FOSSIL FUELS

BY: TARA SMITH, BSU

Time Frame: 1-2 50 minute classes

Goals

Middle School
6th -8th Grade
Common Core Standards pages 62-66

Science

Formation of Fossil Fuels

Supply and Demand of Fossil Fuels
Emissions

Reading

Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment

based on research findings, and speculation in a
text.

Compare and contrast the information gained from

experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources
with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

Math

Fluently divide multi-digit numbers using the

standard algorithm.
Fluently add, subtract, multiply, and divide multi-digit
decimals using the standard algorithm for each
operation.
Use variables to represent numbers and write
expressions when solving a real-world or
mathematical problem; understand that a variable can
represent an unknown number, or, depending on the
purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.

Writing

Solve real-world and mathematical problems by

writing and solving equations of the form x + p = q
and px = q for cases in which p, q and x are all
nonnegative rational numbers.

Gather relevant information from multiple print and

digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess
the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote
or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while
avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format
for citation.

Draw evidence from informational texts to support

analysis reflection, and research.

Objectives:

Students will be able to explain, in writing, the process and consequences of

obtaining and using fossil fuels.

Students will be able to explain, in writing, what it means to say fossil fuels are a
non-renewable resource.

Students will understand the average energy capacity of each fossil fuel explored
(coal, natural gas and petroleum).

Background Information:
Please refer to the NEED booklets referenced at the end of this lesson plan for
background information on fossil fuels.
How much coal, natural gas, or petroleum is used to generate a kilowatthour of electricity?
The amount of fuel used to generate electricity depends on the efficiency or heat

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rate of the generator (or power plant) and the heat content of the fuel. Power
plant efficiencies (heat rates) vary by types of generators, power plant emission
controls, and other factors. Fuel heat contents also vary.
Formulas:
Two formulas for calculating the amount of fuel used to generate a unit of
electricity:
Amount of fuel used per kilowatt-hour (kWh) = Heat Rate (in Btu per kWh) / Fuel
Heat Content (in Btu per physical unit)
kWh generated per unit of fuel used = Fuel Heat Content (in Btu per physical unit) /
Heat Rate (in Btu per kWh)
Example Calculations:
Amount of fuel used to generate one kilowatt-hour (kWh):
Coal = 0.00052 short tons or 1.03 pounds
Natural Gas = 0.01003 Mcf (equivalent to 1,000 cubic feet)
Residual Fuel Oil = 0.0016 Barrels
kWh generated per unit of fuel used:
1,942 kWh per short ton of coal or 0.97 kWh per pound of coal
100 kWh per Mcf (equivalent to 1,000 cubic feet) of natural gas
610 kWh per Barrel of residual fuel oil, or 14.5 kWh per gallon
Assumptions:
Power plant heat rate = 10,300 BTU/kWh
Fuel Heat Content:
Coal = 20,000,000 BTU per short ton (2,000 lbs) Note: heat contents of coal
vary widely by types of coal.
Natural Gas = 1,027,000 BTU per 1,000 Cubic Feet (Mcf)
Residual Fuel Oil = 6,287,000 BTU per Barrel (42 gallons)
(How much coal, natural gas, or petroleum is used to generate a kilowatt-hour of
electricity?, eia.gov)

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Vocabulary:
1. Fossil Fuel: An energy source formed in the Earth's crust from decayed organic
material. The most common fossil fuels are petroleum, coal, and natural gas.
2. Btu: British thermal unit, the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of
1 pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit at the temperature at which water
has its greatest density (approximately 39 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. kW: One thousand watts of electric capacity.
4. kWh: measure of electricity defined as a unit of work or energy, measured as 1
kilowatt (1,000 watts) of power expended for 1 hour. One kWh is equivalent to
3,412 Btu.
5. Short ton: A unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds.
6. Mcf: 1000 Cubic Feet
7. Barrel: A unit of volume equal to 42 U.S. gallons.
(glossary,eia.gov)
Materials:
Three different types of colored candies (e.g. Skittles, Jelly Beans, M&Ms), Flour, 5
ounce Dixie cups, various utensils such as spoons, forks, slotted spoons, butter knives,
etc., one clear food storage container per group of students (a rectangular, ~2.5L container
is recommended), newspapers.
Procedure:
The activity described below will provide your students with a hands-on activity to
introduce the process of obtaining, refining, and converting fossil fuels into electricity and
some consequences associated with that process.
Each step is described in detail below. The instructions to be set up at each station are
attached.
First, divide your students into groups. The recommended group size is 4-5 students
max.
Explain to your students that each group has been given a plot of land. They will have
to decide which fossil fuel they want to mine for. Explain to them that the goal is to power
as many houses for as long as they can so they want to mine as much of their chosen fossil
fuel as possible. Provide your students with fossil fuel background information (NEED
info booklets on coal, natural gas and petroleum) and allow your students to choose which
fossil fuel they would like to mine, but ensure that each fossil fuel is represented by at
least one group of students. You may perhaps want to draw team names out of a hat and
limit the number of teams that can choose a certain fuel, to ensure each fuel type is
represented.

