MarcoGram March 2005 -- Energy: Harnessing the Power of Nature

Energy: Harnessing the Power of Nature
Energy is the power needed to make something work. It is as vital to industry as oxygen is to the human body. As the international community seeks solutions in the ongoing challenge of providing the world with energy, your class can consider some of the same issues with this month's MarcoGram. Use the activities below to turn your classroom into a student-powered think tank, then scroll down for more links and resources on this topic.

1. Much of the United States currently relies on fossil fuels – oil, natural gas and coal – to meet energy needs. However, fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources, meaning they are finite and can eventually run out. Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar and hydropower, are increasingly being studied as clean, efficient and inexpensive alternatives to fossil fuels.

Demonstrate how one renewable energy source – wind energy – works. Divide the class into small groups and ask each to create a sail that will catch the most wind to propel a ship the furthest distance. Provide each group with scissors, tape, one sheet of paper for the sail, a paper cup for the ship's hull and a well-sharpened pencil for the mast. Each group must then form a paper sail out of the supplied materials, affix it to the mast and insert the mast into the cup. Set up an electric fan on a long table or the floor and have each group place its ship about six inches in front of the fan. Turn on the fan and use a ruler to measure how far each ship is moved by the power of wind.

Extend this activity with National Geographic's Sailing Simulator, which gives students insight into the various factors that affect the operation of a wind-powered ship.

Learn about other energy sources in:

"Collecting the Rays" (3-5) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

"Converting Energy" (6-8) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science

"Energy Sources and Use" (3-5) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

2. In 1962, a mild-mannered biologist named Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a book that explained in simple terms the dangerous effects that chemicals used to control insect populations could have on human beings and the environment. The book became an international best-seller and helped inspire an entire generation to protect the environment.

Obtain a copy of Silent Spring. The first chapter, which is quite brief, describes a fictional town that has been stricken with seemingly unexplainable maladies. Read it aloud in class. What point is Rachel Carson trying to make? How does she get her point across? How does her writing make you feel about pesticides?

Just as Rachel Carson predicted dire consequences from the use of pesticides, some scientists today predict we will soon face a global oil crisis. Discuss in class the everyday ways we use oil as energy (i.e., to run vehicles, to heat homes, etc.). Ask students to write an essay in the style of Silent Spring's first chapter that predicts how our lives would change if we no longer had access to oil and alerts others to the need to expand our use of renewable energy sources.

Read, write and listen to more about human interaction with the natural world in:

"Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict" (3-5) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities

"Listening to History" (6-8) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities

"Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues" (6-8) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English

3. The U.S. Department of Energy was created in 1977 largely in response to the energy crisis of that decade. The department is responsible for researching and developing energy technologies and promoting energy efficiency and conservation. Each state also has its own energy department, which helps manage these responsibilities within the state's borders.

Ask students to imagine that your class is responsible for running your state's department of energy. The governor has asked your students to develop a state energy policy that will save money, while reducing the use of fossil fuels. To find current statistical information on your state's energy expenditures, visit the Energy Information Administration's State Energy Page. Select your state on the interactive map, then click on "Total" beneath Total Energy – Prices and Expenditures. Looking at the chart of price data, ask students to indicate which prices are trending downward. How might the expenditures be reallocated to save money? What other factors should be considered? (i.e., your state's ability to generate or acquire different energy sources.) Compare your state's data with data from a neighboring state. Are they similar or different?

Explore ways of becoming more energy efficient in:

"Be an Energy Saver" (6-12) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education

"Blowing in the Wind" (9-12) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education

"Low-Level Nuclear Waste: A Geographic Analysis" (9-12) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society

"The Economics of Recycling" (9-12) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education

4. Very young students may wonder what they can do to help protect the environment. Introduce the concept of recycling, which helps conserve our natural resources by reducing the amount of wastes in landfills. What makes it so attractive is that anyone can do it on a daily basis, with little or no cost or inconvenience.

What does it mean to recycle? Do you recycle at home? What kinds of materials can be recycled? What do you think happens to items that get recycled?

Ask students to bring in objects from home that they would normally recycle (i.e., metal cans, plastic bottles, newspapers). Make sure the items have been cleaned. Tell students they will "recycle" the objects by finding new uses for them. Supply students with scissors, glue, markers or crayons and a variety of craft materials, such as construction paper, felt, yarn, sequins, glitter, etc. Offer some general examples – a metal can could become a pencil holder, a plastic bottle would make a great bird feeder, a newspaper can double as a hat – but encourage students' creativity.

