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What's the best way to light up a city?
Electricity, Light, & Heat Unit | Lesson 1 of 3

What's the best way to light up a city?

Electricity, Light, & Heat Unit | Lesson 1 of 3
Lesson narration:
Scroll for prep
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DISCUSS:
Why do you think this power plant might have a huge fire inside it?
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DISCUSS:
What do you see coming from this fire?
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DISCUSS: Compare these two machines.
What’s similar about them? What’s different?
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DISCUSS:
How do you think cities decide what source of energy to use for electricity?
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DISCUSS: If you were deciding between wind, solar, and water power for a real town, what else would you want to think about before you made your decision?
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energy


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the ability to do an action
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electricity (electrical energy)


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a form of energy, such as what usually powers light bulbs
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coal


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a dark rock that can be burned and used for energy
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heat energy (thermal energy)


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energy in the form of heat, such as what usually comes from a fire
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natural gas


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a type of gas that can be used as a source of energy
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pollution


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something harmful in the environment
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water energy (water power)


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energy of moving water, a renewable resource
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water turbine


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a machine that can turn the movement of water into electricity
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wind energy (wind power)


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energy of moving air, a renewable resource
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wind turbine (windmill)


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a machine that can turn the movement of air into electricity
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solar energy (solar power)


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energy from the Sun, a renewable resource
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solar panel


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a machine that can turn sunlight into electricity
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renewable resource


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a source of energy that exists in a limitless amount, such as sunlight, wind, and moving water
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engineer


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a person who uses science to come up with solutions to problems
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graph


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an image that helps you understand the number or amount of something
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Lesson narration:

Grade 4

Electricity, Light, & Heat

Renewable Energy & Natural Resources

4-ESS3-1

Activity Prep

Print Prep

This lesson was revised on May 31, 2024. Here is a link to the previous version.
In this lesson, students explore how a city's electricity is derived from natural resources such as coal, sunlight, wind, and water. They investigate how using these different energy sources affects the environment. In the activity, Power this Town, students obtain and combine information about different types of renewable energy, and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source.

Preview activity

Exploration

15 mins

Wrap-Up

5 mins

Grade 4

Electricity, Light, & Heat

Renewable Energy & Natural Resources

4-ESS3-1

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