Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

Program Area

This activity should be placed at the end of the Natural Resources unit, just before beginning the unit on Industry in the Grade 9 Self and Society Program.

Learning Outcomes

Teaching, learning and evaluation will focus on the student's ability to:

• Identify and evaluate trends in the use of Canadian resources;
• Describe examples of renewable and nonrenewable resources;
• Become fully aware of the reasons why Canadians should conserve natural resources.

Classroom Development

1. Have the students individually complete the attached activity sheet analyzing their own energy usage.
2. The next step is to examine alternative energy sources.
   a) Set up six stations around the classroom for the following energy sources: Active Solar, Passive Solar, Wind, Biomass, Tidal Power, Geothermal.
   b) Use activity sheets for each of the six stations.
   c) Divide the class into six activity groups and have them complete the sheets at each station.
3. As a follow-up activity, students can either revise their predictions according to this new data, or reflect on the alternative energy source that they think is best and why. This should take one page. With an advanced class, the teacher may wish to instruct students to write on why it would be necessary to use all of the alternative energy sources in concert. Have the best examples read to the class.

Resources

Though this activities makes use of an article from Canadian Geographic, other texts can be substituted.

Clark, Bruce W. and John K. Wallace. Canada: Land of Diversity. Toronto: Prentice-Hall. 1989. p. 285-288.

Nolan, D. Jason. Sun power called ray of hope. Toronto Star, 1990 09 09. B6. Permission for reproduction for classroom use is given by the author.

Canadian Geographic. October/November, 1989.

Cross-curricular Links

• Using Computer Mediated Communication techniques described elsewhere in this document, the teacher may instruct students to develop a questionnaire based on their experiences, and then have them post the questionnaire to one of the newsgroups on your local Free Net.
• In the math class, students could take the data from the previous activity and be shown how to make statistical representations and graphs from this data.
• Various short stories relating to future energy consumption from units on speculative fiction can be used in the English classroom.
• Make a list of all the electric appliances in your home. Make a heading for each room in your house, and then list every appliance in that room. Start with the kitchen, and then continue on to the other rooms in your home. Go slowly, so that you don't miss anything. Don't forget the electric appliances that you never use but other members of your family use. You may have duplicates, but that is OK.
• After you have finished the list, review it and underline everything that you feel you could not live without.
• Go back through the list and put an X next to the things that you would really hate not to have.
• Now go back through the list and cross-out everything that you feel you would give up to save energy.
• Take your list and show it to some people who are over the age of 60, perhaps relatives. Ask them how many of these appliances they had when they were your age. Ask how they got along without the ones that they did not have. Make a note of any energy saving ideas that they might have to share, and also make a note of any interesting stories you hear about life without electricity.
• Make sure that you record the name and phone number of the people you interviewed.
• Back in class, and in groups, predict how people will be using electricity when you are over seventy years old.
  a) Will people have more appliances, or fewer?
  b) Will electricity be cheaper, or more expensive?
  c) What sources of energy will be used to run appliances and tools?
  d) Will people still care about saving energy?
  Make a list which will be presented orally to the class. Be prepared to explain the reasons behind your ideas.

Active Solar

Active solar power refers to the electricity that comes from "solar powered" appliances like watches, fans, and calculators. The black panel on these products is called a 'solar cell.' This cell converts sunlight to electricity, though the efficiency is low.

1. Make a list of the solar powered products that you own or have seen. What are the advantages of these products?
2. Read the article called Sun power called ray of hope, and answer the following questions. Why do we need to go into space to get our energy?
3. Does the idea of sending energy on microwaves scare you? Why? If you answer yes, then reread the fourth paragraph which talks about how microwaves will be sent to Earth and describe why others might not be worried about it.
4. What would be the advantages of Solar Power Satellites?
5. What would be the disadvantages of Solar Power Satellites?
6. Why would Solar Power Satellites be better than ground based solar power?
7. Why would ground based solar power be better than Solar Power Satellites?
8. Why do you think that we have not already built Solar Power Satellites?

Passive Solar

Read the article that your teacher has provided.

Passive solar heating involves making improvements around the house to save on heating. We can use the sun's rays, sometimes with even realizing it, for warmth. Have you noticed how hot it can become inside a car from the sun shining through the windows? This is passive solar heating.

1. List four improvements that your text says you can make to your hours to save on energy.
2. Now add some of your own (at least two).
3. List some other ways that you can save energy around the house. They don't have to be related to the sun.
4. How do people make their homes energy efficient? Refer to the people of Peawanuck if your class reads the Canadian Geographic article.

The Wind

Using the wind as a source of energy is not new. Windmills have been in use for thousands of years in Asia, and for hundreds of years in Europe. The technology has improved, and windmills are being replaced by wind-powered turbines (shown in the article) which generate electricity.

Read the appropriate paragraphs on wind in the article from Canadian Geographic, or similar article.

1. List three places where the wind is being used as a source of power.
2. Do you think that wind power can be used as a source of energy 100% of the time? Why or why not?
3. If you said that it cannot be used all the time, explain how wind power could be integrated with other sources to provide continuous power.
4. What places in Canada would be suitable for windmills?
5. Would the Prairies be a better spot for wind power than Southern Ontario? Why or why not?
6. Wind power is used in northern communities. What would be some of the disadvantages of wind power in this context?

Biomass

What is biomass?

Trees and other plants are also biomass. They can be used to produce energy in the form of heat and electricity. Garbage can also be burned for its energy.

Think of some advantages and disadvantages of using trees, other plants, and garbage as a source of energy. Consider why it is not being done right now in your community.

1. Advantages:
2. Disadvantages:

Tidal

Read about tidal power in the text provided by your instructor.

1. Define tides:
2. How many tides are there per day?
3. Where are the greatest tides in the world?
4. The tidal range is the difference from low tide to high tide. This difference is important in producing electricity. List the advantages and disadvantages of this source of power.
   Advantages:
   Disadvantages:

Geothermal

The term geothermal means getting heat (thermal) from the Earth (geo). There is a lot of energy in the Earth that is always coming up to the surface. You have seen pictures of volcanoes, and perhaps geysers, but think about it: Why is it always warmer in the basement in the winter? Sure, it is also cooler in the summer, but this is for the same reason. The answer is, that the earth beneath our feet stays at a constant temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius because of the heat rising from the centre of the Earth.

1. What ways do you know of, or can imagine that allows us to trap geothermal energy for our use? (Provide at least two examples.)
2. How can we make use of the heating and cooling effect that occurs in our basements to regulate the temperature in our entire house?
3. How could we build our houses differently to make use of this heating and cooling effect?
4. Read the article provided on geothermal power. List all the types of geothermal power extraction mentioned in the article.
5. What could go wrong with geothermal power? Could dangerous situations arise from the use of geothermal power?
6. Check with other students in the class to see if anyone can explain heat pumps to you. How could we use heat pumps in our home to allow us to use geothermal energy?

Final question

Now that you have completed all six stations, answer this: Which alternative energy source would be best for your community? If your community would require more than one source of energy, explain why this would be necessary, and how they would be integrated.