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Saved By the Sun
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Viewing Ideas
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Before Watching
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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?
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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
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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?
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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.
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