Renewable Energy Resources Lesson

Vers. 08/2020 © Kesler Science, LLC

Renewable
Energy
Resources

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Renewable Energy Resources

Reflect on the Essential
Questions before you dive in…

1. If you were quizzed today,
which questions would you know
the answers to already?

2. Which questions would you
need to learn more about to
answer confidently?

1.
What are the
advantages and
disadvantages of
renewable energy
sources?

2. How can my research
findings be presented in a debate format?

Type your answer here

Type your answer here

Quick Action: INB

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Define renewable
What does it mean if
something is renewable?

Look around you (classroom, living room, backyard.)
List things you can name that are renewable or come
from something that is renewable?

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Renewable Energy
Resources

• Energy sources which:

• Naturally renew or

replenish themselves over a period of time

•
Not depleted by use

What are 2 examples of
renewable energy sources?

Type your answer here

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Renewable Energy Resources

What do we mean by advantage and disadvantage?

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Renewable Energy Resources

Biomass

• Energy from any material that comes from plants

or microorganisms that were recently living

• Trees, branches, scraps of bark, and recycled

paper are examples of biomass energy

• The energy comes from burning it

• It becomes biofuel when mixed with gasoline,

such as ethanol

What is biomass?

Type your answer here

​

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Renewable Energy Resources

Biomass
Disadvantages

1.
Growing crops for biofuels
requires large amounts of
land and pesticides

2.
Land could be used for
growing food

3.
Pesticides can pollute

Biomass
Advantages

1.
Can be stored and used
when needed

2.
Releases less harmful
pollutants than gasoline

3.
Uses materials that might
normally be discarded

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Renewable Energy Resources
Wind

• Wind energy is captured

with wind turbines

• The blades turn

a generator (located
inside the tower), which
creates electricity

• Groups of wind turbines

are known as wind farms

• Found near farmland, in

narrow mountain passes,
and even in the ocean

What are wind farms?

Type your answer here

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Renewable Energy Resources

Wind
Disadvantages

1.
Wind is inconsistent

2.
Not a good source of
energy in all locations

3.
Dangerous for bats and
birds

Wind
Advantages

1.
Can be very efficient
and cheap in places
with steady winds

2.
It’s clean, no pollutants

Quick Action: INB

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You’ve learned about biomass and
wind energy.

Prepare a 30 second explanation
about biomass. See what you
remember without looking at your
notes.

Then type a few of your ideas in
the first speech bubble.

Repeat the process with wind
energy.

Talking helps your brain to
remember new learning.

Type your Biomass answer here
Type your Wind Energy answer

here

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Renewable Energy Resources
Hydroelectric

• Energy made by flowing

water

• Hydroelectric power

plants are located on
large dams, which control
the flow of a river

• A controlled amount of

water flows through the
tunnels and turns huge
turbines which generate
electricity

Why are

hydroelectric
power plants

located on large

dams?

Type your answer
here

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Renewable Energy Resources

Hydroelectric
Disadvantages

1.
Damming a river
causes a great
environmental impact
for people, plants, and
wildlife

2.
Dependent on rainfall
to fill reservoir

3.
Expensive to build a
dam

Hydroelectric
Advantages

1.
Energy is inexpensive
to harness

2.
Because rivers are
everywhere, it’s an
available resource

3.
Reliable because
engineers control the
flow of water

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Renewable Energy Resources

Geothermal

• Heat energy from deep within Earth
• Water is warmed by magma and pumped to

the surface

• Geothermal heat pumps create heat for houses

and other buildings

• Steam can also be brought to the surface and

used to turn a turbine to generate electricity

• 90% of people in Iceland use this heat source

How does underground water get heated?

Type your answer here

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Renewable Energy Resources

Geothermal
Disadvantages

1.
Not a wide spread source
of energy

2.
High installment costs to
build power plants

3.
Not easily transported

Geothermal
Advantages

1.
Clean

2.
Does not require another
fuel source to produce it

3.
Does not emit any
harmful pollutants into
the air

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Renewable Energy Resources
Solar

• Energy from the Sun
• Active solar energy uses

technology to capture the
Sun’s rays (solar cells)

• Passive solar energy gets

energy from the way
sunlight naturally
changes throughout the
day. (A house might face
a certain way to capture
more of the Sun’s rays)

What is the
difference
between active
and passive solar
energy?

Type your answer
here

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Renewable Energy Resources

Solar
Disadvantages

1.
Energy cannot be
created at night

2.
Cloud cover reduces
power

3.
Works best if at the
optimal angle
towards the sun

4.
Only converts 20%
of the sun’s energy
to electricity

Solar
Advantages

1.
Relatively simple
technology

2.
Little maintenance

3.
Reliable and quiet

4.
Free energy after
purchasing solar
panels

Think About It

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The Sun shines on all of Earth at some point, so why do you think solar panels haven't become the
standard form of generating energy?

Type your answer here

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Renewable Energy Resources

1.

Solar and biomass are used to induce heat.

2.

The energy is used to heat water.

3.

The water turns to steam.

4.

The steam turns a turbine (geothermal). Or
water turns it (hydroelectric) and wind turns
it (wind).

5.

The turbine shaft is connected to the shaft of
a generator.

6.

Magnets spin within wire coils to produce
electricity.

Biomass

Solar

Hydroelectric
Geothermal

Wind

Generating electricity from

renewable resources

Think About It

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Think about your area. Choose 2 renewable
resources that could work well in your area and 1
that would not. Explain your choices.

Type your answer here

Quick Action: INB

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Let’s debate!
Choose one type of renewable
energy source.
Grab your electronic device
and do a quick search on your
resource.
Find additional advantages
and disadvantages.
Be prepared to defend your
position (either for or against)
for that particular resource.
Your teacher will choose some
of you to debate your
position.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Name of your resource

Think About It

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If you were to appear in front of the City Council to petition for use of a
renewable resource in place of a current system, what would you need
to make a good argument?

Type your answer here

Last Look

Renewable Energy Resources

Biomass

Wind

Hydroelectric

Geothermal

Solar

Image

Advantages

Disadvan-ta

ges

Dis-advantag

es

Dis-advantag

es

Advantages

Advantages

Advantages

Dis-advantag

es

Dis-advantag

es

Advantages

Advantages

Dis-advantag

es

Complete the chart for

“Different Energy Forms.”

Click on and drag the cards to their

correct positions.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

-Fuel is cheap and
we can use things
that we might
throw away
-Waste is
everywhere

-Energy is FREE
-Doesn’t produce
greenhouse gases
-The sun will
always be there in
our lives

-Looks ugly
-Need a lot of
turbines to make
energy
-Can only use in
windy areas

-Expensive and
can harm
ecosystems
-Dependent on
rain/water

-Not many places
to build plants
-Harmful gases
and minerals may
come up

-Greenhouse gases
-Some people
grow biomass
crops instead of
fuel
-May not have
enough space

-No greenhouse
gases
-Free and will not
run out

-Relatively
expensive
-Cloud or rain is a
problem for energy
production
-Some people don’t
like the look

-The substance
used is free
-Renewable
energy
-No greenhouse
gases made

-Free and will not
run out
-No greenhouse
gases
-Very few safety
risks

Give your best answer to...

1.

List the advantages and disavantages of two different
types of renewable energy sources?

Check for

Understanding

Renewable energy
source #1:

Renewable energy
source #2:

Type your answer here

Type your answer here

Still have
questions?

Which essential questions do you still need help to understand?

Type your answer here