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Introduction to Geothermal – Starter Pack

Summary

This starter pack provides a complete geothermal energy vocabulary and quiz resource to reinforce key terms from the video. Students will learn essential vocabulary such as geothermal, turbine, base-load power, and cost-prohibitive. The quiz and cloze notes then assess student understanding of the core concepts, including how geothermal energy is extracted and its flexibility as a power source.

Bell Ringer

Instructions: Answer the prompt provided by your teacher.










Vocabulary

Instructions: Watch the Introduction to Geothermal video and listen for the vocabulary words.

WordDefinitionExample
Geothermaladjective: related to the heat that comes from inside the Earth“Geothermal energy, the heat of the Earth, can be found beneath our feet everywhere.”
Extractingverb: taking something out from a source “But extracting enough of it at an affordable price is the challenge.” 
Affordableadjective: not too expensive“But extracting enough of it at an affordable price is the challenge.”
Turbine noun: a machine that spins when water, air or steam flows through it to generate electricity“We use that heat . . . to turn a steam turbine to make electricity.” 
Flexible adjective: able to change or be used in different ways “Like hydropower, geothermal is flexible.” 
Base-load power noun phrase: the minimum amount of electricity a city or country needs continuously“[Geothermal energy] can be always on base-load power.” 
Ramp upverb phrase: to increase or to make something go faster or stronger“Or it can be ramped up quickly to follow demand.”
Fracturing verb: to break something into pieces “We’re experimenting with drilling new wells, fracturing the rocks, and circulating water.”
Circulating verb: moving around in a loop or system“We’re experimenting with drilling new wells, fracturing the rocks, and circulating water” 
Applications noun: ways something can be used “[Geothermal energy’s] applications are broad . . .” 
Cost-prohibitive adjective: so expensive or difficult that it stops people from using it“[Geothermal energy is] still cost-prohibitive.” 

Quiz & Cloze Notes

Instructions: Circle the correct answer based on what you learned in the Introduction to Geothermal video, then fill in the blanks using the word bank.

Q1. Why is high-temperature geothermal power only practical in certain locations?

  1. High temperatures are needed near the surface.
  2. Constant temperatures are needed below the surface.
  3. A high temperature differential is needed between the air and the surface.
  4. Hot lava is needed near the surface.

Q2. Which of the following is a shared feature of geothermal and hydropower systems?

  1. Both occur where there is abundant rainfall.
  2. Both use steam to turn a turbine to generate electricity.
  3. Both are flexible and can follow electricity demand.
  4. Both require excavation of wells. 

Q3. In addition to generating electricity, what is one direct use of high-temperature geothermal energy?

  1. power automobiles
  2. heat and cool buildings
  3. ventilate office complexes
  4. run wind farms

Q4. Which of the following is a method currently being investigated to access hot water deep underground for geothermal energy?

  1. using buried nuclear generators to heat groundwater
  2. using currently-producing oil and gas wells to extract hot water
  3. injecting surface water into old volcanoes to heat it
  4. drilling into and fracturing hot rock at depth to extract hot water

Word Bank

buildingselectricityexpensiveflexible
geothermalheatsurface

_________________________ energy uses the _________________________ of the Earth to heat or cool ____________________ and produce _________________________. While it is _________________________ like hydropower, high-temperature geothermal power is only available in places where high temperatures are close to the _________________________. Low-temperature geothermal power is _________________________ to develop.

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