LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

YourName:JacobMagallanez
TitleofLesson:FossilFuelsandAlternativeEnergy
Grade:5th

STANDARDS

5.G.A.2.Representrealworldandmathematicalproblemsbygraphingpointsinthefirstquadrantofthe
coordinateplane,andinterpretcoordinatevaluesofpointsinthecontextofthesituation.

5.RI.9Integrateinformationfromseveraltextsonthesametopicinordertowriteorspeakaboutthesubject
knowledgeably.

Concept1,PO4.Locateinformationusingbothprimaryandsecondarysources.

35ETS12Generateandcomparemultiplepossiblesolutionstoaproblembasedonhowwelleachislikelyto
meetthecriteriaandconstraintsoftheproblem.

LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW

Thislessonwillbeexploringtheuseandimpactsoffossilfuelsandalternativeenergyresources.Studentswill
beusingthefourwaysofthinkingthroughoutthelesson.Theissueofsustainabilitywithfossilfuelswillbe
lookedatthroughagraphingactivitythatexplainshowitisanonrenewableresource.Studentswillbedoing
researchusingprovidedmaterialsalongwithprimaryandsecondaryresourcesfromthewebtodevelopan
argumentaboutfossilfuelsandalternativeenergy.Studentswillusetheinformationtheyhavecollectedto
generatemultiplepossiblesolutionstosustainabilityproblemsthatmeettheconstraintsoflimitedresources.
Bytheendoftheunit,studentswillbeabletogenerateaproductoftheirchoicetoshowtheirunderstanding
ofthecontenttheyhaveexplored.

Thistopicwasselectedbecausefossilfuelsandalternativeenergyisattheforefrontofcurrentdebateamong
citizensandlegislators.Studentswillbeabletounderstandthedifferencebetweenrenewableand
nonrenewablesourcesofenergyandhowtheyarecurrentlybeingused.Thefourwaysofthinkingwillbe
usedtolookatthisissuethroughmultipleperspectives.Studentswilluseinformationprovidedalongwith
personalresearchtodeveloptheirownargumentonthisissueanddefendtheirstanceinadebate.Multiple
subjectareaswillbeusedtoenhancestudentunderstandingofthisissue.Themaingoalforthislessonisfor
studentstounderstandthesocial,economic,andenvironmentalimpactsofbothfossilfuelsandalternative
energy.

OBJECTIVES
Studentswillbeableto
Recognizewhatfossilfuelsandalternativeenergyresourcesare.
Recognizethedifferencebetweenrenewableandnonrenewableenergyresources.
Exploredifferentresourcesofenergyusingprimaryandsecondaryresources.
Integrateinformationfromresearchtodefendanopinion.
Generatesolutionsincontextandaccordingtospecificconstraints.

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Indayone,studentswillbeusinggraphingtoexplorethenatureofnonrenewableresources.Daystwo,three
andfourallowstudentstogatherinformationfromseveraltexts,primaryandsecondaryresourcestospeak
ofthesubjectknowledgably.Indayfive,studentswillusetheinformationtheyhavelearnedtogenerateand
comparemultiplepossiblesolutionsondealingwithnonrenewableenergyandconstraintthatcomewith
thesesolutions.

PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE

Theprerequisiteknowledgeofthislessonwouldrequirestudentstohaveabasicunderstandingofhow
energyresourcesareusedintheireverydaylives,suchasgasolineandelectricity.Thisknowledgewillbe
assessedthroughthefollowingquestions.
Howdoweseeenergybeingusedeveryday?
Wheredoyouthinktheelectricitythatpowersourlightcomesfrom?
Wheredoesgasolinecomefrom?
Doanyoftheseimpacttheenvironment?

MATERIALS
Optionalposterpaperandartsupplies
Internetmaterialslistedbelow

VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS
Fossilfuels
AlternativeEnergy
RenewableResources
NonRenewableResources
ValuesThinking
FuturesThinking
SystemsThinking
StrategicThinking

TEACHINGPROCEDURES
Day1:Intro
Thisdaywillbededicatedtointroducingstudentstothetopicoffossilfuelsandalternativeenergy.Students
willwatchshortvideosgivingthemabriefoverviewoffossilfuelsandalternativeenergy.Theclasswill
discusstheimplicationsofalltheenergysourcespresentedinthevideosandcompleteagraphingactivity.

FossilFuelsVideo:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaXBVYr9Ij0
Renewable&Alternativeenergyvideo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4xKThjcKaE

Theteacherwillaskstudentsquestionssuchas
(ImplementingValuesThinking)
HowmuchenergydoIuse?
Howmuchenergydoesmyfamilyuse?
Howlongwillfossilfuelslast?
Arethereanyrenewableenergysourcesmy
familycanuse?
FossilFuelsGraphingactivity:Takenfrom
thislink

https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/04/f0/Conserving_Electric_Energy.pdf

Day2:Exploration

Thisdaywillbededicatedtostudentswillbeexploringthedifferentresourcesofenergyandwheretheycome
from.Informationwillbecollectedfromavarietyofprimaryandsecondaryresources.Studentswillusethis
informationtodevelopanopinionaboutFossilFuelsandAlternativeenergytodefendinadebatethenext
dayaboutwhethertosupportfossilfuelsornot.

Teacherprovidedresources:
http://www.alliantenergykids.com/EnergyandTheEnvironment/RenewableEnergy/000625
https://climatekids.nasa.gov/fossilfuelscoal/
https://c03.apogee.net/contentplayer/?coursetype=kids&utilityid=pseg&id=16182
http://www.ecology.com/2011/09/06/fossilfuelsrenewableenergyresources/
http://www.conserveenergyfuture.com/prosandconsoffossilfuels.php
http://www.conserveenergyfuture.com/prosandconsofrenewableenergy.php
http://www.conserveenergyfuture.com/prosandconsofnuclearenergy.php

Studentswillalsobeallowedtosearchthewebforadditionalinformation.

