Plastic bags, laptops, and even toothpaste all contain petroleum. A lesson explains how to define fossil fuels, including petroleum, and the many uses for fossil fuels in our everyday lives. It also details why new sources need to replace fossil fuels and the recent progress with renewable resources.

Concepts

fossil fuels, coal, petroleum, natural gas, climate change, carbon dioxide, global warming

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Find out the type of power schools and homes use
• Have pupils make a list of everything in the classroom made from or with the help of fossil fuels

Classroom Considerations

• Relies on prior knowledge of types and sources of energy

Pros

• Provides closed captioning in five languages
• Connects to current issues surrounding energy production

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.2 SL.7.2 SL.8.2 SL.9-10.2 RST.6-8.4 RST.9-10.4