a guide to teacher lesson plans for grades 3-4 a guide to teacher lesson plans for grades 3-4 lesson...

A Guide To Teacher Lesson PlansFor Grades 3-4

Easy and fun activities to raise awareness of natural gas—

its origins, uses and ways to conserve it.

A Guide to Teacher Lesson Plans for Grades 3-4 2

Welcome!

Here’s your guide to promoting natural gas conservation in your classroom.These lesson plan activities—including a science experiment, word search, crossword puzzle, quiz and more—will help you teach your students about natural gas conservation. Hopefully, students will share what they learn with parents, siblings, relatives and neighbors. The more people who know about the importance of conserving natural gas, the better!

Minnesota Energy Resources is proud to help expand our community of conservation-conscious natural gas customers. You can implement the enclosed lesson plan in one day or stretch it out over several days. We’ve even developed a certificate of knowledge that will help extend and reinforce the information beyond your teaching time.

All lesson plan materials can be downloaded at minnesotaenergyresources.com/business/educators.aspx.

Before you download the lesson plan materials, take a moment to read through this guide. You’ll find an overview of natural gas—its origins, uses and ways to conserve it. The step-by-step instructions are especially useful in implementing each section in your classroom. As you’ll see, the most effective way to teach the materials is in the order they appear.

3 A Guide to Teacher Lesson Plans for Grades 3-4

Why teach natural gas conservation?

Natural gas—how it’s made, procured and used—is an interesting story to share with students. The cleanest-burning fossil fuel, natural gas can be used to heat homes, light streets and dry clothes. And, it all began more than 200 million years ago.

The buried remains of tiny plants and sea animals were covered by thick layers of mud, sand, silt and rock, and they were pushed deeper and deeper into Earth’s crust. As the layers built up, pressure and heat from the shifting surface of the earth filled the resulting cracks with oil and natural gas.

Today, large pipes and wells bring natural gas to the surface. It’s cleaned, processed, pressurized and sent through long, underground pipelines across the United States. Before it reaches its final destination, natural gas receives a special odor to help people detect leaks. Many people think the harmless additive smells like rotten eggs.

Over half of all American households use natural gas for their energy needs: heating the house, cooking food, washing clothes, among many others.

Because natural gas is a nonrenewable resource, people will eventually exhaust its supply. By teaching students about conservation, you are helping to extend its vital everyday use in our lives and the lives of our children. Conservation also helps save money on energy bills and helps keep the environment clean.


Lesson Plan Activities

Simple for you. Fun for students.

The following activities will help you teach your students about conserving natural gas. All lesson plan materials can be downloaded at minnesotaenergyresources.com/business/educators.aspx.

The activities are most effective when accomplished in the order they appear. However, you’re encouraged to introduce the activities in whatever order best meets the unique requirements of your classroom.

Maze

This activity is an overview of how natural gas is made, gathered and distributed. It’s a simple way to begin your students’ natural gas education.

Use this Maze in your classroom:1) Download the Maze at

minnesotaenergyresources.com/business/educators.aspx.

2) Briefly explain the history of natural gas to your students. Use the statements within each step in the Maze as a guide.

3) Ask your students to complete the Maze.

Maze answer key is on page 9 of this guide.

Minnesota Energy Resources Gas Smart Program Grades 3-4

Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

The a-MAZE-ing Way We Get Natural Gas!

Let’s start to get Gas Smart! This maze will help you see how natural gas is made and delivered to your home. Follow the six steps in order to understand the process of making and delivering natural gas.

Natural gas is then cleaned, processed and pressurized.

Natural gas is sent across the United

States through long under-ground pipelines.

1 2

4

3

5

6

Tiny ocean plants and animals die, decay and are covered

with sand, mud and rock.

For 200 million years, this mixture builds pressure and

heat; natural gas and oil are formed.

A rotten egg-like smell is added to help detect

leaks. Natural gas is then delivered to your home!

Today, large pipes bring natural gas to Earth’s surface.

FINISH!

START


Lesson Plan Activities cont’d

Word Search

This activity is a great introduction to the origins of natural gas and how common it is in U.S. households. More than just a list of words to find, this puzzle tells the story of natural gas.

Use this Word Search in your classroom:1) Download the Word Search sheet at


2) Distribute Word Search to your students.3) Review the story with your students.4) Ask them to complete the Word Search, either in

class or at home. Remind them that words can be found forward, backward, diagonally, vertically and horizontally.

Word Search answer key is on page 10 of this guide.

Match Game

A great way to introduce more terms and concepts, this game is simple to complete. It expands on ideas introduced in the Maze and Word Search activities.

Use this Match Game in your classroom:1) Download the Match Game sheet, which includes

definitions, at minnesotaenergyresources.com/business/educators.aspx.

2) Distribute Match Game to your students.3) Review the definitions with your students.4) Ask them to complete the Match Game, either in

class or at home.

Match Game answer key is on page 11 of this guide.


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Word Search

M B T G F E J L R K F F V I G W N U P E A X S C O K L E G B G U R A L U R B R L R D L F G J E R I G X W I M H L U O R N Y R K J K O A I B H U X P C C H Q R N S R B S Q L J O D U Y O S T P S G X Y R T Z O P O C Z E M J O A L W K W F M D R A Q N D E C A Y I N G P H X G J M F B R E O T D U

Natural gas is a fossil fuel formed over a period of 200 million years from decaying ocean plants and animals. When these plants and animals died, their remains sank to the bottom of the ocean. It took millions of years, but the sand, mud and rock settled on them and pushed them deeper into the earth. The pressure that built up and the heat from the sun filled the cracks with natural gas and oil.

Today, over half of all homes in the U.S. use natural gas for energy needs like heating water, cooking food and operating a furnace (your home’s heating system).

This word search puzzle will help you

understand what natural gas is and

how it’s made. Find the underlined

words hidden in the puzzle below.

Remember, words can be found

forward, backward, diagonally,

vertically and horizontally.


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Match Game

Energy

Fossil Fuels

Natural Gas

Conserve

Pipeline

Nonrenewable

Leak

Gas Meter

A nonrenewable energy source, like natural gas, does not get replaced after we use it. So, it’s very important that we conserve energy and use less natural gas. We don’t want to run out, do we?

When we talk about natural gas, we use all sorts of interesting words. Draw a line from the words listed below to their correct definitions.

Made from old plants and animals, types of these are coal, oil and natural gas.

This means to use less natural gas, which helps the environment.

A long, underground tube that carries natural gas.

This comes in many different forms, and we use it every day to help get things done.

An energy source that is not replaced; natural gas and coal are examples.

Equipment with dials that measures how much natural gas your family uses in your home.

When natural gas leaves a pipe and goes into the air we breathe.

This fossil fuel, formed 200 million years ago, travels through pipelines to our homes.



Crossword Puzzle

This puzzle continues the natural gas story that began in the Word Search. The clues are found within the informational copy blocks, making the activity more fun and interesting.

Use this Crossword Puzzle in your classroom:1) Download the Crossword Puzzle sheet at


2) Distribute the Crossword Puzzle to your students.3) Review the story with your students.4) Ask them to complete the Crossword Puzzle, either

in class or at home.

Crossword Puzzle answer key is on page 12 of this guide.

Experiment

Let’s Make Natural Gas! is a natural follow-up to the Word Search and Crossword Puzzle. Showing how natural gas is made brings the process to life, even though it could take several days to see results.

Perform this Experiment in your classroom:1) Download the Experiment sheet at


2) Gather the necessary materials and divide your students into working groups. You will need to clear a space (ideally a window ledge) where each group’s bottle can sit, undisturbed.

3) Review the steps with your students. Emphasize how the process takes time to fully realize results (up to a week), just as it does in nature (only millions of years).

4) Discuss possible outcomes of the experiment.

Note: There is no answer key for this activity.


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Let’s Make Natural Gas!

Directions:1) Collect all materials listed above.2) Put the vegetable scraps and raw meat in the bottle.3) Put soil into bottle, covering scraps and meat.4) Pour water into bottle, not directly on soil

and scraps.5) Stretch the balloon over the open end of

the bottle. Tightly wrap your rubber band around the base of the balloon to seal the top of the bottle.

