatile (meaning, can be used in the
electricity
greatest variety of ways) _____________

What is synfuel? What is it designed to replace? What is its benefit?

What is cogeneration? Why is it so great? Find one specific example of a cogeneration system.
 TOPIC 6.4 Distribution of Natural Energy Resources
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING
OBJECTIVE During what period in geologic history did most coal reserves form?
ENG-3.D
________________ How many years ago was this? _______________
Identify where
natural energy Describe the primary landscape at this time in history that led it to produce so
resources occur. much coal..

ESSENTIAL
KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.D.1
The global Choose a color for each type of fossil fuel. In the maps to the right, color and
distribution of label the top two counties with the largest reserves for each.
natural energy
resources, such as Does having the largest reserve mean that country will also be the largest
ores, coal, crude oil, supplier of that fossil fuel? Explain.
and gas, is not
uniform and
depends on regions’
geologic history.

What is the difference between Proven Reserves and Unproven Reserves?

In your own words, what does the term ‘peak oil’ mean? What happens after the
peak?
 TOPIC 6.5 Fossil Fuels
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences

LEARNING OBJECTIVE Fill in the chemical reaction that happens during the combustion of fossil fuels:
ENG-3.E Describe the
use and methods of fossil
fuels in power generation.

ESSENTIAL
KNOWLEDGE ENG-3.E.1
The combustion of fossil
fuels is a chemical
What chemical reaction from nature does this remind you of? Why are they so similar?
reaction between the fuel
and oxygen that yields
carbon dioxide and water
and releases energy.

ENG-3.E.2 Energy from

fossil fuels is produced by
burning those fuels to
generate heat, which then
In the box to the right, create a simple drawing that illustrates the process of generating
turns water into steam.
electricity from burning fossil fuels (described in ENG-3.E.2). Begin with the fossil fuel at the
That steam turns a
bottom, and electricity at the top. Label each part.
turbine, which generates
electricity.
What type of fossil fuel is most often used for this method of generating electricity?
ENG-3.E.3 Humans use a ____________
variety of methods to
extract fossil fuels from
Besides CO2, name another harmful gas that is emitted during the burning of fossil fuels. How
the earth for energy
is it harmful to the environment?
generation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
ENG-3.F Describe the
effects of fossil fuels on
the environment

ESSENTIAL
KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.F.1 Hydrologic
fracturing (fracking) can
cause groundwater
contamination and the
release of volatile organic Which fossil fuel is considered the cleanest? _______________ Describe one environmental disadvantage to this fuel type.
compounds.

Name and briefly describe one method for extracting each type of fossil fuel.
Coal Oil Natural Gas

The process of fracking extracts what type of fossil fuel? __________________

This fossil fuel resource is found trapped inside what type of rock? _____________

Describe the process of fracking. How does it work? Include the purpose of the water, sand, and chemicals used.

Name two pros of fracking, and four cons.

Pro: Pro:

Con: Con: Con: Con:

TOPIC 6.6 Nuclear Power
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
ENG-3.G Describe the use of What is the half - life of uranium-235? In your own words, what does ‘half-life’ mean?
nuclear energy in power
generation.
If the half life of a radioactive isotope is 50 years, about what percent of the original material will remain after 200 years?
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
________
ENG-3.G.1 Nuclear power is
generated through fission,
where atoms of Uranium-235, During a nuclear reaction, ____________ (type of small subatomic particle) strikes the large atomic nucleus of
which are stored in fuel rods,
__________________, causing it to break into small pieces and release energy.
are split into smaller parts
after being struck by a
neutron. Nuclear fission True or False: Nucular is considered a clean energy source. Explain why:
releases a large amount of
heat, which is used to
generate steam, which
powers a turbine and What is the primary (and most concerning) waste from a nuclear plant? What happens to it?
generates electricity.

ENG-3.G.2 Radioactivity
occurs when the nucleus of a
radioactive isotope loses To the right is a nuclear reactor. What is being emitted into the air (the cloud)? Label it on the
energy by emitting radiation. drawing.

