Environmental impacts of energy extraction
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain environmental impacts associated with non-renewable, renewable and recyclable energy extraction and use.
Key learning points
- Energy extraction has environmental consequences.
- Mining and drilling can have environmental impacts, such as landscape scarring, oil spills and carbon emissions.
- Renewable energy can have landscape impacts including from HEP flooding and land use for wind turbines and solar panels.
Keywords
Landscape scarring - visible damage to a landscape caused by human activities such as mining or construction
Carbon emissions - the release of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming
Common misconception
Only the extraction and use of non-renewable energy has environmental consequences.
Renewables and recyclables can have environmental consequences too, although they generally cause less harm than fossil fuels. These consequences can include impacts on biodiversity and the ability of ecosystems to absorb carbon dioxide.
Teacher tip
GIS offers excellent opportunities to identify landscape scarring and measure the impact of changes in landscapes due to energy extraction and production over time.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a renewable energy source?
Q2.Which of these is an example of non-renewable energy?
Q3.What does recyclable energy mean?
Q4.Why are renewable energy sources important?
Q5.Which energy source is not renewable?
Q6.Which of the following is a renewable source?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is meant by "landscape scarring"?
Q2.What are carbon emissions?
Q3.Which of the following activities is most likely to cause landscape scarring?
Q4.Does only non-renewable energy extraction impact the environment?
To help you plan your 11 geography lesson on: Environmental impacts of energy extraction, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 geography lesson on: Environmental impacts of energy extraction, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 geography lessons from the Energy unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.