This interactive map displays visualized data about the production and consumption of energy for many parts of the world.
Students can hover over many countries to explore the carbon intensity, low-carbon rate, renewable percentage, and the types of power produced and consumed for several time periods.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This map is easy to use and full of interesting and important data.
Students will be able to compare and contrast energy production and consumption for many places around the globe.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be comfortable with percentages and reading maps and graphs.
Students should have some background knowledge about the different types of energy and their benefits and drawbacks.
Differentiation
This resource would work equally well in a science class working on energy or social studies class considering the differences between energy production and use in different parts of the world.
Have students complete a Venn diagram for two different areas of the map and present their findings to the class.
As an extension, have a class discussion about what students' big takeaways were and what their hopes are for the future of energy production in the map area they worked with.
Have students compare this map of energy production and consumption with maps of renewable energy potential, where solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, or other forms of renewable energy are best suited. Then have them summarize their findings in a presentation, poster, or paper.
Scientist Notes
In order to better inform policy decisions on renewable energy, this map calculates the carbon intensity while simultaneously showing the level of electricity production and consumption in real time under a changing climate. It is advised to use this resource for teaching because the datasets are free of scientific inconsistencies.
Standards
Science and Engineering
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
Social Studies
Geography
Geography 1 (F1): Students understand the geography of the community, Maine, the United States, and various regions of the world, and geographic influences on life in the past, present, and future by using the geographic grid and a variety of types of maps, including digital sources, to locate and access relevant geographic information that reflects multiple perspectives.