ENG-3.G.3 Uranium-235 What is the function of water a nuclear power plant?

remains radioactive for a long
time, which leads to the
problems associated with the
disposal of nuclear waste. Consider the following words. Circle the words that relate to BOTH Nuclear and Coal Burning power generation. Cross out the
ENG-3.G.4 Nuclear power words that ONLY apply to Coal Burning power plants.
generation is a nonrenewable
energy source. Nuclear fuel rods - steam - generator - turbine - uranium - CO2 emissions - nonrenewable - radiation - heat
power is considered a
cleaner energy source Describe the function and purpose of control rods.
because it does not produce
air pollutants, but it does
release thermal pollution and All of the following are part of use and maintenance of a nuclear power plant. Circle the items that are considered low level
hazardous solid waste. radiation, and underline the items that are considered high level radiation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE used nuclear fuel - uniforms - mops - shoe covers

ENG-3.H Describe the effects
of the use of nuclear energy How does Nuclear Power generate thermal pollution? How does thermal pollution harm the environment?
on the environment.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.H.1 Three Mile Island,
Chernobyl, and Fukushima
are three cases where Describe one way thermal pollution can be controlled.
accidents or natural disasters
led to the release of radiation.
These releases have had
short- and long-term impacts
on the environment.
Nuclear energy production peaked in the mid 2000’s. Since It is likely that interest in nuclear power will increase in the
then, many of the nuclear plants that were planned to be near future. Why?
ENG-3.H.2 A radioactive
built, were not. Why?
element’s half-life can be
used to calculate a variety of
things, including the rate of
decay and the radioactivity
level at specific points in
time.

Choose one of the three nuclear disasters mentioned in ENG-3.H.1. Describe the event - where and when, what led up to the
event, what happened, some of the environmental results.

Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption

TOPIC 6.7 Energy from Biomass
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
ENG-3.I Describe the effects Biomass is a (renewable / nonrenewable) energy source. Biomass is more commonly used as fuel in (developed /
of the use of biomass in power undeveloped) countries.
generation on the
environment. Describe at least one advantage and one disadvantage for each type of biofuel.
Biofuel Advantage Disadvantage
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.I.1 Burning of biomass
wood
produces heat for energy at a
relatively low cost, but it also
produces carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, particulates, and
volatile organic compounds.
manure
The overharvesting of trees
for fuel also causes
deforestation.
crop residue
ENG-3.I.2 Ethanol can be
used as a substitute for
gasoline. Burning ethanol garbage
does not introduce additional
carbon into the atmosphere
via combustion, but the
energy return on energy Briefly, how is solid biomass converted into biogas and biofuel?
investment for ethanol is low.

What is most often used to make Ethanol? _____________ Ethanol is most often used as a fuel for ___________

ENG-3.I.2 says that ‘the energy return on energy investment for ethanol is low” - some research says that there is a net loss of
energy. Why?

Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption

TOPIC 6.8 Solar Energy
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE ENG-3.J

Describe the use of solar energy in Which general area of the United States receives the most solar energy?
power generation.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.J.1 Photovoltaic solar cells What is the major difference between...
capture light energy from the sun and
Passive solar energy systems Active solar energy systems
transform it directly into electrical
energy. Their use is limited by the
availability of sunlight.

ENG-3.J.2 Active solar energy

systems use solar energy to heat a
liquid through mechanical and Passive solar energy systems harness the sun’s (heat / light) energy.
electrical equipment to collect and
store the energy captured from the Circle the examples of active solar energy systems, and underline the examples of passive solar energy systems.
sun.
solar oven - photovoltaic solar cell - dark roofing - south facing walls - solar thermal electricity
ENG-3.J.3 Passive solar energy
systems absorb heat directly from the
sun without the use of mechanical and
Finnish this paragraph about photovoltaic solar cells by circling the right words, and filling in the blanks.
electrical equipment, and energy Solar (heat / light) energy is converted directly into ___________ current, which must then be converted into
cannot be collected or stored.
_________ current before it can be used. The semiconductors found in the solar cells are very (thin / thick), and
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
ENG-3.K Describe the effects of the generate electricity along with (high amounts / low amounts / zero) CO2 emissions.
use of solar energy in
power generation on the
Environment
Describe how solar thermal power plants work to generate electricity.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.K.1 Solar energy systems have low
environmental impact and produce clean
energy, but they can be expensive. Large
solar energy farms may negatively impact Describe two limitations to solar energy.
desert ecosystems.

Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption

TOPIC 6.9 Hydroelectric Power
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
ENG-3.L Describe the use Hydroelectric power is an example of (direct / indirect) solar energy.
of hydroelectricity in power Explain how hydroelectric energy is linked to the sun.
generation

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.L.1 Hydroelectric
power can be generated in Tidal energy, however, is not linked to the sun, but rather to ________________________________
several ways. Dams built What is one limit to tidal energy generation?
across rivers collect water in
reservoirs. The moving
water can be used to spin a
Name the largest dam in the world: _____________________________
turbine. Turbines can also
be placed in small rivers, Where is it located? country: ______________ and name of river: ___________________________
where the flowing water
spins the turbine.
Water that moves through a turbine with a (higher / lower) flow rate will generate more electricity. Also, water falling from a
ENG-3.L.2 Tidal energy greater height will produce (more / less) electricity.
uses the energy produced
by tidal flows to turn a
turbine. Besides generating electricity, name three other benefits of hydroelectric dams.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
ENG-3.M Describe the
effects of the use of
hydroelectricity in power Circle the type(s) of fish would be most impacted by the presence of a hydroelectric dam? Explain your choice.
generation on the
environment. chad - green sunfish - salmon - trout - catfish - flounder

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE What can be built alongside a dam that helps to alleviate the problem for these fish?
ENG-3.M.1 Hydroelectric
power does not generate air
pollution or waste, but What effect do dams have on the flow of silt?
construction of the power
plants can be expensive,
and there may be a loss of
or change in habitats
How is this bad for the environment upstream of the dam? How is this bad for the environment downstream of the dam?
following the construction of
dams.

Name at least one way that a hydroelectric dam can impact climate change….
...in a good way (reduce climate change) ...in a bad way (increase climate change)

Dams cause water temperatures to (increase / decrease). Why?

How does this impact oxygen levels? Fish health?

World wide, electricity generation from hydroelectric sources is (increasing / decreasing).

 Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption
TOPIC 6.10 Geothermal Energy
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE ENG-3.N

Describe the use of geothermal What is the source of heat that is utilized by geothermal energy (why is the interior of the Earth hot)?
energy in power generation.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE Geothermal is generally considered a renewable resource. However, there is one part of the electricity generating process
ENG-3.N.1 Geothermal energy is that, if miss-managed, can be non-renewable. Explain.
obtained by using the heat stored
in the Earth’s interior to heat up
water, which is brought back to the
surface as steam. The steam is
used to drive an electric generator. Besides generating electricity, geothermal can be used directly as a source of heat for homes. Describe how this works.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
ENG-3.O Describe the effects of
the use of geothermal energy in Which country heats the majority of its homes in this way? _________________
power generation on the
environment. What are the three disadvantages to geothermal energy?

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.O.1 The cost of accessing
geothermal energy can be
prohibitively expensive, as is not Ground source heat pumps are another way to tap the Earth’s thermal resources. There are some big differences between
easily accessible in many parts of Geothermal energy and ground source heat pumps.
the world. In addition, it can cause
the release of hydrogen sulfide.
How far into the ground must What is the source of heat Briefly, how are ground source heat pumps used.
pipes run for ground source for this part of the Earth?
heat pumps?
 Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption
TOPIC 6.11 Hydrogen Fuel Cell
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE ENG-3.P

Describe the use of hydrogen fuel Complete the chemical reaction that happens within a hydrogen fuel cell:
cells in power generation

