Electricity
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Economics
Authors: Project Drawdown
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This resource is currently being revised by Project Drawdown but you can still research many of the other solutions in detail on their new Drawdown Explorer page.
- This article examines how electricity production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and how it can shift away from fossil fuels and become more sustainable.
- Students will learn that most of the world's electricity generation comes from burning fossil fuels, that countries can generate electricity with solar, wind, or geothermal energy, and that the United States and portions of Europe are moving away from coal-powered electricity.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will benefit from the solution-focused and realistic nature of this article.
- This article is concise and easy to understand.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students need to understand how climate change is a critical problem for the human race.
- Students should be familiar with green energy technologies.
Differentiation
- Teachers using the article in a Zoom lesson can assign breakout rooms to discuss each category of the electricity sector.
- To assess prior knowledge, the teacher can ask students to consider their electricity use throughout a typical day before reading the article.
- This article can support a classroom discussion on what political, social, and economic barriers are slowing down the process of green energy implementation in the United States.
- Students can use this article for a research project on electricity production in the United States.
This resource discusses electricity and the effect of ever-increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gases on climate change. The article begins with a brief discussion of what electricity is, how it is generated, and how using fossil fuels to generate electricity has contributed to the climate crisis. A few solutions to address the emissions from electricity include enhancing efficiency, shifting production, and improving our electrical systems. The resource is an excellent addition to a lesson discussing alternative methods for reducing carbon emissions. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
