Collaboration Friday: Non-Renewable/Renewable Resources

Friday, November 21st the 4th and 5th Grade students at CE had the opportunity to see and example of a renewable resource and a  non-renewable resource at work. These types of resources can be an abstract idea to students that have never seen these resources at work.  We wanted to create a mental picture and connection between our lives and the uses of natural resources for our students. Through Face-Time Theo and Frank showed students solar panels and a natural gas plant.

Students were able to see solar panels on Theo's house.  Theo explained how a solar panel hot water system works and the benefits this system has for his family.  The students were also able to see the pipe and heating system fueled by his solar panels.
Great questions were asked like:
*How much money did the system cost? How much money does it save you?
*How much water is heated from the panels?
*Do the panels work on cloudy days or snowy days?
*What temperature does the water reach?
*What happens if a pipe breaks?
*What material is the solar panel made of?

 



Frank showed our students a natural gas plant.  He explained how gas is brought up from the ground, purified, and then sold to electric companies to make electricity. They were amazed at the size of the plant!
They also had great questions for Frank:
*How long have you worked on the machines?
*Is it dangerous?
*Does natural gas smell?
*How much gas goes in the pipes?
*Why do we use a non-renewable resource?
*What happens when it runs out?
*When does your company think it will run out?
*How do they know when it will run out?

Thank you 4th and 5th grade for joining us in the library for Collaboration Friday!  And a huge thank you to Theo and Frank for sharing your knowledge of natural resources with us!