Hands-on Lessons
The materials needed for these lessons are basic supplies that most people have at home. They’re a fun and educational way for students to learn with family members. Follow up with your students to make sure they enjoyed and learned from these activities.
Lesson 1:
Lesson 3: How Natural Gas Is Found
Introduction
Natural gas is located within the Earth. To find natural gas, geologists send shock waves downward through the surface of the planet. Once the waves have been sent, the scientists measure how long it takes the waves to bounce back. When a gas deposit is located, a derrick is constructed to support the equipment needed for accessing the natural gas. After the gas is removed from the Earth it goes to a processing plant and then to a regulator station to control the amount of gas that is pumped to our homes. At the regulator station the chemical mercaptan is added to help people detect natural gas leaks. Use this activity to show how natural gas is trapped below the Earth and the tremendous pressure on the gas deposits.
Objective
Students will learn how geologists locate and transport natural gas.
Purpose of Activity
Review, Identify Details, Read or Listen
21st Century Skills
Critical Thinking
Cognitive Level
Skills and Concepts
Class Time
15-30 minutes
Materials (for each group)
- Aquarium or another large clear container
- Balloon
Procedure
Fill an aquarium half full of water. Blow up a balloon and hold the opening closed as you submerge the balloon in water. Discuss what would happen if you drilled a hole to where the natural gas was trapped. Let air out of the balloon underwater.
How do you think gas is located and obtained from below the surface of the Earth?
- By using sound waves and drills
What pipes or wires can be found underground?
- Electric lines, natural gas lines, water lines
Lesson 2:
Lesson 3:
A Product’s Life
Objective
To teach students the concept of product life cycles, including the various steps and related environmental issues involved.
Purpose of Activity
Review, Identify Details, Read or Listen, Create
21st Century Skills
Critical Thinking and Creativity
Cognitive Level
Strategic and Extended Thinking
Class Time
45 minutes over two days
Materials
- Index cards
- Library, computer/Internet access
- Scissors
- Markers
- Heavy-duty (cardstock) paper
Procedure
Day 1:
- Introduce the concept of product life cycles. Start by giving a general overview of life cycles, and relate this concept to something familiar to the students (e.g., our own lives, the life cycle of a tree). Continue by explaining that all products are made of something that ultimately comes from nature and that all products end up somewhere after we are finished using them.
- Move on to more in-depth discussions of the various steps of a product’s life cycle. Be sure to define each step: raw materials acquisition/extraction, materials processing, manufacturing, product packaging, distribution, use (lifespan) and end use (reuse, recycling, disposal). Discuss how each of these steps can have environmental consequences.
- Investigate the life cycle of an everyday item. Have the class select one or two products whose life cycles they would like to research. Choose a common product, such as one used often in class or at home (for example: calculator, radio, remote control, lightbulb, pencil sharpener, computer keyboard or mouse).
- Divide the class into research teams for each item chosen. As a homework assignment or an in-class activity, have students work in groups of three or four individuals to research an individual step of the chosen product’s life cycle. Students can use the library, Internet and other resources.
Day 2:
- Direct the students to use their findings to organize a short presentation to the class. Give each group a handful of index cards on which they can write down notes. Have each group give an oral presentation to the entire class on what they discovered through their research. Be sure to only discuss one product’s life cycle at a time and have the groups present in the proper order of the steps of a life cycle (i.e., materials extraction, then processing, then manufacturing, etc.). Encourage the students to be creative, including using props or other visual means of presenting their information.
Does knowing more about a product’s life cycle affect your decision to buy the product?
- Answers will vary but should include discussion on alternatives to buying (reusing, delaying purchase, etc.)
Source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/qfl_complete.pdf
Expanded Information
These materials provide even more insight into the science, usage and importance of these materials. Click below to find more educational resources that align with your educational standards and fit into your curriculum.
Expanded Information 1:
Water Fun Facts
Ninety-seven percent of the Earth’s water is salt water in the ocean. Two percent is stored as fresh water in glaciers. This leaves only 1% of all the water on Earth as water for people to use. If all the world’s water were put into a gallon jug, the fresh water available for us to use would equal only about one tablespoon.
How Much Water Are You?
Students will calculate how many 8-ounce glasses of water they are made of.
- Have students write down their weight.
- Divide their weight by three.
- Multiply the new number by four.
That’s about how many 8-ounce glasses of water it would take to equal all the water in a person.
By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1% of their total water amount. Drink water before you get thirsty.
Facts:
- Each day the sun evaporates one trillion tons of water off of lakes, rivers and oceans.
- Over 42,000 gallons of water are needed to grow and prepare the food for a typical Thanksgiving dinner for eight.
- In 1969, the Cuyahoga River near Cleveland, OH was so polluted that it caught on fire.
- There is exactly the same amount of water on Earth now as there was in prehistoric times.
- Water is the only substance on Earth naturally found in the three true element forms: solid, liquid and gas.
- Water expands by 9% when it freezes. Ice is lighter than water, which is why ice floats on water.
Expanded Information 2:
Where Does My Water Come From?
Large groundwater basins lie beneath Los Angeles County and have served as natural reservoirs for storing water underground for millions of years. The Central Basin is one of these groundwater basins located underneath the City of Long Beach.
Long Beach has water rights to pump approximately 30,000 acre-feet of groundwater per year out of Central Basin. This amount of groundwater is pumped using groundwater wells located throughout the city and is enough to fulfill around 60% of Long Beach’s water needs.
The rest of the water supply in Long Beach (about 40%) comes from imported sources originating hundreds of miles away. The two main imported water sources are the Colorado River watershed and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. That water is imported into the region by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), one of the world’s largest water agencies and the region’s water wholesaler from which Long Beach purchases its imported water supplies.
Source: https://lbwater.org/water-sources/ground-and-imported-water/
Expanded Information 3:
Expanded Information 4:
Expanded Information 5:
Natural Gas Safety
Why does natural gas smell like rotten eggs?
Have you ever noticed that natural gas smells like rotten eggs? The rotten egg smell that you sense is actually added to the natural gas. Normally, natural gas is odorless and colorless; you can’t see it and you can’t smell it. The added smell is an odorant and it smells like rotten eggs!
If too much natural gas leaks, it can build up and eventually catch fire or cause an explosion. Scientists and utility companies add the rotten egg smell so you know when it is leaking. If you smell that rotten egg smell in your house, GET OUT right away. Don’t call anyone or turn on or off any lights or appliances. Any spark from an electrical appliance or smartphone could cause the natural gas to explode. The best thing to do is to GET OUT, then tell an adult or call the fire department. They can clear the area and make sure everyone is safe as the problem is dealt with.
Why does a candle burn yellow, but natural gas burn blue?
Natural gas is what is called a pure hydrocarbon. It is a gas made up mostly from carbon and hydrogen. Pure hydrocarbons burn blue. Pure may be a bit misleading as there are small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen and other chemicals in natural gas. Other examples of pure hydrocarbons are propane, methane and acetylene.
Burning blue usually only happens under perfect conditions. If any soot, dust or other pollutants are present, then the flame can be both yellow and blue. You see this in some stovetops or ranges when the stove or oven is dirty. The yellow flame of a candle is due to the burning of soot given off by the flame itself.
If you detect a natural gas leak, follow these steps:
- DO NOT light a match, start an engine, use a cellphone or turn on a switch
- Immediately and safely leave the area and warn others to stay away
- From a safe location, call 911 or the Energy Resources Department at (562) 570-2140
Expanded Information 6: