Energy Resources: Use & Conservation

Video Librarian (May 2001)

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Using the framing device of a teenage African-American student and a stereotypical geeky white professor talking about the historical uses of energy and today's post-industrial alternatives, Energy Resources: Use and Conservation, one of seven titles in the Energy in Action series, looks at a wide range of renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. Fossil fuels are treated very charitably, with an honest assessment of all the good things they have done for mankind as opposed to a sketchy discussion of the harm they have caused the environment, as is nuclear energy ("fusion produces the least amount of radioactive waste, the toxic problem that some people say makes nuclear energy unacceptable"). As in Turning Down the Heat: The New Energy Revolution (VL-3/01), this tape also discusses alternative energy options, such as wind turbines, geothermal heat, bio-gas, and solar energy, although in less detail than the other title (it is, however, a great deal more affordable). The other titles in the series are: Electromagnetic Energy, Energy: Potential & Kinetic, Heat & Chemical Energy, Mechanical Energy, Nuclear Energy and The Transfer of Energy. Recommended.

School Library Journal (July 2001)

Gr 5-8-This live-action series describes what energy is, how it is transferred and harnessed for use, and how it can be conserved. Sylvie, an aspiring scientist, narrates and acts in each video, as well as guides viewers through a variety of concepts. Electromagnetic Energy discusses how electromagnetic energy involves the forces of electricity and magnetism, as well as the movement of charged particles in the form of waves, thus creating different forms of electromagnetic energy. Energy: Potential and Kinetic introduces these concepts and the energy transfer between them. Energy Resources: Uses and Conservation focuses on various forms of energy and the importance of energy conservation. Heat & Chemical Energy explains how heat and chemical energy are interrelated; how heat energy is transferred through the processes of convection, conduction, and radiation; and how living things transfer, store, and release chemical energy through the processes of photosynthesis, digestion, and burning. Mechanical Energy shows how energy can be transferred from one object to another to make something move. Nuclear Energy discusses how the powerful energy within the nucleus of an atom can be released through the processes of fusion or fission. The research of Lise Meitner and Marie Curie are introduced, as well as the pros and cons of nuclear energy. The Transfer of Energy focuses on Einstein's Law of Conservation of Energy. In all of the videos, vocabulary words appear onscreen and are defined in context. There is a short review at the end of each video to reinforce main concepts. Repetition between videos highlights key concepts and ideas. Each program includes an experiment that students can replicate in the classroom. This series clearly explains a wide array of concepts associated with energy, and will strengthen middle school science collections.

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal. Used with permission.