Energy and renewable resources

Materials

• Energy and renewable resources cards handout (one per learner)
• scissors

Procedure

• Slowly draw the outline of one of the four natural elements, the sun, water, earth and wind.
• Ask the children to guess what it is as you draw. Give them five guesses. Repeat the process for each of the four elements.
• Distribute the first page of the handout. Ask the pupils to cut out the images as indicated. Ask them to find an image to go with each of the four natural elements (solar panels for sun, wind farm for wind, hydroelectric station for water and geothermal pipes for earth).
  (Note: The pupils may match the fuel energies with the natural elements, and you can let them, then review it later.)
• In pairs, ask the pupils to put the images in two categories: renewable and non renewable energy. Before they start, explain the difference. Draw a time line; mark a point for the present time and a date for in 50 years' time. Explain that some fuels will run out in the next 50 years. Illustrate this by drawing a fossil fuel and put a big cross over it. Tell the class that gas, oil and coal are fossil fuels and they are the ones which will run out.
• Distribute the second page of the handout. Ask the pupils to cut out the texts as indicated. In pairs the pupils match the pictures to the texts using all the clues in the pictures to get meaning from the text. Go round the class checking and helping. Reassure them that they don't need to understand all the words in the text and that a global understanding is enough.
• Play a game of Pelmanism. In groups of four, the children turn all their cards face down, taking turns to turn over two cards in order to try to get a matching picture and text. The pupil who gets the most pairs is the winner.

Extension

Pupils use library or internet resources to find out what their local energy resources are.