Pistes d'exploration

Explain to a younger audience what energy is, where it comes from and how we use it in our world.

What is sustainable energy? Why is it important?  What is unsustainable energy? Is one form preferable to another? Why or why not? Research these questions and make a poster explaining your findings.

Create an advertising campaign to encourage others to use energy in a responsible way. How will you communicate your message? Be specific about things that people can do easily.

Talk about energy. What are the sources of energy we use at school and at home? What are new sources of energy? What is sustainable energy?

Read the contents page and choose a specific topic. Read and take notes about important facts on that topic. 

Make a class fact sheet about energy.

Research Web sites to find out more about sustainable energy projects in your region. Present your discoveries.

Make posters to put up around your school with suggestions on how to make your school a sustainable energy building (e.g. make a living wall).

Discuss the sources of energy used at school and at home. What are new sources of energy? What is sustainable energy?

As you read, keep track of the time periods, types of energy used and locations. Plot this information on a timeline.

Write a journal entry about something you learned. What surprised you most? Turn to a partner and talk about it.

Research clean energy innovations. Present your findings to the class.

Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World, Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth, Ben Franklin's Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention

Mots-clés

Non-fiction , conservation , environment , illustrations (photographs) , innovations , protecting the environment , renewable energy , sustainable energy

Commentaire descriptif

Did you know that cars can run on French fry grease or that kids in Mexico help light up their houses by playing soccer? Did you know that many families in China power their stoves with gas from human and animal waste? Inspired by what the author discovered after a summer digging ditches in a rural village of the Dominican Republic, this is a smart, kid-friendly introduction to alternative energy sources. In 50-odd pages, this engaging and unusual resource covers a lot of territory: from the story of energy, carbon and photosynthesis; to fossil fuels; to wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and wave energy. It sheds light on unusual alternatives that are both imaginative and innovative. For example, muscle power versus the internal combustion engine, pond scum versus natural gas, even poop (human and animal waste), and vegetable oils versus coal. Accompanying eye-catching photographs and boxed capsules containing energy factoids and real world stories help bring a timely and complex subject to life. Additional resources are provided at the end of the book for readers wishing to further their exploration.