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Step 1: Thinking before you mine

In 2010, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer
was 11,496 kWh, an average of 958 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. (Residential
Energy Consumption Survey, eia.gov)
1. Before they mine for their fossil fuel they will calculate how much (i.e. short tons,
barrels or Mcf) of their product will produce one kWh.
2. After this calculation they will calculate how much of their product it will take to
power the average household for one day (~31.4kWh).
Step 2: Mining
1. Each group will be given a clear plastic tub filled with 3 different types of candies,
beans, or rocks (anything you want to use, but see below comments about colors).
This lesson plan uses Skittles, M&Ms, jelly beans.
M&Ms represent Natural Gas
Skittles represent Coal
Jelly beans represent Petroleum
(below they will be referred to as fossil fuels, natural gas, coal, and petroleum)
Each group will also be given several 5oz Dixie Cups. The cups will be marked to
measure the amount mined. Each Dixie cup will represent XX short tons of coal,
XX Mcf of natural gas and XX barrel of petroleum.
2. The candies will be set up in layers in the ground (e.g. flour, soil, crushed up
Oreos). Coal is found closer to the top in seams. Natural gas will be found in
pockets near the top. It will also be mixed in with the bottom layer of petroleum.
For example, there may be five groups of four students each and each group will
have 2 of the 3 fossil fuels in layers of flour in their tub.
3. Each group will pick two tools to mine with and be given five minutes to mine.
Two people will mine; two people will clean the flour off of the fossil fuel and put
it in the cups.
4. Each group will record the amount of product they were able to mine.
Step 3: Refining and Emissions
1. One color (yellow) represents the by-products of the fossil fuel that do not
contribute to energy generation. Those will be pulled out and left at the refining
stage. Each group will record the amount of product left after refining.
2. Each group will then find out that they need to remove other colors due to
emissions. The petroleum and coal group will remove reds and greens. The natural
gas groups will only remove green color candies. Each group will record the
amount of product left after emissions.

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Step 4: Usage
1. The value recorded at the end of the refining and emissions step will be the final
amount of useful product with which each group can produce power. Using the
calculations provided in the background section, each group will calculate how
many houses they can power for one day.
2. Using the amounts of product measured and recorded in Steps 2 and 3, have
students also calculate how many houses they could have powered if they were
able to mine pure product (amount measured at the end of Step 2) or did not have
to consider emissions (amount measured in Step 3.1)?
At the end, take the time to read the supplemental information provided by NEED, found
on the links below.
Intermediate Energy Infobook, Natural Gas
http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/IntInfo/NGasI.pdf
Intermediate Energy Infobook, Coal:
http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/IntInfo/CoalI.pdf
Intermediate Energy Infobook Petroleum:
http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/IntInfo/PetroI.pdf

Assessment:
Go through this thought process with your students or they can write it down as an
assessment. Ask your students the following questions:
1. How many houses was your group able to power for a day?
2. Were you able to mine all of your type of fossil fuel available from your plot of land?
3. Predict how much is left in your container.
4. What if the amount of fossil fuel you were given was all that you had and I asked you to
mine enough to power all the houses in our town for a day? Would you be able to? What
about for a year?
5. How did your fossil fuel get to your plot of land?
6. How do you think fossil fuels are created?
7. What does it mean when someone says that Fossil Fuels are non-renewable resources?
8. How did refining and emissions affect the number of houses you were able to power?
What does this tell you about fossil fuels?
After your students have gone through the process of thinking, mining, refining, and
using their fossil fuel, give them time to read the supplemental information. Each group
that mined for coal will read about coal, the natural gas group(s) will read about natural
gas and the petroleum group(s) will read about petroleum. When they are reading they

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should compare and contrast what they did in the activity to what they read in the
supplemental reading. In their groups they will also write five facts or ideas about their
fossil fuel that they learned from the supplemental reading.
Once the students have written down those five facts or ideas, they will divide into new
groups making sure each group has at least one person representing each fossil fuel (it is
possible that there will be more than one person representing a fossil fuel). For example, if
you have five plots of land and four people at each plot, once they divide into new groups,
you will have four groups of five. In each new group you will have two coal
representatives, two natural gas representatives, and one oil representative. They will then
share and discuss what they learned with their new group. That group will compile their
findings on one sheet and turn it in for assessment.
Additional Content:
See the lesson plans below from NEED.org which go into further detail (how fossil fuels
are created, how each fossil fuel is mined, how each fossil fuel is converted into electricity
and how fossil fuels are used).
http://www.need.org/needpdf/LiquefiedNaturalGas.pdf
http://www.need.org/needpdf/Fossil%20Fuels%20to%20Products.pdf

References:
Fossil Fuels to Products National Energy Education Development Project. 2011. 20
June 2012
http://www.need.org/needpdf/Fossil%20Fuels%20to%20Products.pdf
How much coal, natural gas, or petroleum is used to generate a kilowatt-hour of
electricity? US Energy Information Administration.26 Mar. 2012. 20 June 2012
http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=667&t=2
Glossary US Energy Information Administration. 20 June 2012
http://www.eia.gov/tools/glossary/index.cfm?id=K
Intermediate Energy Infobook, Coal National Energy Education Development
Project.2011.20 June 2012
http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/IntInfo/CoalI.pdf
Intermediate Energy Infobook, Natural Gas National Energy Education Development
Project.2011.20 June 2012
http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/IntInfo/NGasI.pdf

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Intermediate Energy Infobook, Petroleum National Energy Education Development

Project. 2011.20 June 2012
http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/IntInfo/PetroI.pdf
Liquefied Natural Gas: LNG National Energy Education Development Project. 2011. 20
June 2012 http://www.need.org/needpdf/LiquefiedNaturalGas.pdf
Residential Energy Consumption Survey/How much electricity does an American home
use? US Energy Information Administration. 6 Dec. 2011. 20 June 2012
http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3

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