Activities

1. Fossil fuels were formed
   1. Hundreds of millions of years ago
   2. After the time of the dinosaurs
   3. Around the time Columbus discovered the Americas
   4. Thousands of years ago
      
      
2. Alternative fuels are
   1. Made from corn and other crops
   2. Made from something other than petroleum
   3. Made from vegetable oils and animal fats
   4. All of the above
      
      
3. List two renewable sources of energy and explain why they are called renewable.
   
   
4. Describe in detail how fossil fuels are formed.
   
   
5. Compare the time span of renewability for fossil fuels and the time span of renewability for alternative fuels.
   
   
6. The world’s supply of fossil fuels is being depleted due to constant use.  Once they have all been used, they are gone forever. Alternative energy sources, on the other hand, are quickly replaced by nature. Both energy sources have advantages and disadvantages. Identify three or more advantages and disadvantages of each energy source. Justify your answers.
   
   

Answer Key/Rubric

1. A
   
   
2. D
   
   
3. Acceptable responses might include, but not be limited to:
   • solar, biomass, geothermal, wind, and hydropower energy
   • Renewable sources of energy can be replaced by nature in a short period of time.
     
     
4. Acceptable responses might include, but not be limited to:
   • As plants died they sank to the bottom of swamps and oceans and turned into layers of peat. The peat was covered by clay, sand, dirt, and minerals that compressed into sedimentary rock. Over millions of years the layers of rock grew thicker and heavier and pressed down on the peat squeezing the water out of it until the peat changed into fossil fuels.

5. Acceptable responses might include, but not be limited to:
   • Fossil fuels are created from decaying plant matter that is compressed over hundreds of millions of years by sedimentary rock. There is a limited supply of fossil fuels so once they are gone, they are gone. Alternative energy sources, of which there is no shortage, can be replaced by nature in a much short period of time.

6. Acceptable responses might include, but not be limited to:
   • Fossil fuels – Advantages: capacity to generate large amounts of electricity in a single location; easy to locate; relatively easy to extract; efficient source of energy; reliability
   • Fossil fuels – Disadvantages: all types of pollution; environmental hazards; can be dangerous to extract; nonrenewable, human health hazards; high cost
   •  Alternative energy sources – Advantages: Less impact on the environment; development increase jobs and reduces reliance on oil from foreign countries; becoming more affordable; available everywhere; inexhaustible
   • Alternative energy sources – Disadvantages: high cost to produce and use; some of the chemicals used in conjunction with alternative energy sources is highly toxic; environmental hazards (erosion from wind farms; dams harm fish runs); use large tracts of land and ruin scenery (solar farms); noise pollution