UNIT 7 LESSON 1 What are fuels and fossil fuels?
Aims
Pupils learn to recognise fuels and learn about the formation of fossil fuels, the meaning of nonrenewable resources and the importance of conserving fossil fuels.
Learning Objectives
Pupils should:
7/1a know that fuels are substances that we burn to release energy.
7/1b know energy makes things change / happen.
7/1c know that coal, crude oil and natural gas are fossil fuels, and understand the way in
which they formed.
7/1d understand why fossil fuels are non-renewable.
7/1e be able to explain the need for fuel conservation and be able to suggest ways in which
this could be achieved.
7/1f use sources of information to extract relevant information, and then present the
information in an appropriate way.
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES
Starter Activity – worksheet U7.1W1 Assessment activity.
Activity 1 [Objective 1a and b]
Review term fuel with pupils – first met in Simple Chemical Reactions. Then with students working
in groups of 3 / 4 ask then to produce a list of fuels and how we use them.
From this pool class ideas and produce a list of fuels and their uses. Students may use the term
fossil fuels, first met in Simple Chemical Reactions, avoid introducing the term yourself at this
stage.
Ensure pupils have a clear definition of a fuel and ask students what they think we mean by energy.
Definition = fuel is a substance that burns to release energy.
Lead the discussion to the idea that energy makes things happen / change
eg. Cars move, rooms get hotter, people walk about, battery lights a torch, polar bear uses its
energy to stay warm.
Together produce a list of 5 things.
Activity 2 [recap of previous knowledge]
Worksheet U7.1P1 Formation of fossil fuels can be used here.
Pupils will be familiar with the term fossil fuel from Simple Chemical Reactions. Ask them what
they can remember of fossil fuels – examples? How did they form?
Establish a definition;
Definition = Fossil fuels are formed from living things which died millions of years ago.
Activity 3
[Objectives 1c and 1f]
References Spotlight 8 p104/105 (easy info) and Starting Science book 2 p59 (harder info).
Ask students to produce flow charts (newsprint could be used) to explain how:
1) coal
OR
2) crude oil and natural gas (form together)
are formed.
Groups can then share their research with a group that did the other fuel.
To pull this together ask pupils to identify common features in the two processes.
Key points to be included:
What was the starting material? [ trees or small plants and animals in the sea]
How was it changed? [starting material buried – changed by heat and pressure]
How long did it take? [millions of years]
Suggested Homework Tasks
Worksheet ( U7.1W2 OR U7.1W3) How fossil fuels were made 1 or 2
Resources
Activity
Assessment activity
1
3
Resources required
Large felt pens
Newsprint
Pupil sheet with statements for sorting
none
Spotlight 8
Starting Science 2
HWk Worksheets