Day3:Debate

Studentswillusetheinformationcollectedindaytwotoengageinadiscussionaboutfossilfuelsand
alternativeenergy.Studentswilldiscusstheprosandconsofbothfossilfuelsandalternativeenergy.Students
whosupportfossilfuelsshouldbeabletoexplaintheeconomicbenefitsalongwiththemanyusesoffossil
fuels.Studentswhodonotsupportfossilfuelsshouldbeabletoexplaintheenvironmentalimpactsoffossil
fuelswhilesuggestingalternatives.Everystudentshouldhavetheirownsetoffactsfromthepreviousday
andbeabletodefendtheirargumentsusingtheinformationtheycollected.
ThisdebatewillincorporateFuturesThinkinginstudentarguments.

Day4:ExploringAlternativesinDifferentContexts

SystemsThinkingwillbeintroducedtogivestudentsaperspectiveonhowalternativeenergycanbeusedin
differentcontexts.Thisdaywillbededicatedtogatheringfurtherinformationonalternativeenergy
resourcesusedindifferentcontextssuchas:
Carsthatdonotusegasoline.
Powerplantsthatdonotrunonfossilfuels.
Appliancesthatusesolarpower.
Dams
Waystousealternativeenergyresourcesinvariousways.

UsefulResources:
http://www.conserveenergyfuture.com/alternativeenergysources.php
http://news.energysage.com/examplesofrenewableresourcesandalternativeenergy/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkTRcTyDSyk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ovdxOvP_A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFwGpiCs3ss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFQrE91kZwk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8HmRLCgDAI

Studentsmayalsosearchthewebforadditionalinformationfromprimaryandsecondaryresources.

Day5:ApplyingKnowledge

Thisday,studentswilluseStrategicThinkingandhavetheoptiontocreateaproducttodemonstratethe
contenttheyhavelearned.Studentswillbegiventheoptiontocreate:
Alettertoapolicymakeorbusinessowneraboutfossilfuelsandalternativeenergy.
Askitexplainingtheuseoffossilfuelsandalternativeenergy.
Aposterdisplayinginformationaboutfossilfuelsandalternativeenergy.

Eachcreatedpieceshouldcovereachoftheseareas:
WhatareFossilFuels.
WhatarethedifferenttypesofAlternativeEnergy.
Theprosandconsofboth.
Possiblesolutions.

RESOURCES

Alliant Energy Kids. (n.d.). What is Renewable Energy. Retrieved

April 26, 2017, from alliantenergykids.com:
http://www.alliantenergykids.com/EnergyandTheEnvironment/R
enewableEnergy/000625
Conserve Energy Future. (n.d.). Nuclear Energy Pros and Cons.
Retrieved April 26, 2017, from conserve-energy-future.com:
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-
nuclear-energy.php
Conserve Energy Future. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of Fossil Fuels.
Retrieved April 26, 2017, from conserve-energy-future.com:
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-
fossil-fuels.php
Conserve Energy Future. (n.d.). Renewable Energy Pros and Cons.
Retrieved April 26, 2017, from conserve-energy-future.com:
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-
renewable-energy.php
Conserve Energy Future. (n.d.). What are Alternative Energy
Sources? Retrieved April 26, 2017, from conserve-energy-
future.com: http://www.conserve-energy-
future.com/alternativeenergysources.php
Department of Energy. (n.d.). Fossil Fuel Study Guide: Coal.
Retrieved April 26, 2017, from energy.gov:
https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/04/f0/Conserving_Elect
ric_Energy.pdf
EnergySage. (n.d.). What are Some Renewable Resources? Examples
of Alternative Energy. Retrieved April 26, 2017, from
news.energysage.com: http://news.energysage.com/examples-
of-renewable-resources-and-alternative-energy/
McLamb, E. (2011, September 6). Energy's Future Today. Retrieved
April 26, 2017, from ecology.com:
http://www.ecology.com/2011/09/06/fossil-fuels-renewable-
energy-resources/
NASA. (n.d.). The Story of Fossil Fuels. Retrieved April 26, 2017,
from climatekids.nasa.gov: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/fossil-
fuels-coal/
PSE&G. (n.d.). Nuclear Power. Retrieved April 26, 2017, from
apogee.net: https://c03.apogee.net/contentplayer/?
coursetype=kids&utilityid=pseg&id=16182
Student Energy . (2015, May 17). Fossil Fuels. Retrieved April 26,
2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaXBVYr9Ij0
Student Energy. (2015, May 17). Geothemal 101. Retrieved April 26,
2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFQrE91kZwk
Student Energy. (2015, May 17). Hydropower 101. Retrieved April
26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=q8HmRLCgDAI
Student Energy. (2015, May 17). Nuclear Energy 101. Retrieved April
26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=44ovdxOvP_A
Student Energy. (2015, May 17). Renewable Energy 101. Retrieved
April 26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=T4xKThjcKaE
Student Energy. (2015, May 17). Solar 101. Retrieved April 26, 2017,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFwGpiCs3ss
Student Energy. (2015, May 17). Tidal Power 101. Retrieved April
26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=VkTRcTyDSyk

WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION

The lesson begins with students exploring values thinking,

understanding my much their families use non-renewable resources
and what their lives would be like without them. Students explore
systems thinking by exploring different sources of non-renewable
and renewable energy. Students use futures thinking to understand
the impacts of fossil fuels and alternative energy. The lesson
concludes with students applying strategic thinking by suggesting
multiple solutions and the possible constraints that come along with
them.