Knowledge and Skills Statement
Earth and space. The student understands how natural resources are important and can be managed.
Further Explanation
In kindergarten, students were introduced to physical properties of rocks when they sorted rocks by shape, size, color, and texture. This is their second exposure to physical properties of rocks. Resources such as metals, gems, and ground water and energy resources such as petroleum, natural gas, and heated water (geothermal energy) can be contained within layers of rock. These resources are mined or drilled (wells).
Supporting Information
Research
Bobrowsky, Matt. “Science 101 Q: Where Do Fossil Fuels Come From?” Science and Children 57, no.3 (October 2019): 63–65. www.nsta.org/science-scope/science-scope-october-2019/where-do-fossil-fuels-come.
Summary: Fossil fuels are described in this article as energy sources that were formed when prehistoric animals and plants died. The author includes an activity to simulate the formation of fossils, using the pressure from layers of different materials, like books, to mimic the pressure that mud, rock, and sand put on layers of sediment and dead animals when fossils are formed. This can also give students an idea of what sedimentary rocks look like. The formation of fossil fuels, like oil, takes millions of years. The article explains how students can replicate this process while making predictions about what will happen during their daily observations of the model.