5-E Model Lesson

Sean Leake and Evan Becker

Energy Resources and Sources

Title

Purpose/Rationale

To teach students about how energy is produced, where the sources

of energy come from, and where power plants are located

SOLs

6.2: Energy: The student will investigate and understand basic

sources of energy, their origins, transformations, and uses. Key
concepts include:
c. Nonrenewable energy sources;
d. Renewable energy sources;
Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes:
Compare and contrast renewable (solar, wind, water
[hydropower, tidal and waves], biofuels, geothermal, and
biomass) and nonrenewable energy sources (coal, petroleum,
natural gas, nuclear power)
Compare and contrast energy sources in terms of their origins,
how they are utilized, and their availability.
Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of using various
energy sources and their impact on climate and the
environment.
6.9: Earth Resources: The student will investigate and understand
public policy decisions relating to the environment
Key concepts:
a. Management of renewable resources;
b. Management of nonrenewable resources;
c. The mitigation of land-use and environmental hazards through
preventive measures;
d. Cost/benefit tradeoffs in conservation policies.
ES. 6: The student will investigate and understand the differences
between renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Key concepts:
a. Fossil fuels, minerals, rocks, water, and vegetation;
b. Advantages and disadvantages of various energy sources;
c. Resources found in Virginia;
d. Environmental costs and benefits.

Materials and Resources

Energy tokens
Internet-capable computers
Projector and computer

Safety Issues

No safety issues associated with this lesson

Procedures for Teaching (numbered with time frame)

Engage (Day One)
(5 minutes)

Show students photos of power plant innards (insides of

hydroelectric, coal, etc., plants), and ask students what power plants
these photos represent.

Explore (27 minutes)

1. Have students group into groups of three or four (1 minute)

2. 12 tokens: 2 of 6 types of energy each (solar, coal, oil, nuclear,
natural gas/fracking, wind)
3. (Adjust token number based on number of students)
4. Pass out tokens, one per student (1 minute)
5. Once students have paired up, have them discuss environmental
effects, any known local power-production usage of this
resource, and how its generated/retrieved/mined (5 minutes)
6. Have the students go to computers (one pair/computer) and
research the items in the above activity
7. They will be using the first page of the activity sheet, and the
interactive map linked below (20 minutes)
8. Overall with maphttp://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=VA

Explain (include key

vocabulary/concepts)
(18 minutes)

1. Bring the students back into a full class group and discuss their
findings about the different kinds of power (10 minutes)
2. Students will fill in the other blanks on the front of their activity
sheet from the group discussion and share among each other (8
minutes)

Elaborate (Day Two)

(35 minutes)

1. Students will get on the internet and research the different

power sources in Virginia using the links provided by the
teacher, listed here:
a. Coal
http://www.facilities.vt.edu/usi/steam/history.
asp
http://www.facilities.vt.edu/usi/steam/
http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/montgo
mery_county/radford-army-ammunitionplant-plans-to-reduce-open-toxicwaste/article_e1eddc64-5ae9-5a72-877b45cb4869fe4b.html
b. Solar
http://www.solarconnexion.com/
c. Oil

 https://www.dom.com/corporate/what-wedo/electricity/generation/fossil-fueled-powerstations/low-moor-power-station
http://www.energyjustice.net/map/displayfaci
lity-69395.htm
d. Natural gas
http://www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/ca/va/webpag
es/vad001705110.html
https://www.dmme.virginia.gov/dgo/Hydrauli
cFracturing.shtml
e. Nuclear
https://www.dom.com/corporate/what-wedo/electricity/generation/nuclear/north-annapower-station
http://www.tva.gov/sites/sequoyah.htm
f. Hydroelectric
http://www.claytorhydro.com/about/
http://www.smithmtn.com/
g. Wood
https://www.dom.com/corporate/what-wedo/electricity/generation/biomass/altavistapower-station
https://www.novec.com/About_NOVEC/SBE
.cfm
h. Wind
http://www.blacksburgwindpower.com/
http://www.dasolar.com/home-windpower/virginia/blacksburg
2. and write down their observations on the back of the activity
sheet (35 minutes)
3. Students will go back to their seats and share out to the class
what they observed and recorded about each type of power
source. Students will complete the back side of the activity
sheet, including the conceptual questions (15 minutes)
Evaluate
Formative

Summative

How much of the associated activity sheet is filled out, and with
what information
What information the students share with the rest of the class
Teacher observations of student participation
Each student will prepare a tri-fold poster on a power plant of
their own choosing, and set it up with the other posters around

Activity Sheet (includes

safety, data recording,
open-ended questions)

the room. From here, they should attend another presentation,

and fill out an exit slip on information about a power plant that
was not the same as their own.
Information for the exit slip: What energy source does that
power plant use? How do we obtain that energy source? What
are the environmental impacts associated with obtaining and
using that energy source?

(Attach to lesson plan)

WIDA
Levels

Specific Language Level Objectives

(Write 1-4 per level, including the domains on which the lessons focuses.)

WIDA level one students will be able to

Understand that electrical power is generated from resources

WIDA level two students will be able to

Understand what resources are used in electrical generation

WIDA level three students will be able to

Understand where the resources used in electrical generation come from and/or are obtained

WIDA level four students will be able to

Understand how each resource is used to generate electricity

WIDA level five students will be able to

Understand the environmental impacts of obtaining and using each resource in electrical
generation

Name: __________________________ Date: ______________

Energy: Renewability and Consequences
1. Find the other student in the classroom with your type of token
2. With your partner and what you already know, fill out this chart about the energy source
displayed on your token:
Energy Source

Local/Regional
Generation

Local Uses

Local/Regional
Power Plants

Environmental
Effects

Questions:
1. What pollution can you think of that is associated with this energy?
2. Does the building or usage of this power station disturb the local environment?
3. Does fuel need to be imported for this plant to work, and if so, how?

Find your the links for your energy source up on the powerpoint, and type it into the address bar
of an internet browser.
With your resources open, go ahead and fill out the chart again using information from those
sources:
Energy Source

Local/Regional
Generation

Local Uses

Local/Regional
Power Plants

Environmental
Effects

Local/regional power plants can be found through this link:

http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=VA
Questions:
1. What pollution associated with this energy?
2. How does the building or usage of this power station disturb the local environment?
3. Does fuel need to be imported for this plant to work, and if so, how?