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Human society relies heavily on the world's energy resources. For humans, energy is the link to civilization; therefore, modern life would no longer exist if this link were broken.Connection to the Curriculum, Standards, and Skills
Geography Standards
Standard 14: How human actions modify the physical environment.Standard 16: The changes that occur in the meaning, distribution, and importance of resources. Explain factors that contribute to conflict within and between countries - boundary disputes, territorial rights.
Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies Content Standards (Grade 7)
Standard 27: Relate the importance of energy resources to the development of human societies.Standard 30: Evaluate the geographic impact of using major energy sources in the 21st century.
Standard 32: Assess the balance between the negative impact of human habitation on the environment and the need for natural resources thought essential to sustain human life.
Geographic Skills
Grade LevelAnalyzing geographic information: use text and maps to list types of energy resources and describe their effect on human society. Answering geographic questions: analyze text and maps to write a narrative describing life without certain energy resources.
Purpose of the LessonGrade 7
Primary Geographic QuestionTo analyze text and maps in determining the effect the world's energy resources have on human society.
What effect do the world's energy resources have on our lives and the lives of others around the globe?
What energy resources do we use most, and how do they make life easier for people all over the world?
What might happen if certain energy resources were depleted?
Body of Lesson - Procedure & Assessment
- Overhead projector and screen
- Resource, Energy and Depletion definition transparency
- Visa markers for transparencies
- Coal summary and advanced organizer
- Petroleum summary and advanced organizer
- Natural Gas summary and advanced organizer
- Poster board (3-4 sheets)
- Markers
- National Geographic Map of the World
- News report handout
- Primary Question handout
Activity One
Secondary Question # 1: What energy resources do we use most, and how do they make life easier for people all over the world?
- Display the RESOURCE definition transparency using the overhead projector.
- Have a volunteer read the definition aloud. Make sure all students understand what it means.
- Brainstorm a list of resources and write them under the definition of resource. (The list might include water, land, air, wood, gold, sunlight, coal, oil, natural gas, etc.)
- Display the ENERGY definition transparency and have someone read it orally. Discuss what it means.
- Using the first list of resources, brainstorm a list of energy resources. (This list might include water, oil, coal, petroleum, natural gas, etc.)
- Discuss some ways these resources make life easier for people.
- Divide the class into three groups of five or six. Have each group choose a reporter, a recorder, a time keeper, a task master, and one or two readers.
- Give Group 1 the COAL summary and advanced organizer. Give Group 2 the PETROLEUM summary and advanced organizer. Give Group 3 the NATURAL GAS summary and advanced organizer. (Each person’s role will be explained on the handout.)
- Allow each group 10 minutes to complete the group activity. Afterwards, assemble the large group and allow each group’s reporter to share what they learned using the advanced organizers.
- Allow time for a question and answer session where students can answer each others questions.
Assessing Student Learning: Activity One
Divide the class into groups of three. Give each group a posterboard and markers. Have them make a chart with three columns. petroleum, coal, and natural gas. Each group should illustrate at least three ways each resource makes life easier for human society. Display the charts and allow each group share time. Students should be able to explain how they came up with their answers.Activity Two
- Secondary Question # 2: What might happen if certain energy resources were depleted?
- Display a large world map.
- Display the DEPLETE definition transparency. Discuss what the students’ definitions of depletion might be.
- Discuss the following question: Is it possible to deplete all of these resources? (Point to charts) Yes. How? By using too much and by not using alternative energy sources.
- Discuss the following question: Which resource do you think we rely on the most? Petroleum/oil Why? Fuel for cars, heat, etc.
- Point to the map and ask this question: What would happen to all the people on Earth if our supply of oil was depleted? (Answers may include such things as no electricity, no gas for cars, no fuel for heat or cooking, etc. Encourage them to think broader. If no gasoline were available, how would trucks deliver supplies to grocery stores, etc.)
- Expand the discussion by asking the students to describe what life might be like under these conditions.
Assessing Student Learning: Activity Two
Assessment of LessonShow the students the Middle East on the world map, and explain that most of the world’s oil comes from there. Tell them to pretend that the Middle East has "dried up" and no more oil exists anywhere on Earth. Have them work in pairs to write a news report telling the people on their planet, Saturn, what is happening to the people on Earth. (Use the News Report handout.) Students should be able to list at least four consequences of the depletion of oil on Earth. Allow volunteers to "broadcast" their news reports through share time.
ReferencesGive students the Primary Question handout and the Rubric. Have them write a paragraph answering the primary question using the guidelines on the rubric. Go over the rubric with them and make sure they have no questions. This may be used as a homework project or an in-class assignment.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary (50th edition, 1997)Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia
National Geographic World Map
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