A WEBQUEST ACTIVITY DESIGNED BY MR. ELING WAYPOINT ACADEMY Energy and the Earth’s Systems

Congratulations! President Obama has just appointed you as the new Secretary of Energy! Your responsibilities as head of the Department of Energy include reducing America's reliance on foreign oil, creating new jobs, and spurring technological innovation. Are you up to the task? Introduction Introduction » Task » Process » Evaluation » Conclusion » CreditTask Process EvaluationConclusionCredit

Task IntroductionIntroduction » Task » Process » Evaluation » Conclusion » CreditTask Process EvaluationConclusionCredit The world’s population relies on energy of all kinds. Energy is the ability to cause change. Some energy resources on Earth are being used up faster than natural processes can replace them. These resources are called fossil fuels and are nonrenewable. Most of the energy resources used to generate electricity are nonrenewable. How soon the world runs out of fossil fuels depends on how they are used and conserved. Fortunately, there are inexhaustible energy resources. These sources of energy are constant and will not run out in the future as fossil fuels will. Inexhaustible energy resources include the Sun, wind, water, and geothermal energy. The president has requested an update on the status of our nation’s renewable and nonrenewable energy resources! Your task is to have a complete report ready in time for the next White House summit. Will you be ready?

1. Use the Energy Information Administration and Department of Energy links provided in the credits to research the following energy sources: biopower, fossil fuel, geothermal, hydroelectric, nuclear, solar, and wind. 2. Create a Power Point presentation that shows the pros (advantages) and cons (disadvantages) of each energy source as well as your predictions for the future of each source of energy. 3. Present your findings and analysis to the president at the next White House energy summit. Process IntroductionIntroduction » Task » Process » Evaluation » Conclusion » CreditTask Process EvaluationConclusionCredit

Evaluation Group Work All group members: participate share ideas share tasks equally complete assigned tasks (25pts) Ideas/Content information is accurate relates to overall purpose includes group members names group topic is clear (25pts) Language/Mechanics organization/structure is clear correct grammar/punctuation no spelling errors (25pts) Presentation/Organization minimum of 8 slides appropriate, well-placed graphics all elements contribute to overall project back ground and text work together slides are organized and easy to follow (25pts) IntroductionIntroduction » Task » Process » Evaluation » Conclusion » CreditTask Process EvaluationConclusionCredit

Oil fields in Texas, like the one shown here, harbor some of the world’s richest reserves of energy resources. In this WebQuest activity, you learned about the many different types of energy resources that humans extract from the Earth. Know that you are done, hopefully you’ll better appreciate the importance of conserving those resources – especially those that are extracted faster than nature can preserve them. Conclusion IntroductionIntroduction » Task » Process » Evaluation » Conclusion » CreditTask Process EvaluationConclusionCredit

Energy Information Administration Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government US Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Renewable Resources Map Renewable Energy Technologies Data Renewable Energy Technologies Data Credit IntroductionIntroduction » Task » Process » Evaluation » Conclusion » CreditTask Process EvaluationConclusionCredit