Geography · Grade 11 · Global Resources and Food Systems · Term 2

Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Energy Sources

Students will compare and contrast different energy sources, evaluating their geographic distribution, environmental impacts, and economic viability.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.3
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7

About This Topic

Students compare renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal, with non-renewable sources like coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear. They map geographic distributions across Canada: hydroelectric power thrives near fast-flowing rivers in British Columbia and Quebec, oil sands dominate Alberta's boreal forests, and wind farms cluster in the windy Prairies. Evaluations focus on environmental impacts, including fossil fuel emissions driving climate change and habitat loss, versus renewables' lower carbon footprints offset by land use and material demands. Economic viability enters through costs of extraction, infrastructure, and subsidies.

This topic aligns with Ontario's geography curriculum by building skills in spatial analysis and systems thinking. Students integrate multiple sources to assess how geographic features shape energy choices, such as solar potential in southern Ontario's clear skies. They weigh transition challenges: high upfront renewable costs, grid upgrades, and political reliance on exports like Alberta oil.

Active learning benefits this topic greatly. When students plot energy data on interactive maps, debate transition policies in small groups, or calculate local carbon savings, they grasp complex trade-offs firsthand. These approaches foster critical evaluation and connect global issues to Canada's resource geography.

Key Questions

1. Differentiate between the environmental footprints of various energy sources.
2. Analyze the geographic factors that favor the development of specific renewable energies.
3. Evaluate the economic and political challenges of transitioning to a renewable energy economy.

Learning Objectives

• Compare the environmental footprints of renewable and non-renewable energy sources, citing specific pollutants or land-use impacts.
• Analyze the geographic factors, such as topography and climate, that influence the viability of specific renewable energy projects in Canada.
• Evaluate the economic and political challenges associated with transitioning Canada's energy infrastructure to predominantly renewable sources.
• Calculate the potential carbon emissions reduction from replacing a specific non-renewable energy source with a renewable alternative in a given Canadian region.
• Classify different energy sources based on their renewability, geographic distribution, and primary environmental concerns.

Before You Start

Mapping and Spatial Analysis Skills

Why: Students need to be able to interpret and create maps to understand the geographic distribution of energy resources.

Introduction to Natural Resources

Why: A foundational understanding of what natural resources are and how they are extracted and utilized is necessary before comparing energy sources.

Key Vocabulary

Renewable Energy	Energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.
Non-Renewable Energy	Energy derived from finite resources that are consumed much faster than they can be replenished, including fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as nuclear fuel.
Carbon Footprint	The total amount of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, released into the atmosphere by a particular activity, company, or individual.
Geographic Distribution	The spatial pattern or arrangement of a resource or phenomenon across Earth's surface, influencing its accessibility and exploitation.
Economic Viability	The ability of an energy source or project to be profitable or sustainable over the long term, considering costs of extraction, infrastructure, and market demand.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Renewable sources have zero environmental impact.

What to Teach Instead

Renewables like wind farms and hydro dams alter habitats, require rare earth minerals, and disrupt landscapes. Hands-on mapping activities reveal these trade-offs by overlaying energy sites with ecosystems, prompting students to weigh full lifecycle costs through group discussions.

Common Misconception

Non-renewable resources are equally distributed worldwide.

What to Teach Instead

Fossil fuels concentrate in specific regions due to geology, like Canada's oil sands. Active jigsaw tasks where students profile sources geographically correct this by sharing expert insights, building accurate spatial understanding via peer teaching.

Common Misconception

Transitioning to renewables is mainly an economic issue.

What to Teach Instead

Political, infrastructural, and geographic barriers persist, such as grid limitations in remote areas. Debate carousels help by simulating real stakeholder conflicts, allowing students to explore multifaceted challenges collaboratively.

Active Learning Ideas

Gallery Walk: Canadian Energy Maps

Assign small groups one energy source to research and map its Canadian distribution, environmental impacts, and economic data on large posters. Groups add sticky notes with pros and cons. Class conducts a gallery walk, discussing patterns and comparisons. Conclude with whole-class synthesis on transition feasibility.

50 min·Small Groups

Jigsaw: Energy Impact Profiles

Divide class into expert groups on specific sources (e.g., hydro vs. oil sands). Each group analyzes geographic factors, footprints, and viability using provided data sets. Experts then teach their peers in mixed home groups, who compile comparison charts. Wrap with peer quizzing.

45 min·Small Groups

Policy Debate Carousel

Pairs prepare arguments for or against rapid renewable transition in provinces like Ontario or Alberta. Rotate stations to debate geographic, economic, and environmental claims with new opponents. Record key points on shared charts. Debrief on consensus challenges.

40 min·Pairs

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Individuals use online tools or spreadsheets to input data on local energy mixes, calculating emissions for renewable versus non-renewable scenarios. Share results in small groups, mapping changes across Canada. Discuss geographic influences on outcomes.

35 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Energy analysts at Natural Resources Canada assess the feasibility of new wind farms in the Prairies, considering wind speeds, land availability, and transmission line costs to meet national energy targets.
• Environmental consultants advise oil and gas companies in Alberta on mitigating the environmental impacts of oil sands extraction, including water usage and habitat restoration, to comply with regulations.
• Urban planners in Toronto are evaluating the integration of rooftop solar panels and geothermal heating systems into new building codes to reduce the city's reliance on fossil fuels for electricity and heating.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with a list of energy sources (e.g., coal, solar, natural gas, hydro, nuclear). Ask them to categorize each as renewable or non-renewable and briefly state one geographic factor that makes it prominent in a specific Canadian region (e.g., rivers for hydro in BC).

Discussion Prompt

Facilitate a small group discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine you are advising the government on energy policy. Which two energy sources would you prioritize for development in Canada and why, considering both environmental and economic factors?' Each group should present their top two choices and justifications.

Exit Ticket

On an index card, have students write one sentence explaining the primary environmental difference between a coal-fired power plant and a hydroelectric dam. Then, ask them to list one economic challenge associated with transitioning to renewable energy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What geographic factors favor renewable energy in Canada?

Canada's diverse landscapes support renewables: hydroelectric from northern rivers and mountains, wind from Prairie gusts, solar from southern clear skies. Students map these to see how topography, climate, and resources dictate viability, contrasting with fossil fuel hotspots like Alberta tar sands. This analysis highlights why provinces specialize, informing policy discussions on national energy security.

How can active learning help teach renewable vs non-renewable energy sources?

Active strategies like gallery walks on energy maps and policy debates make abstract comparisons tangible. Students actively construct knowledge by plotting distributions, debating impacts, and calculating footprints, which deepens geographic literacy. Collaborative tasks reveal interconnections between environment, economy, and policy, preparing Grade 11s for informed citizenship in Canada's resource debates.

What are common environmental impacts of non-renewable energy?

Non-renewables like coal and oil release greenhouse gases, cause acid rain, and lead to spills or mining scars. In Canada, oil sands extraction disrupts boreal forests and water systems. Students evaluate these via data profiles, comparing to renewables' issues like bird strikes from turbines, fostering balanced views on sustainable choices.

How to evaluate economic viability of energy transitions?

Assess upfront costs, subsidies, job creation, and long-term savings. Canada's hydro offers stable economics in Quebec, while solar scales with falling panel prices in Ontario. Classroom calculators and debates let students model scenarios, integrating geographic access to weigh political hurdles like export dependencies.