Conservation of Energy

Our modern society uses a lot of energy! Most of our energy comes from fossil fuels (see glossary for definition). The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide gasses into our atmosphere which contribute to global warming. You have probably heard a lot about global warming on the news, at home and in school. It is an issue that everyone is talking about!

What are some ways that we can reduce our use of fossil fuels? Technology has helped us find alternative sources of energy that are pretty interesting! You can read about these alternative energy sources on the following websites:
Canadian Renewable Energy or Energy Resources

For a detailed explanation about energy sources, check out The Energy Story published by the California Energy Commission.

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source?

What can you do to reduce YOUR energy consumption at home? What about your school?

Teachers: The above activity can be used in Grade 5 Science, Energy and Control: Conservation of Energy. Specific expectations: list various sources of energy and identify them as renewable, describe advantages and disadvantages of using renewable energy sources as opposed to non-renewable sources, identify forms of energy and their sources, describe how we use different natural resources as sources of energy and evaluate the effect of their use on the natural and human-made environments.

For cross-curricular connections have your students try a WebQuest on Alternative Energy Sources where the student's task is to find the best of four alternative energy sources. They will use language expectations to write or present their point of view and drama for role-play.