Prehistoric Resources

Transcription

1 UNIT 6 WEEK 1 Read the article Prehistoric Resources before answering Numbers 1 through 5. Prehistoric Resources No one knows exactly when human beings first cherished the warmth of a fire. That moment was probably the first time people used a natural resource for fuel, but the resources people depend on for energy today oil, coal, and natural gas were here long before then. They are truly prehistoric resources! From Fossil to Fuel Oil, coal, and natural gas are known as fossil fuels. They were formed millions of years ago from the remains of once-living plants and animals. These types of fuels are similar in many ways. All three burn easily and give off great amounts of heat. They are found deep inside Earth s crust where heat and high pressure changed the ancient plant and animal matter into fuels. Coal, a solid fossil fuel, was formed in swamps from layers of dead plant material. Through time, the compressed plant material formed a substance called peat. Layers of soil and rocks continued to put pressure on the peat for millions of years, and eventually the peat hardened and turned into coal. Oil and natural gas are found mostly in the spaces between underground rocks. These two fossils fuels were formed from the remains of ancient ocean animals. Buried deep underground, the animal material turned into liquid oil and bubbles of natural gas. History of Coal People have been using coal as a source of energy for centuries. Scientists have found evidence that during the 1300s, Native Americans used coal for cooking and baking pottery. Coal mining began in the United States in the mid-1700s. In the 1800s, coal was used to generate steam that powered steam ships and the steam engines that drove trains. Coal also provided energy in manufacturing plants. In the 1880s, a new use was found for coal generating electricity for homes, businesses, and factories. By 1961, coal was the number one fuel for electrical power plants in the United States. Today, coal-powered plants are still the most important source of electric power across the country. Every time you turn on a light, you are most likely using electricity that was generated using coal. Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1 Grade 6 301

2 UNIT 6 WEEK 1 Fuel to Power How are prehistoric fuels used in the production of something as modern as electrical power? It is all about heat. Power plants burn coal and other fossil fuels to generate heat, which is used to turn water into steam. The steam turns a turbine, a large machine with a rotor and blades that spin. The spinning of the turbine powers a generator, producing electricity that travels through power lines to cities and towns around the country. People rely on fossil fuels for more than generating electricity. Oil and natural gas are used to heat homes and businesses. Oil is used to make fuels for vehicles, including jet fuel for airplanes and gasoline for cars and trucks. Products from plastics to cleaning supplies are also made from oil. Running Out of Resources? Many people depend on fossil fuels for heat and electricity. As a result, oil, coal, and natural gas are being consumed at faster rates. But fossil fuels are nonrenewable, which means they cannot be easily replaced. People can reduce their use of fossil fuels by conserving energy, or using less of it. They can also resolve to use more renewable resources that will never run out. Renewable energy sources include wind, water, and the sun. Moving water or wind can be used to produce electricity, and solar energy can be used to heat homes and businesses. Using these energy sources can help protect the prehistoric resources deep inside Earth. 302 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1

3 Now answer Numbers 1 through 5. Base your answers on Prehistoric Resources. 1 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Which sentence best expresses the main idea of the text? A Fossil fuels were formed millions of years ago and are found in Earth s crust. B C D Coal has been used for centuries and is used today to generate electricity. Fossil fuels are millions of years old, but people depend on them today. We are running out of fossil fuels, so people should use less energy. Part B: Which detail from the text best supports your answer in part A? A No one knows exactly when human beings first cherished the warmth of a fire. B... the resources people depend on for energy today oil, coal, and natural gas were here long before then. C Layers of soil and rocks continued to put pressure on the peat for millions of years,... D Oil and natural gas are found mostly in the spaces between underground rocks. 2 Coal has been used in many ways throughout history. For which of the following was coal used first? Select two options. A cooking B C D E F making fuel heating homes making pottery generating steam generating electricity Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1 Grade 6 303

4 3 Read the sentence. In the 1760s, James Watt developed a modern steam engine that used less coal, making it cheaper to run. Circle the paragraph that the sentence above would best support. History of Coal People have been using coal as a source of energy for centuries. Scientists have found evidence that during the 1300s, Native Americans used coal for cooking and baking pottery. Coal mining began in the United States in the mid-1700s. In the 1800s, coal was used to generate steam that powered steam ships and the steam engines that drove trains. Coal also provided energy in manufacturing plants. In the 1880s, a new use was found for coal generating electricity for homes, businesses, and factories. By 1961, coal was the number one fuel for electrical power plants in the United States. Today, coal-powered plants are still the most important source of electric power across the country. Every time you turn on a light, you are most likely using electricity that was generated using coal. Fuel to Power How are prehistoric fuels used in the production of something as modern as electrical power? It is all about heat. Power plants burn coal and other fossil fuels to generate heat, which is used to turn water into steam. The steam turns a turbine, a large machine with a rotor and blades that spin. The spinning of the turbine powers a generator, producing electricity that travels through power lines to cities and towns around the country. People rely on fossil fuels for more than generating electricity. Oil and natural gas are used to heat homes and businesses. Oil is used to make fuels for vehicles, including jet fuel for airplanes and gasoline for cars and trucks. Products from plastics to cleaning supplies are also made from oil. 304 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1

5 4 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. People can reduce their use of fossil fuels by conserving energy, or using less of it. The origin of the word reduce is the Latin root duct, meaning to lead or to bring. What does the word reduce mean? A complete B decrease C keep D take Part B: Which word from the sentence best helps to explain what reduce means? A people B fossil C energy D less 5 Read the sentence from the text. They can also resolve to use more renewable resources that will never run out. The origin of the word resolve is the Latin root solv, meaning to loosen. Which word most likely has the same root as resolve? A destroy B dissolve C salute D solitary Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1 Grade 6 305

6 UNIT 6 WEEK 1 Read the article Water Power before answering Numbers 6 through 10. Water Power Life would not be possible without water. Every living thing people included needs water to drink. For people, though, drinking it is only the beginning. Water has irrigated crops since the beginning of human history, and did you know that water has been a source of power for thousands of years? Water just may be the single most important natural resource on Earth. Water Where We Need It Ancient Egyptians depended on the waters of the Nile River to grow crops. When the Nile flooded, its water spilled onto their crops, but what happened when the river was too low to reach the fields? One solution the Egyptians developed was a device called the shaduf, which is a long pole with a bucket on one end and a weight on the other. Using it, a person could easily lift buckets of water and move them to thirsty crops. In Asia, the Chinese built canals, or channels, that conducted water from rivers to rice fields. The Romans also crafted methods for moving water to where it was needed. They built aqueducts to achieve this goal, which resembled large bridges and used gravity to move water from the mountains to lower elevations. Water Wheels and Mills Water has been an important source of power for thousands of years. Ancient Greeks and Romans used water wheels to harness the energy of flowing water. A water wheel is a large wheel with blades or buckets along its outer edge. The wheel is mounted in a stream or river, where flowing water hits the blades or buckets and turns the wheel. The moving wheel drives the axle, the shaft on which the wheel is mounted, which then powers different types of machinery. Water wheels were in use as long ago as 200 B.C. when ancient societies used them to mill grains. As the water wheel turned, the axle would move large, round stones. Grains such as wheat were put between the stones, which ground the grains into flour. In Europe, water wheels were the most important source of energy for centuries, and in the 1600s, they were still used to grind grain. As the Industrial Revolution began, water power was also used in sawmills, to produce lumber, and in textile mills. 306 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1

7 UNIT 6 WEEK 1 Power from Water Water is still an important source of power. Today, water s energy is harnessed by hydroelectric power plants that use moving water to generate electricity. Water wheels may be a thing of the past, but these plants work similarly. Most hydroelectric plants are built alongside rivers or waterfalls. A dam holds back the water, forcing it to rush with tremendous energy toward a turbine, a large machine that resembles a water wheel. The turbine spins and powers a generator, which produces electricity. Water power has advantages. Because they do not burn fossil fuels such as coal to generate electricity, hydroelectric power plants don t produce air pollution. Also, water power is a renewable resource. Unlike fossil fuels, which will one day be used up, the same water has been cycling through Earth and its atmosphere for millions of years. Yet, hydroelectric plants generate less than ten percent of the electricity used in the United States. Perhaps in the future, water will provide more of the energy people need. Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1 Grade 6 307

8 Now answer Numbers 6 through 10. Base your answers on Water Power. 6 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Which sentence best summarizes the main idea of the section titled Water Where We Need It? A In ancient times, people developed methods for moving water to their crops. B Throughout history, people have used rivers to get from one place to another. C Ancient Egyptians were the first people to move water from one place to another. D Roman aqueducts moved water from the mountains to areas where it was needed. Part B: Which detail from the text best supports your answer in part A? A Ancient Egyptians depended on the waters of the Nile River to grow crops. B When the Nile flooded, its water spilled onto their crops,... C... what happened when the river was too low to reach the fields? D In Asia, the Chinese built canals, or channels, that conducted water from rivers to rice fields. 7 Read the sentence from the text. They built aqueducts to achieve this goal, which resembled large bridges and used gravity to move water from the mountains to lower elevations. The origin of the word aqueducts is the Latin root duct, meaning to lead or to bring. Which word is most likely to come from the same root as aqueducts? A conductor B elector C equator D leader 308 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1

9 8 Read the paragraph from the text. Water wheels were in use as long ago as 200 B.C. when ancient societies used them to mill grains. As the water wheel turned, the axle would move large, round stones. Grains such as wheat were put between the stones, which ground the grains into flour. In Europe, water wheels were the most important source of energy for centuries, and in the 1600s, they were still used to grind grain. As the Industrial Revolution began, water power was also used in sawmills, to produce lumber, and in textile mills. Circle the main idea of the paragraph. Then circle two details that would best support that main idea. Main Idea Water wheels have had multiple uses throughout history. Details A turbine has blades that make it look like a large fan. We would not have energy if it weren t for water wheels. The use of water wheels began to decline in the 1900s. Many people do not realize how old the water wheel is. The movement of water on Earth is called the water cycle. Water wheels are used in parts of Europe today. The history of water wheels is not really known. Grains must be ground into flour before they can be cooked. The water wheel was helpful for many industries during the Industrial Revolution. Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1 Grade 6 309

10 9 Read the sentence from the text. Water wheels may be a thing of the past, but these plants work similarly. The word similarly has the Latin root sim, meaning make like. Which word most likely comes from the same root as similarly? A simile B simply C singularly D symptom 10 Which sentences describe advantages of using water power for electricity? Select two options. A Water power does not produce any air pollution. B Water rushes toward turbines and makes them spin. C Water has cycled through Earth for millions of years. D Water has been a source of power for thousands of years. E Water power is a renewable resource that will not run out. F Water power generates less than ten percent of U.S. electricity. STOP 310 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1

11 Now answer Number 11. Base your answer on Prehistoric Resources and Water Power. 11 Describe two ways in which electricity can be generated. Support your answer with evidence from both texts. Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 1 Grade 6 311