Continue to investigate how recycling helps the environment with:

"A Crafty Idea" (K-4) from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

"Earth Day Every Day" (3-5) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society

"Garbage 1: The Roots of Trash" (3-5) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science

"Materials 2: Recycled Materials" (K-2) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science

"Mathematics and Environmental Concerns: Plastic Packaging" (K-2) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics



© MCI Foundation		1. Much of the United States currently relies on fossil fuels – oil, natural gas and coal – to meet energy needs. However, fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources, meaning they are finite and can eventually run out. Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar and hydropower, are increasingly being studied as clean, efficient and inexpensive alternatives to fossil fuels. Demonstrate how one renewable energy source – wind energy – works. Divide the class into small groups and ask each to create a sail that will catch the most wind to propel a ship the furthest distance. Provide each group with scissors, tape, one sheet of paper for the sail, a paper cup for the ship's hull and a well-sharpened pencil for the mast. Each group must then form a paper sail out of the supplied materials, affix it to the mast and insert the mast into the cup. Set up an electric fan on a long table or the floor and have each group place its ship about six inches in front of the fan. Turn on the fan and use a ruler to measure how far each ship is moved by the power of wind. Extend this activity with National Geographic's Sailing Simulator, which gives students insight into the various factors that affect the operation of a wind-powered ship. Learn about other energy sources in: "Collecting the Rays" (3-5) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics


		"Converting Energy" (6-8) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science


		"Energy Sources and Use" (3-5) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science


Silent Spring by Rachel Carson		2. In 1962, a mild-mannered biologist named Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a book that explained in simple terms the dangerous effects that chemicals used to control insect populations could have on human beings and the environment. The book became an international best-seller and helped inspire an entire generation to protect the environment. Obtain a copy of Silent Spring. The first chapter, which is quite brief, describes a fictional town that has been stricken with seemingly unexplainable maladies. Read it aloud in class. What point is Rachel Carson trying to make? How does she get her point across? How does her writing make you feel about pesticides? Just as Rachel Carson predicted dire consequences from the use of pesticides, some scientists today predict we will soon face a global oil crisis. Discuss in class the everyday ways we use oil as energy (i.e., to run vehicles, to heat homes, etc.). Ask students to write an essay in the style of Silent Spring's first chapter that predicts how our lives would change if we no longer had access to oil and alerts others to the need to expand our use of renewable energy sources. Read, write and listen to more about human interaction with the natural world in: "Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict" (3-5) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities


		"Listening to History" (6-8) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities


		"Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues" (6-8) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English


		3. The U.S. Department of Energy was created in 1977 largely in response to the energy crisis of that decade. The department is responsible for researching and developing energy technologies and promoting energy efficiency and conservation. Each state also has its own energy department, which helps manage these responsibilities within the state's borders. Ask students to imagine that your class is responsible for running your state's department of energy. The governor has asked your students to develop a state energy policy that will save money, while reducing the use of fossil fuels. To find current statistical information on your state's energy expenditures, visit the Energy Information Administration's State Energy Page. Select your state on the interactive map, then click on "Total" beneath Total Energy – Prices and Expenditures. Looking at the chart of price data, ask students to indicate which prices are trending downward. How might the expenditures be reallocated to save money? What other factors should be considered? (i.e., your state's ability to generate or acquire different energy sources.) Compare your state's data with data from a neighboring state. Are they similar or different? Explore ways of becoming more energy efficient in: "Be an Energy Saver" (6-12) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education


		"Blowing in the Wind" (9-12) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education


		"Low-Level Nuclear Waste: A Geographic Analysis" (9-12) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society


		"The Economics of Recycling" (9-12) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education


		4. Very young students may wonder what they can do to help protect the environment. Introduce the concept of recycling, which helps conserve our natural resources by reducing the amount of wastes in landfills. What makes it so attractive is that anyone can do it on a daily basis, with little or no cost or inconvenience. What does it mean to recycle? Do you recycle at home? What kinds of materials can be recycled? What do you think happens to items that get recycled? Ask students to bring in objects from home that they would normally recycle (i.e., metal cans, plastic bottles, newspapers). Make sure the items have been cleaned. Tell students they will "recycle" the objects by finding new uses for them. Supply students with scissors, glue, markers or crayons and a variety of craft materials, such as construction paper, felt, yarn, sequins, glitter, etc. Offer some general examples – a metal can could become a pencil holder, a plastic bottle would make a great bird feeder, a newspaper can double as a hat – but encourage students' creativity. Continue to investigate how recycling helps the environment with: "A Crafty Idea" (K-4) from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts


		"Earth Day Every Day" (3-5) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society


		"Garbage 1: The Roots of Trash" (3-5) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science


		"Materials 2: Recycled Materials" (K-2) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science


		"Mathematics and Environmental Concerns: Plastic Packaging" (K-2) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics