| Energy
The sun is the source of all life on our earth. Every form of energy,
except for atomic energy, can be traced back to the sun. Happily, the
earth is at the best possible distance from the sun for the sun's heat
to provide this energy for life. Energy from sunlight is used by plants
to make food from air, water, and the minerals in the soil. This energy
is stored by plants who are the primary producers in ecosystems.
Energy sources such as the fossil fuels of coal, petroleum, and natural
gas are really just ancient stockpiles of the sun's energy stored in plants
and the animals that ate those plants that are thousands or millions of
years old. These fuels came from plants that used sunlight when they lived
long ago. When these plants died, they fell to the ground where their
remains piled up over thousands or millions of years. As this pile grew
large, the remains at the very bottom became pressed together. Over time,
these remains changed. Some became a gas--natural gas. Some became a liquid--petroleum.
Some became a solid or a rock--coal. We use these forms of energy to power
vehicles, heat homes, and run industries. Fossil fuels are considered
nonrenewable sources of energy because they cannot be replaced once they
are used up.
Sample some of the following activities to learn more about different
energy cycles.
Places To Go | People
To See | Things To Do | Teacher
Resources | Bibliography
Places To Go
The following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out
about energy cycles.
 The
Sun
Virtually visit the sun. The sun makes all life on our planet possible.
It provides energy for everything on earth.
Kids' Food CyberClub
Visit the Kids' Food CyberClub to find out how food gives us energy. Click
on the "Teachers' Corner" section to find a teaching guide.
 Nutrition
Cafe
Go to the Have-A-Bite Cafe and order a meal. The website will tell you
if you have chosen wisely . Assume the role of Inspector Snarfengood and
play the Nutrition Sleuth game.
Hoover
Dam
Dams have been constructed around the world to divert the flow of a river
into hydroelectric power plants. Turbines and generators inside the plant
are used to change water from mechanical energy into electrical energy.
One of the largest dams near us is the Hoover Dam. Visit the dam's
official web site to see pictures, read historical information and learn
how dams work.
People To See
 Yucky.Com
Talk with Wendell the Worm. Earthworms are one of nature's best recyclers,
and decomposers are an important part of food webs.
 Benjamin
Franklin at the Franklin Institute
Get to know Benjamin Franklin. He was interested in energy in the form
of electricity. Find out more about his famous kite-and-key experiment
in June of 1752. "Franklin became a scientist because he was insatiably
curious about the world around him. He wanted to know how things worked
and figure out ways to make them better."
How
To Love a Turkey Vulture
Visit with a turkey vulture. Vultures are sometimes called buzzards. Buzzards
play a key role in the energy cycle by feeding on the carcasses of dead animals.
The Atoms
Family
Meet the Atoms Family and learn about energy
conservation. Dabble in kinetic and potential energy.
Things To Do
The
Food Chain
Find out about producers and consumers and the food chain.
The
Food Chain
Discover the role that decomposers play in food webs.
 The
Yuckiest Site on the Internet - Digestive System
Digestion is the process by which food is changed into substances that
can be absorbed and used by the body. So in other words, it's a transfer
of energy from the food that you eat. Find out what happens to the pizza
that you swallow.
Healthy
Choices for Kids Online
 Food choices influence energy levels. Print out the reproducible activity
book from this site that helps students make wise food choices.
Nutrition Explorations
Explore the food pyramid, print out food pyramids for students, use a
reader's theatre format to teach about nutrition.
Dole 5 A Day
Check out the educator links at this Dole site. It has lesson plans, games,
and activities that teach students about the importance of good nutrition.
How Food
Works
Find out how food gives us energy. This is part of the great How
Stuff Works site.
 NASA
Space Shuttle - Food for Space Flight
Find out everything you ever wanted to know about what and how astronauts
eat. According to this NASA site, astronauts select their menus approximately
five months before their flight. The menus are analyzed for nutritional
content by the Shuttle Dietitian and recommendations are made to correct
any nutrient deficiencies based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances.
The
Food Timeline
Find out what people throughout history ate. When was popcorn first eaten?
When was Spam first eaten?
Energy Industry
Study Program
The energy we use every day comes from different energy sources. These
sources are divided into two groups -- renewable (an energy source that
we can use over and over again) and nonrenewable (an energy source that
can not be used or regenerated over again). Find out more.
The
Energy Story
Find out how energy is one of the most fundamental parts of our universe.
 Ice
Cream
Ice cream is an important part of the energy cycle for all Americans.
One of the sources for the possible creation of ice cream is that it was
developed by the cook of Charles I of England in the early 1600s. The
average American eats about a ton of ice cream in his or her lifetime,
and vanilla accounts for over half of the ice cream consumed. Americans
eat more ice cream than any other people in the world. Only Canadians,
Australians, and New Zealanders eat even half as much as Americans do
Nutrition
on the Web
Calculate your basal metabolic rate and your active metabolic rate.
Comparison
of Various Energy Sources
How does solar power compare
to wind power or to refuse-based power? What are the advantages and disadvantages
of coal power and nuclear power. Find out here.
Energy
Quest
Click around this interactive site
to learn about how energy works, to read the weekly energy news, and to
get to know famous super scientists.
The Magic of Static Electricity
Science
Made Simple : Static Electricity
Figure out the energy that
comes from rubbing your feet on carpet.
HogBusters
Learn how to spot energy hogs and lower your energy
consumption.
How
Stuff Works: Batteries
Learn the science behind batteries.
Learning
About Fossil Fuels
Explore coal, oil,
and natural gas as sources of energy.
National Wind Technology Center
Science
Museum of Minnesota: From Windmills to Whirligigs
Discover
the power of the wind.
Teacher Resources
Hotlists from UEN provide internet sites to
visit to find out more about specific topics--in this case, the energy
cycle! (You can learn how to use this WWW
Activities tool created by UEN for Utah educators).
Online activities are a listing of internet
sites with fun, interesting, and educational tasks attached to each one.
(You can learn how to use this WWW
Activities tool created by UEN for Utah educators).
Virtual Field Trips are teacher and student-created
tours of curricular topics. (You can learn how to use this UEN Virtual
Field Trip tool created by UEN for Utah educators).
Lesson Plan/Webquests/
Activities
Bibliography
- Ganeri, Anita. The Hunt for Food. Brookfield, Conn. : Millbrook Press,
1997.
- Kalman, Bobbie. What Are Food Chains and Webs? New York : Crabtree
Pub. Co., c1998.
- Lauber, Patricia. Who Eats What? : Food Chains and Food Webs. New
York, NY : HarperCollins, c1995.
- Maynard, Jacqui. I Know Where My Food Goes. Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick
Press, 1999.
- Riley, Peter D. Food Chains. New York : Franklin Watts, 1998.
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