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.P.1 Hydrogen fuel cells are
an alternative to nonrenewable fuel
sources. They use hydrogen as
fuel, combining the hydrogen and How do hydrogen fuel cells work?
oxygen in the air to form water and
Inside the fuel cell, the Hydrogen proton is separated from the electron. The (proton / electron) is forced through a
release energy (electricity) in the
process. Water is the product membrane, while the (proton / electron) must take a different path around the membrane. The movement of electrons
(emission) of a fuel cell.
produces ___________________. On the other side of the membrane, the protons and electrons join up with an atom of
LEARNING OBJECTIVE __________ and form the final product ____________.
ENG-3.Q Describe the effects of
the use of hydrogen fuel cells in
True or False: Hydrogen gas is found in abundance in the atmosphere and is easily harvested to be used for hydrogen
power generation on the
fuel.
environment.
Electrolysis is often used to separate hydrogen from other molecules, such as ________. This process requires a lot of
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
electrical energy. Critics say it is counterproductive to use electricity made by coal burning power plants in order to make
ENG-3.Q.1 Hydrogen fuel cells
‘clean’ electricity. What is one solution to this problem?
have low environmental impact and
produce no carbon dioxide when
the hydrogen is produced from
water. However, the technology is
expensive and energy is still
Hydrogen fuel cells are much (more / less) efficient than gasoline combustion engines.
needed to create the hydrogen gas
used in the fuel cell.
One obstacle to fuel cell technology is transporting hydrogen for distribution. Explain at least one reason why.

Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption

TOPIC 6.12 Wind Energy
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
ENG-3.R Describe the use of What is the ultimate source of wind energy? Explain.
wind energy in power
generation.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.R.1 Wind turbines use Wind energy is (brand new / old) technology.
the kinetic energy of moving air
World wide, the use of wind energy is (growing fast / plateauing / declining).
to spin a turbine, which in turn
converts the mechanical energy Wind energy produces (zero / a moderate amount of / a lot of) CO2 emissions.
of the turbine into electricity
Wind turbines produce (more expensive / cheaper) electricity, compared to coal, biomass, and hydroelectric power
LEARNING OBJECTIVE generators.
ENG-3.S Describe the effects of
the use of wind energy in power
Which country produces the most wind energy? ______________
generation on the environment.
While wind farms do take a lot of space, that area of land under the turbines can be used for _______________
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
ENG-3.S.1 Wind energy is a
For those who live near them, what objections do people have to wind turbines
renewable, clean source of
energy. However, birds and bats
may be killed if they fly into the
spinning turbine blades.
There are a LOT of pros to Wind Energy. Critics say turbines can suck birds and bats into their wind streams and kill them.
They also take up space and can lead to habitat loss. Consider the environmental impacts of coal power plants. What do you
think? Which is better for the environment - explain your thinking.

Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption

TOPIC 6.13 Energy Conservation
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ENG-3 Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
ENG-3.T Describe Consider the difference between energy conservation (use less) and energy efficiency (use better). Name at least two ways YOU
methods for conserving or your family can both conserve energy, and be more efficient with energy in each of the following:
energy.
Energy Conservation (use less) Energy Efficiency (use better)
ESSENTIAL
Transportation
KNOWLEDGE ENG-3.T.1
Some of the methods for
conserving energy around
a home include adjusting
At Home
the thermostat to reduce
the use of heat and air
conditioning, conserving
water, use of At School
energy-efficient
appliances, and
conservation landscaping.

ENG-3.T.2 Methods for Battery electric vehicles reduce the use of gasoline, but there are some disadvantages to electric cars. Describe one.
conserving energy on a
large scale include
improving fuel economy for
vehicles, using BEVs Describe two features of green building design that would increase energy conservation.
(battery electric vehicles)
and hybrid vehicles, using
public transportation, and
implementing green Describe the role of government in encouraging energy conservation.
building design features.

What are the CAFE standards? How have they improved energy conservation?