Investigation Lesson
90 minutes (2 45-minute classes)
Lesson Time:
The purpose of Lesson 5 is to introduce students to the primary way in which schools are provided with electricity – fossil fuels & coal power plants. Students develop ideas about how these energy sources are used to generate electricity, including the benefits and limitations of these sources.
What will we do?
Revisit the Classroom Energy System Model.
Discuss energy sources in the US.
Watch an animation to explore energy generation and transfer using fossil fuels.
Develop a diagrammatic model of energy transfer in a coal power plant.
Determine the benefits and limitations of coal and how it is connected to building energy.
Materials needed
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Advance preparation
Preview slides and teacher guide.
Print handouts.
Read Teacher Reference: 5.3 Candle Burning Investigation and determine whether this lab will be a teacher demonstration, a hands-on investigation, or a video.
Animation: Non-Renewable Energy: Fossil Fuels
Animation: Non-Renewable Energy: Coal
Slide 6 has a graph of fossil fuel usages over time. If you students could benefit from a more scaffolded strategy to interpret graphs, consider using a slow reveal graphing strategy that allows students to notice the pattern in the data on the graph prior to revealing the content of the y- and x-axis and the title. More an example of how this strategy works, watch this short video: https://videopress.com/v/W8n7WloU
Copyright © 2026 The Curators of the University of Missouri in collaboration with Colorado State University, BSCS Science Learning, and Oregon Public Broadcasting.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (Award No 2201204). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.