Teacher Preparation

Energy is the ability to make change, or the capacity to do work. Energy appears in many different forms including kinetic (movement), potential (stored energy), gravitational, light, heat, chemical, elastic and electrical. The sun is the source of all energy on Earth, it is a natural source of energy. The energy from the sun comes in the form of light and heat. Wind, tidal, and geothermal energy are also natural sources of energy, which can be replenished (renewable). Unlike burning fuels and combusting coal, these natural energy sources do not produce greenhouse gases.

Humans focus a lot on electrical energy because we require it so frequently in our everyday lives. In Australia, we make most of our electrical energy from brown or black coal. There are many problems associated with the generation of electricity in a coal power plant. One problem is that when coal is combusted it produces a large amount of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Another problem is that coal power plants are not very energy efficient and on average only 30 - 40% of the chemical energy in coal is converted to useful energy - the rest is lost as heat in the conversion process. Coal is also a fossil fuel, meaning that it is formed from 'dead things' over millions and millions of years. It is non-renewable, meaning that we will eventually run out!

Renewable energy is derived from sources that can be replenished within the time of human civilisation. Some of these sources include: solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal and biogas. A combination of these clean energy sources needs to be the focus of our energy plan to ensure a sustainable future.

Activity outline

Take your students outside for this class. Prior to beginning, recap their prior knowledge by discussing with your students:

What is energy?
What do we require energy for in our school?
Where does this energy come from?

Spotto activity

Start by getting your students to record 5 energy uses that they can think of.

Next get your student to observe energy sources around them in a natural setting. They will have 5 minutes to tune into the environment and find evidence of energy. They should use all their senses to collect the data. What do they see? What do they hear? What do they feel?

Concluding questions:

What evidence of energy did you observe occurring naturally?

Could these be sources of energy for us?

Why don't we use natural energy sources much?

Are these clean sources of energy ever likely to run out?

Energy Spotto

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