Keep This Safe!

These notes will serve as your guide throughout the unit. It will explain each task you need to complete and how to be successful in each.

Georgia Environmental Science Standard

SEV4e – Describe the commonly used fuels (e.g. fossil fuels, nuclear fuels, etc.) and some alternative fuels (e.g. wind,

solar, ethanol, etc.) including the required technology, availability, pollution problems and implementation

problems. Recognize the origin of fossil fuels and the problems associated with our dependence on this energy

source.

SEV5e – Describe the effects and potential implications of pollution and resource depletion on the environment at the local and global levels (e.g. air and water pollution, solid

waste disposal, depletion of the stratospheric ozone, global warming, and land uses).

Georgia American Government Standard

SSCG20 – The student will describe the tools used to carry out United States foreign policy (diplomacy; economic, military, and humanitarian aid; treaties; sanctions and

military intervention).

SSCG7– The student will describe how... civic life is characterized by “participating in the political process,

performing public service... being informed about current issues, and respecting differing opinions.”

Essential Questions

1. How many oils spills can the ocean endure?

2. How much energy do we actually need?

3. What is the best source of energy?

4. How can we have our government switch from fossil fuels to alternative energy?

5. What would happen to our economy if we stopped using oil? (USA, Middle East, and Russia)

Objectives

1.To understand how we obtain oil, coal, and gas, and what they are used for.

2.To understand emerging types of alternate energy and their advantages/disadvantages.

3.To be able to sort through new scientific journals and find emerging energy sources and find the advantages and disadvantages.

4.To better know a citizens role in bringing about change in government policies.

Assessments

1. Pre-assessment

2. Parent Survey

3. Alternative Energy Presentation

4. Alternative Energy Quiz

5. Oil Spill Clean-up

6. Fossil Fuel Quiz

7. Letter to Congressional Representative

8. Unit Test

Supporting Activities

1. Library Research

2. Gulf Oil Spill Video

3. Guest Speakers: Mr. Hendrix, Mr. Hogan, and Mrs. Gail (Warnell Center)

4. Daily Warm-ups

Pre-assessment 20 Question Quiz on the main material that we

will be covering in this unit.

Parent Survey 10 Question survey to ask parents and see

what they know... do you know more than them? Let's put them to the test!

Alternative Energy Presentation

Students will create a presentation on a type of alternative energy.

Last page should be a resource list and include the information retrieved

from each source

Include relevant pictures and make sure to label diagrams and images

Watch what colors you use and the amount of

information on each page

Alternative Energy Quiz

20 questions from the presentations and the important ideas from each.

Each group will submit 1 question and the rest will come from the Warm-Ups for that week.

Oil Spill Clean-Up

We will watch a Gulf Oil Spill documentary detailing the events that took place during the first 36 hours of the disaster, followed by a summary of the events that came after.

Groups will have a chance to research oil spill cleaning techniques and have to come up with a way to clean up an oil spill of their own.

Grading

You are working on the BP clean up crew. How do you know when you are done?

Now think about the local inhabitants that live on the Louisiana coast. What would they think is a job well done?

Let's work together to make a score sheet for each clean up group. Was it rally BP's Fault?

Fossil Fuel Quiz

20 question quiz 10 questions will come from the videos and

readings and 10 will come from the Warm-Ups for that week.

Letter to Congressional Representative

You are now aware of the choices that states and countries are now using for energy sources.

Something in our area needs to change in order for us to survive to see another generation.

You will pick a change you believe can help our county/state move in the right direction.

Make sure it is currently in use and it is a viable change to what we are currently using.

Letter to Congressional Representative

After researching your topic of interest you will write a letter to you local congressional representative and urge him to make the change.

Make sure to clearly state your issue, the solution, and a couple facts to support your claim.

Letters

A Good Idea Implementing

emissions laws for vehicles in our county.

Bad idea Outlawing cars and

making everyone ride bicycles to school/work.

Example

The letters will be read by several teachers and the best will be sent to the representative.

A few will be sent to the newspaper and might be selected to appear in the paper.

Opportunity to grow

Before the due date, you need 2 peer reviews of your letter.

These need to be attached to your letter when you turn it in.

One of these will be completed in class and the other needs to be a parent or guardian.

Unit Test

30 Question Test covering Fossil Fuels, Alternative Energy, and US Government.

It will be a mixture from the previous quizzes, warm-ups, and guest speakers.

There will be multiple choice, matching, short answer, and one essay question.

Student Checklist

□Pre-assessment□Parent Questionnaire□Fossil Fuel Notes□Gulf Oil Spill Video□Oil Spill Research□Oil Spill Lab□Fossil Fuel Quiz□Alternative Energy Research□Alternative Energy Presentations□Alternative Energy Review□Alternative Energy Quiz□Research for Letter□Letter to Congressional Representative□Warm-Ups (30 total)□Unit Test

Feedback and Reflection

I have a hard time keeping myself organized. To compensate for this, I make sure to have exemplars to guide students. This always has led to clean and well founded performance tasks. Also, because of my lack of organization, I tend to always be a day behind and leave little time for student reflection. This was noticed by my group. I added reflection into this unit by making sure the students had their letter reviewed for feedback and using the creation of the oil spill lab rubric to allow us to come full circle to end our discussion on fossil fuels. The only other thing my group members felt missing was a creative presentation. I felt that with this program that I used it to the best of its ability without losing the flow I created in it. I think that next time I will spend some time researching different programs to create a better effect and demonstrate the range of my creativity.