Introduction
Technological advancements are continually developing new ways to make life more convenient and efficient for people. Cars, computers, and cell phones were once luxury items that have now become necessities. However, all these conveniences consume energy to run. As a result, the world's energy consumption has been continually increasing, with a majority of energy coming from fossil fuels. In the United States, 81% of its energy comes from non-renewable fossil fuels. 1 Due to the increase in energy dependence, people fear that the world is running out of fossil fuels but in there is plenty of fossil fuel left for us to use. 2 Due to technological advancements, we can now tap into previously untouchable sources of fossil fuels. 3 The real concern is the pollution created from the burning of fossil fuels and its effects on the environment. 4
In this curriculum unit, I intend to educate students about the effects of fossil fuels on the environment from a chemical perspective. Over the course of four weeks, my students will explore parts of the California State Standards for chemistry under the sections titled "conservation of matter and stoichiometry" and "chemical thermodynamics." 5 The theme of energy will tie together the standards for reactions, stoichiometry, and heat energy. The goal is that students will make connections between difficult chemistry concepts using a topic that is relevant to their lives. In addition, students will analyze scientific articles about energy in order to develop their own opinions on the issue of energy consumption and conservation. As a culminating task, students will compare and contrast two sources of energy and choose one to promote as the main energy source for their community.
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