6) Carefully move the bottle to a warm place (like a window ledge) where the sun can shine on it. Try not to shake it up while moving it. Let your bottle sit undisturbed.

This is a Gas Smart experiment that will help

you understand how natural gas is made.

In nature, it takes millions of years

for ocean plants and animals to

decay, which creates natural gas.

It may take several days for

you to see the results of this

experiment, so be patient!

Materials needed:• Empty bottle• Balloon (don’t blow it up)• Raw vegetable scraps (carrots, lettuce, potato peels)• Raw ground beef or tuna (small amount)• Soil (1/2-cup)• Water (3 tablespoons)• Rubber bands

Lab Questions:1) What do you think will happen during the next few days?2) What will happen to the balloon?3) Why is this happening?


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Crossword Puzzle

Now, let’s learn how natural

gas is delivered to your

home, your school and

businesses in your

community.

First, (5 down) is brought up to the surface of the (2 down). To get it to work with appliances in your (1 across), it needs to be cleaned and processed. (4 down)—tubes that are many miles long—carry natural gas underground to towns across the country. Because natural gas is odorless and colorless, natural gas companies add a scent like (6 across) to help detect (3 down) and keep us safe.

An energy source that does not get replaced after we use it is a called a (5 across) energy source. So, it’s very important that we (7 across) energy and use less natural gas. We don’t want to run out, do we?

The words for the puzzle can be found in the Gas Smart Maze, Word Search and Match Game.

1

5

6

7

2

3

4



True Or False Quiz

This activity begins to emphasize the importance of conserving natural gas. Some terms used in the True Or False Quiz are also found in the Word Search, so the quiz can be used to test comprehension of that activity.

Use this True Or False Quiz in your classroom:1) Download the Quiz at minnesotaenergyresources.

com/business/educators.aspx.2) Distribute Quiz to your students.3) Discuss each answer with the class.

True Or False Quiz answer key is on page 13 of this guide.

Fill In The Blank

In this activity, students explore various ways to conserve energy at home. This is a perfect way for students to begin discussions with parents and siblings.

Use this Fill In The Blank in your classroom:1) Download the Fill In The Blank at


2) Distribute Fill In The Blank to your students.3) Discuss answers with students.4) Encourage students to bring up these conservation

tips with their parents.

Fill In The Blank answer key is on page 14 of this guide.


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Fill In The Blank

1) Remember to cover pots when cooking. Also, keep the __________________ closed as much as possible when in use.

2) It takes energy to heat water, so take shorter showers or baths. A water-saving __________________ helps conserve, too.

3) In winter, turn down your ______________________ to 68˚ F during the day and 55˚ F at night.

4) Natural gas is needed to heat your ______________, so choose cold or warm when using your clothes washer to conserve energy.

5) Installing a clean __________________ on your heating system can save energy (and natural gas).

6) Clean the __________________ lint filter before each load to improve air flow.

Let’s explore various ways to conserve energy at home. Talk with your parents, brothers and sisters about these ways to save natural gas and be Gas Smart.

watershowerheadair filter

thermostatclothes dryeroven door

Fill in the blank with the correct word from

the list below.


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

True Or False Quiz

Conserving natural gas reduces the

money we spend on energy and

helps save the environment. So,

how Gas Smart are you?

Try these simple true-or-

false questions and find

out. But, be careful!

Some of them

are tricky.

In a home, natural gas helps heat water, dry clothes and heat stoves.

The United States uses more natural gas each year than any other country in the world.

Natural gas is renewable, so we can always make more of it.

Natural gas smells so bad because it’s made of rotten eggs.

Underground pipelines are used to deliver natural gas to homes.

Businesses use natural gas to make steel, glass, paper and even fertilizer.

Over half of homes in the U.S. use natural gas for their energy needs.

A fossil fuel, natural gas takes 2,000 years to form deep inside the earth.

