5 Ideas for Fossil Fuels

Throughout grade school and college, I never actually learned about fossil fuels. When I saw that was part of the 5th grade curriculum, I knew I had a lot of learning to do. Luckily, fossil fuel formation is actually pretty interesting… and we can make it interesting for kids too! 

Coal is a type of rock made from the remains of plants that lived a long time ago. Here’s how it forms:

1. Plants use sunlight, water, and air to make energy and grow. When they die, their remains add to a pile of plant matter.

2. The plant matter piles up in a place where it is protected from the weather, like in a swamp or marsh.

3. Over time, the plant matter is squeezed and heated until it turns to coal.

Oil is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Here is how it forms:

1. Plants and animals die and their remains sink to the bottom of the ocean or are buried in the ground.

2. Over millions of years, the remains are covered by layers of sand, silt, and rock. The heat and pressure from these layers cause the remains to change into oil.

3. Oil is found in underground reservoirs and can be pumped out and used as an energy source.

Natural gas is formed similarly to oil.

1. Oil and natural gas are found together in underground reservoirs.

2. As they are subjected to heat and pressure over a long time, they both change and become more dense.

3. Natural gas is lighter than oil, so it rises to the top of the reservoir.

Here are some activities and resources for teaching 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students about coal, oil, and natural gas formation.