Energy Resource Classification
Some energy resources will run out, and some never will. Learn to sort them into renewable, non-renewable and recyclable, and to weigh the environmental cost of getting them out of the ground.
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Powering our world ⚡
Everything we do, from charging a phone to running a factory, needs **energy**. But not all energy resources are the same: some will run out, and some never will. Learning to **classify** them is the first step.
Three classes 🔑
Geographers sort energy resources into groups:
Will it run out? ⚖️
The big divide is whether a resource can be replaced.
Which is renewable? 🎯
Which of these is a renewable energy resource?
- Wind power
- Coal
- Oil
- Natural gas
Match the class 🔗
- Renewable
- Non-renewable
- Recyclable
- Fossil fuel
- Will not run out, as it is naturally replaced
- Finite, so it runs out once it is used
- Can be reprocessed and used again
- Coal, oil or gas made from ancient remains
The cost of extraction 💡
Getting energy out of the ground harms the environment. Coal mining scars the land, oil drilling risks spills at sea, and fracking for shale gas can pollute groundwater. Even renewable projects have impacts, such as flooding land for a hydroelectric dam.
Renewable resources ✅
Which THREE are renewable energy resources?
- Solar power
- Wind power
- Hydroelectric power
- Coal
- Oil
How coal forms 🪜
An interactive activity.
Complete the idea 🧩
A _____ resource, like wind, will not run out because it is naturally replaced. A _____ resource, like coal, is finite and runs out once used. Coal, oil and gas are _____ fuels made over millions of years. A _____ resource can be reprocessed and used again. Getting fuel out of the ground can cause _____ damage.
True or not? 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Extraction and impact 🔀
- Coal mining
- Oil drilling
- Fracking for shale gas
- Building a hydroelectric dam
- Scars the land and leaves spoil heaps
- Risks spills that harm the sea
- Can pollute underground water
- Floods land and moves people from their homes
Which class? 🧭
An interactive activity.
From wind to home 📈
An interactive activity.
Compare the resources ✍️
An interactive activity.