The+Guiding+Activity-+Darcie

 **The Big Idea:** Climate Change/Energy Usage

Eighty five percent of U.S. energy consumption is of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are used to grow most of our food, transport people and goods, and make most of the things we use every day. Despite its uses, dependence on fossil fuels is causing huge problems for our planet. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the air. Increasing levels of carbon dioxide are major factor in the climatic changes our planet is experiencing. So, what would life be like without fossil fuels? You need to first discover ways fossil fuels are used in your everyday life. Then you need to come up with a solution to reduce the amount of fossil fuels you use every day.
 * Essential Question:** What would my life be like without fossil fuels?
 * Challenge:** Reduce your daily use of fossil fuels.

1. What are fossil fuels? 2. What are the common uses of fossil fuels? 3. What types of gases make up natural gas? 4. How did oil and natural gases form? 5. What is nuclear energy? 6. What are renewable energy sources? 7. What materials are used in solar panels and how do they create electricity? 8. Do electronics use energy when they are off? 9. What does energy efficient mean? 10. What is wind power? 11. What is hydropower? 12. What is global warming? 13. What are the causes of global warming? 14. What are the greenhouse gases? 15. What does going green mean?
 * The Guiding Questions: **

1. The students will complete an Internet scavenger hunt and answer the guiding questions listed above. 2. Each group will create a wikispace with the answers they found to the guiding questions above. Students will write the questions, their answers, and then cite the website(s) where they found their answers on the wiki. 3. The students will then brainstorm with their group and come up with one activity they can change in their daily lives that will reduce their use of fossil fuels (this will be their “Going Green” idea). 4. Each group will create a voicethread with their “Going Green” idea. 5. The voicethread will need to contain three pictures and a two minute dialogue. 6. The students will embed the URL to their voicethread on their group wiki as well as the master class wiki. 7. Groups will view each other’s voicethreads and will need to make comments on each group’s voicethread.
 * The Guiding Activities: **

All of the resources are listed on our Diigo group page: []
 * The Guiding Resources: **