Renewable Energy

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The Environment

Renewable Energy

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy uses energy sources that are not "used up". For example, solar power from the sun is renewable as we won't "use up" all the sunlight from the sun. Examples of non-renewable energy sources include fossil fuels like coal and oil. Once we use or burn these resources, they are gone forever. 

Why is renewable energy important? 

Much of the world relies on non-renewable energy to heat their homes, power their electronic devices, and power their cars. Once these energy sources are used up, they will be gone forever. Developing technologies that can efficiently use renewable energy sources is critical to our future. 


The Environment 

Many renewable energy sources are also better for the environment than burning fossil fuels. They produce less pollution which will help protect the environment and provide us with cleaner air and water.

Major Types of Renewable Energy

Wind Power - Large wind turbines generate electricity from the power of the wind.
 
Solar Energy - The rays from the sun can help to heat a building or a pool. They can also be turned into electricity using solar cells.
 
Hydropower - Water from a dam or a river can be used to spin turbines and generate electricity.
 
Wave and Tidal Power - This new technology is working on ways to harness the vast power of the ocean's waves and tides.
 
Geothermal Energy - Heat from inside the Earth can be used to heat homes and buildings with heat pumps. Steam from inside the Earth can also be used to generate electricity.

Biomass Energy - Plants gather energy from the sun by photosynthesis. We can harness this energy by burning plants such as trees as well as creating fuel from plants such as ethanol and biodiesel. Even gas from trash and manure can be used to create energy.
 
Fun Facts About Renewable Energy

• Half of the electricity in the United States is still generated by burning coal. Burning coal is a major source of carbon dioxide gas.
• A single large wind turbine used instead of burning coal can prevent the emission of 5000 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
• In 2008 only around 10% of the world's energy came from renewable sources.
• The United States has around 5 percent of the world's population, but consumes 26 percent of the world's energy.
• Around 28% of the energy used in the United States is for transportation. As of 2010 there were around 9 million cars that were capable of using biofuel.
• If you could harness the energy from all the sunlight that falls on the Earth in one hour, you would have enough energy to supply the world for a year.
• Around 50% of renewable energy is used to produce electricity.
• In some areas you can generate your own renewable energy, like with a solar cell or wind turbine, and then sell it back to the local energy company.

The Environment: Renewable Energy. (2014, November 1). Ducksters.

Retrieved from http://www.ducksters.com/science/environment/renewable_energy.php
Web Link

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Summary

The Environment: Renewable Energy is a concise, thorough introduction to what renewable energy is and the major types of renewable energy. It is presented in a simple, yet informative style, making it easily comprehensible for 5th grade students. It discusses why renewable energy is important and how it affects the environment, and offers a clear pie chart on our country's energy consumption. The article ends with a list of fun facts, which will serve to more thoroughly engage students' thoughts about this topic.

Teaching Idea:  Paired Partner Reading

I will use this renewable energy article as an introductory piece for the topic. To promote strategic reading, I will have my students participate in Paired Partner Reading, specifically the Read-Pause-Make a Connection technique. With this method, one student reads and then the partners pause. During the pause, each student makes a connection to either self, to text, or to the world. This technique should help my students relate renewable energy to their everyday lives, as well as offer them a better understanding of the importance of it. Since both partners must make a connection during each pause, this approach helps both students stay focused no matter who the reader is for a particular section.

Once the class finishes our Paired Partner Reading, I will ask each student to pick which one of the major types of renewable energies listed in the article they would like to study further. The class will form into groups according to the types of renewable energy they chose. We will then be set up for our next science lesson when we conduct an Internet Inquiry into these sources of energy with the energy groups we formed.

This lesson corresponds with Science TEKS 5.3(A); 5.6(A); 5.7(C).

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