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

Remember, if you ever smell natural gas’ rotten egg scent, you should tell an adult right away. Then, leave the house without touching or using anything electric, not even a light switch.

1

4

2

5

6

7

3

8



Follow-Up Questions And Homework

By this time, students should have a good grasp of the importance of conserving natural gas and the various ways to do so. At home and at school, students can help conserve natural gas.

Use these Follow-Up Questions in your classroom:1) Download the Follow-Up Questions at


2) Remind students of natural gas conservation terms and concepts, and the results of the in-class experiment.

3) Discuss questions as a class. Ask for additional conservation ideas.

Assign the Homework assignment for outside the classroom:1) Download the Homework assignment at minnesotaenergyresources.com/

business/educators.aspx. 2) Remind students of natural gas conservation concepts and ask them to

interview an adult.3) Discuss findings as a class.

Certificate

Once students have completed most or all of the lesson plan activities, present them with this certificate of accomplishment.

Use this Certificate in your classroom:1) Download “Gas Smart Conservation Kid!” at


2) Sign each certificate.3) Distribute certificates to students (make it as official as you wish); instruct them to

have a parent or guardian sign it as well.4) Hang the certificates on your classroom wall or tell students to display theirs at

home. Refrigerators are a popular location.


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Follow-Up Questions

1) What uses energy at home? Which use natural gas?

2) Are you using the natural gas conservation ideas we discussed?

3) How could you save more energy at home?

You are so Gas Smart! You know about making

natural gas, conserving it and the various ways

to save energy. Here are some questions to

discuss in class. Think about how you

can conserve more natural gas.

Homework

Interview an adult who uses natural gas at home. Tell your mom, dad, aunt, uncle or neighbor that you’re learning about natural gas use. Write down your answers here.

Your name: Name of person being interviewed: 1) How many natural gas appliances do you have?

2) Have you always lived somewhere that uses natural gas?

3) What are you doing to conserve energy?

Gas Smart Conservation Kid!

Congratulations!_______________________________________

(name)

knows all about natural gas: how it is made, how to use it and how to conserve it.

__________________________________(teacher)

__________________________________(parent)

_____________(date)

Minnesota Energy Resources Gas Smart Program

9 A Guide to Teacher Lesson Plans for Grades 3-4Minnesota Energy Resources Gas Smart Program Grades 3-4

Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

The a-MAZE-ing Way We Get Natural Gas!

Let’s start to get Gas Smart! This maze will help you see how natural gas is made and delivered to your home. Follow the six steps in order to understand the process of making and delivering natural gas.

Natural gas is then cleaned, processed and pressurized.

Natural gas is sent across the United

States through long under-ground pipelines.

1 2

4

3

5

Tiny ocean plants and animals die, decay and are covered

with sand, mud and rock.

For 200 million years, this mixture builds pressure and

heat; natural gas and oil are formed.

A rotten egg-like smell is added to help detect

leaks. Natural gas is then delivered to your home!

Today, large pipes bring natural gas to Earth’s surface.

FINISH!

START

6

Answer Key

A Guide to Teacher Lesson Plans for Grades 3-4 10Minnesota Energy Resources Gas Smart Program Grades 3-4

Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Word Search

M B T G F E J L R K F F V I G W N U P E A X S C O K L E G B G U R A L U R B R L R D L F G J E R I G X W I M H L U O R N Y R K J K O A I B H U X P C C H Q R N S R B S Q L J O D U Y O S T P S G X Y R T Z O P O C Z E M J O A L W K W F M D R A Q N D E C A Y I N G P H X G J M F B R E O T D U

Natural gas is a fossil fuel formed over a period of 200 million years from decaying ocean plants and animals. When these plants and animals died, their remains sank to the bottom of the ocean. It took millions of years, but the sand, mud and rock settled on them and pushed them deeper into the earth. The pressure that built up and the heat from the sun filled the cracks with natural gas and oil.

Today, over half of all homes in the U.S. use natural gas for energy needs like heating water, cooking food and operating a furnace (your home’s heating system).

This word search puzzle will help you

understand what natural gas is and

how it’s made. Find the underlined

words hidden in the puzzle below.

Remember, words can be found

forward, backward, diagonally,

vertically and horizontally.

Answer Key


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Match Game

Energy

Fossil Fuels

Natural Gas

Conserve

Pipeline

Nonrenewable

Leak

Gas Meter

A nonrenewable energy source, like natural gas, does not get replaced after we use it. So, it’s very important that we conserve energy and use less natural gas. We don’t want to run out, do we?

When we talk about natural gas, we use all sorts of interesting words. Draw a line from the words listed below to their correct definitions.

Made from old plants and animals, types of these are coal, oil and natural gas.

This means to use less natural gas, which helps the environment.

A long, underground tube that carries natural gas.

This comes in many different forms, and we use it every day to help get things done.

An energy source that is not replaced; natural gas and coal are examples.

Equipment with dials that measures how much natural gas your family uses in your home.

When natural gas leaves a pipe and goes into the air we breathe.

This fossil fuel, formed 200 million years ago, travels through pipelines to our homes.

Answer Key


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Crossword Puzzle

Now, let’s learn how natural

gas is delivered to your

home, your school and

businesses in your

community.

First, (5 down) is brought up to the surface of the (2 down). To get it to work with appliances in your (1 across), it needs to be cleaned and processed. (4 down)—tubes that are many miles long—carry natural gas underground to towns across the country. Because natural gas is odorless and colorless, natural gas companies add a scent like (6 across) to help detect (3 down) and keep us safe.

An energy source that does not get replaced after we use it is a called a (5 across) energy source. So, it’s very important that we (7 across) energy and use less natural gas. We don’t want to run out, do we?

The words for the puzzle can be found in the Gas Smart Maze, Word Search and Match Game.

1

5

6

7

2

3

4

h o m e

n o n e n w a b l e

o t t e n g g s

c o n e r v e

arth

aturalgas

pipelines

l

aks

Answer Key


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

True Or False Quiz

Conserving natural gas reduces the

money we spend on energy and

helps save the environment. So,

how Gas Smart are you?

Try these simple true-or-

false questions and find

out. But, be careful!

Some of them

are tricky.

In a home, natural gas helps heat water, dry clothes and heat stoves.

The United States uses more natural gas each year than any other country in the world.

Natural gas is renewable, so we can always make more of it.

Natural gas smells so bad because it’s made of rotten eggs.

Underground pipelines are used to deliver natural gas to homes.

Businesses use natural gas to make steel, glass, paper and even fertilizer.

Over half of homes in the U.S. use natural gas for their energy needs.

A fossil fuel, natural gas takes 2,000 years to form deep inside the earth.

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

Remember, if you ever smell natural gas’ rotten egg scent, you should tell an adult right away. Then, leave the house without touching or using anything electric, not even a light switch.

1

4

2

5

6

7

3

8

FALSE—Natural gas is a nonrenewable energy source, so there’s a limited amount we can get from the earth.

FALSE—It can take 200 million years to create natural gas.

FALSE—The rotten egg smell is added by gas companies to help detect leaks and increase safety.

Answer Key


Name ______________________________________ Date ____________

Fill In The Blank

1) Remember to cover pots when cooking. Also, keep the __________________ closed as much as possible when in use.

2) It takes energy to heat water, so take shorter showers or baths. A water-saving __________________ helps conserve, too.

3) In winter, turn down your ______________________ to 68˚ F during the day and 55˚ F at night.

4) Natural gas is needed to heat your ______________, so choose cold or warm when using your clothes washer to conserve energy.

5) Installing a clean __________________ on your heating system can save energy (and natural gas).

6) Clean the __________________ lint filter before each load to improve air flow.

Let’s explore various ways to conserve energy at home. Talk with your parents, brothers and sisters about these ways to save natural gas and be Gas Smart.

watershowerheadair filter

thermostatclothes dryeroven door

Fill in the blank with the correct word from

the list below.

oven door

showerhead

thermostat

water

air filter

clothes dryer

Answer Key

a guide to teacher lesson plans for grades 3-4 a guide to teacher lesson plans for grades 3-4 lesson...

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