|
|
Saved By the Sun
|
|
|
|
Viewing Ideas
|
|
|
Before Watching
Organize
students into groups and assign each group the United States or Germany.
Have each group research energy consumption for its assigned country (including
coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, wind, and wave),
the advantages and disadvantages of each type of energy, and the renewability
of each (see Links & Books for resources). As a class, create a
chart that lists students' results. Which of the fuels are the most used?
Why might that be? Which are the most harmful to the environment? Which are the
cleanest? How do fuel costs compare? Organize the class into four groups and assign
each group one of the following topics to take notes on as they watch: ways
that solar energy can be collected, advantages and disadvantages of solar
energy, solar energy use in Germany, and new solar technologies being
developed.
After Watching
Have students refer to their notes as you lead
a discussion concerning the use of solar energy. Could something like the
German Renewable Energy Sources Act ever happen in the United States? Why or
why not? In what ways are individuals or organizations working to make solar
energy a plausible source of energy in the United States?
As a member of the President's Cabinet,
the U.S. Secretary of Energy is responsible for federal policy concerning
energy production and regulation. Ask students to draft a one-page letter to
the secretary outlining what recommendations they would make for U.S. energy
policy in the next decade and why.
|
|
