Sources of Electricity
(grades 5-8)
Updated four times since the first edition in 1987, this popular and highly-regarded title gives students an overview of nine energy sources used to generate electricity, including coal, hydropower, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear power, renewables, and more. Students are asked to select an energy source to power a new generating plant, identifying the pros, cons, and tradeoffs of each choice. They learn what fuels different states and regions of North America use to generate electricity.
Most important, students are encouraged to visit the booklet's Web page, www.sourcesofelectricity.com, to get more in-depth information on each of the fuels, an exercise which supports the school's science curriculum and helps build computer skills.
Student booklet: 16 pp., full color. Price List A
Teacher's guide: 8 pp.
Coal: The Once and Future King?
(grades 6-9, Earth Science)
Students get a historical perspective on how coal is formed and the role it has played in building the modern world. In one activity, students compare the number of calories in two foods, then relate their heating values to two types of coal.
Student booklet: 8 pp., full color. Price List B
Teacher's guide: 4 pp.
Geology of Oil
(grades 7-10, Earth Science)
This colorful and informative text takes students through a review of the rock cycle, weathering and erosion, and the transportation and deposition of sediments. They're also introduced to the concepts of the porosity and permeability of rock, as well as folding and faulting of the earth's crust. Three worksheets also give students hands-on activities.
Student booklet: 16 pp., full color. Price List A
Teacher's guide: 8 pp.
Natural Gas
(grades 7-11, Earth Science)
What is natural gas? How was it formed? How long have we used it and what is the probable future for this clean fuel?
Student booklet: 16 pp., full color. Price List A
Teacher's guide: 8 pp.
Nuclear Reactor
(grades 9-11, Physical Science)
This title reviews the structure of the atom, how energy is stored in the nuclei of large atoms, and how fission releases that energy to generate electricity. Other sections deal with the pressurized-water reactor, radioactivity, safety statistics and more. Each section ends with questions that challenge the students' higher-order thinking skills.
Student booklet: 16 pp., full color. Price List A
Teacher's guide: 16 pp.
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle
(grades 9-11)
Explains the operation of a nuclear reactor, then illustrates the fuel cycle, from mining uranium to storing radioactive wastes.
Student booklet: 8 pp., full color. Price List B
Teacher's guide: 2 pp.
The Atom and Radiation
(grades 7-11, Physical Science)
This booklet addresses why some substances are radioactive and explains how radiation is produced when a nucleus changes. One hands-on activity helps students understand the concept of half-life; students also compute their own annual radiation dose from human and natural sources.
Student booklet: 8 pp., full color. Price List B
Teacher's guide: 4 pp.