Fossil fuels - Information for kids

Read the following piece and complete the activities

• Before you start reading, make sure you know the meaning of the following words and can explain it using your own words.  If you do not know the meaning of the words, look it up

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• global
• fossil fuel
• ecosystem
• tornadoes
• warrior
• conference

More than a 100 years ago there was  a man called Svante Arrhenius.  He was a Swedish scientist and he warned people that the earth would get warmer and warmer if they kept on burning coal and oil.

• You can learn more on his life by watching the video

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The people thought he was a bit crazy and most did not believe what he said.  Today we now see that he was right and it is true that Earth is heating up - this is called 'Global warming'.  It causes a lot of problems for Earth and for us.

• Learn more about global warming

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Why is it bad for Earth if we burn coal and oil?

Coal, oil and natural gasses are called fossil fuels. We find it under the ground.

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We can use these fossil fuels to generate electricity for lighting, heating and all the electronic equipment in our houses and it can also be used to make petrol and diesel to use in machines and vehicles.

Almost everything we buy in the shops are made in factories and these factories use power from fossil fuels.

This burning of fossil fuel is bad for Earth because it causes the "Greenhouse effect."

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Answer the questions and complete the activity:

1. What are fossil fuels and what can they be used for?
2. What did Svante warn the people about?
3. Why did they not listen to him?
4. Do research and find 5 reasons why 'Global warming' is bad for Earth.
5. In which ways can we reduce this?
6. Watch the videos again - you are going to listen carefully and compile 5 questions on each of the videos and then answer it.
7. Practice the spelling of the following words and then use them in your own sentences:  scientist, warned, coal, fossil fuels, generate, machinery, vehicle, factories

Have some fun and make your own little greenhouse for a plant - plants like to grow in a greenhouse, because it is nice and warm.  

• What is the difference between a greenhouse and "The Greenhouse effect" caused by global warming?