STAGE 5

Unit focus: Natural Resources

Text focus: Information Text

Nuclear Power
Everything in the world is built from minuscule building blocks called atoms. These are so
small that individual atoms can’t be seen even with the most powerful microscopes in the
world. There are 50 trillion atoms in a grain of sand, so imagine how many there are in the
entire universe! In order to understand how nuclear power is created, we need to get to
grips with these tiny specks.

An atom is made of 3 different parts; protons, electrons and neutrons. Each of these
components does a different job. Protons and electrons carry a small electrical charge -
protons have a positive charge and electrons a negative one. Neutrons don’t have a charge
at all (they are neutral), but they do have a very small mass. The neutrons and protons
combine in the middle of the atom, and the electrons whiz around the outside. They are all
held together by something called nuclear energy.

One of the most important materials in the world is uranium because these atoms are the
root of all nuclear power. Uranium is mined from the Earth’s crust, which means that it is
a finite resource - we cannot create more uranium. The atoms themselves don’t create
electricity. Instead, machines inside a nuclear power plant split uranium atoms into two
smaller atoms. This releases some of the nuclear energy inside them, which generates huge
amounts of heat. This heat is used to heat water which produces steam; this steam then
turns enormous turbines which are connected to generators to produce electricity. This is
similar to the way that old steam trains use steam to power their wheels.

Unfortunately, spli�ng uranium atoms creates a lot of radioactive waste. This waste is toxic
to all life and has to be stored and disposed of properly; otherwise, it creates environmental
disasters. For a long time, companies didn’t always take the safety precautions needed. By
the 1950s, many countries had been dumping radioactive waste into the oceans for about 5
years. Because of these potential problems, nuclear energy isn’t always popular.

The first place in the world to generate electricity for a country was the Obininsk Nuclear
all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
Power Plant in Russia. This was built in 1954. Most nuclear power plants are more modern
- the oldest in the United States are roughly 40 years old. In total, there are currently
437 nuclear power reactors in the world, and they generate roughly 10% of the world’s
electricity.

Despite the toxic nature of the waste, nuclear energy is one of the cleanest sources of
energy in the world. It doesn’t produce any carbon emissions or other air pollutants, and
a nuclear plant doesn’t take up as much land as solar power farms. They produce more
electricity than most other forms as well. If treated properly, the toxic waste materials can
be recycled and reused, although not many countries currently do this.

Perhaps the biggest risk with nuclear energy is if things go wrong. Disasters at the Windscale
plant in the UK in 1957 and then at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine in 1986 dented public
confidence in this form of energy. These disasters meant that the areas surrounding
the stations were highly radioactive (it is still not safe to visit Chernobyl today without
protective equipment) and made thousands of people in the area terminally ill.

RETRIEVAL FOCUS
1. How many parts are there in an atom?

2. Which part of the atom is negatively charged?

3. How much of the world’s electricity comes from nuclear power?

4. When was the Chernobyl disaster?

5. True or false: There are over 430 nuclear power plants in the world.

VIPERS QUESTIONS
V Find and copy a word in the first paragraph that means “extremely tiny”.

I What evidence is given in the text that atoms are very small?

S How does a nuclear power plant generate electricity?

V Highlight a word in the text that tells you something is dangerous.

S Why are some people against nuclear energy?

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
 STAGE 5
Unit focus: Natural Resources
Text focus: Information Text

Solar Power
Our sun has been burning for roughly 4.6 billion years, and will hopefully continue to
burn for millions more. It is a constantly renewing and clean source of energy that many
countries around the world have started to embrace. Unlike fossil fuels, there is no pollution
created when solar energy is captured.

The light from the sun arrives on Earth in three different bands. There is ultraviolet light (the
part of the sunlight that causes the skin to produce more melanin, resulting in a suntan),
infrared rays and the visible band of light. Humans can only see the visible band of light
(it is what allows us to see things), but that doesn’t mean that we can’t use the others.
Ultraviolet light is essential for humans, so long as we only get it in small doses; it helps us
to produce vitamin D. However, too much can cause skin cancer amongst much else. When
sunlight reaches Earth, it is roughly 4% ultraviolet, 43% visible and 53% infrared.

To make the most of solar energy, panels called photovoltaic modules (they are commonly
called solar panels) are used. These modules can convert most of the visible spectrum of
light and about half of the infrared that hits them. They don’t utilise much of the ultraviolet
spectrum. They convert sunlight into direct current electricity. This is the same type of
electricity that ba�eries use, and many people use solar panels to charge ba�eries in their
house or van. Most items in your house use alternating current electricity, so an inverter is
connected to panels to convert the electricity into a more usable format.

If solar panels are set up correctly, they can provide significant amounts of electricity. Some
houses are able to sell any that they don’t use back to the power companies so that they
can use it to power other people’s houses. In order to make the most of any sunlight, solar
panels have to be set up at the correct angle and pointed in the optimum direction.

One of the coolest advantages of solar energy is that it isn’t just useful on Earth. Satellites in
space, as well as the International Space Station, make use of large arrays of solar panels for
all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
all of their power. This is essential because it is impossible to send fuel to these places once
they are in the Earth’s orbit.

Globally, around 2% of all electricity currently comes from solar power. Some countries
where there are more hours of stronger sunlight generate over 5% of their electricity from
the sun. Italy led the way in 2019 by producing over 8.5% of its electricity this way.

SUMMARY FOCUS
1. Explain why the different bands of light are important.

2. Why are inverters important?

3. Why is it important where you place a solar panel?

4. How are solar panels beneficial?

5. Why do some countries produce more solar energy than others?

VIPERS QUESTIONS
V Which word in the text tells you that the energy comes from the sun?

R Which part of the sun’s light causes a tan but can be dangerous?

R Which type of electricity is used most in your house?

V Find and copy a word from the text that means closest to “the best”.

R How much of the sun’s light is infrared?

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
 STAGE 5
Unit focus: Natural Resources
Text focus: Information Text

Wind and Water

The sun isn’t the only source of clean, renewable energy on Earth. Water and wind can
both be harnessed to provide power across the world, and these are both becoming more
popular.

Wind
It may not feel like it to you, but the air around you is very heavy. When the wind blows, you
can feel how heavy it is when it feels like it might push you over. This powerful force can be
harnessed to create electricity across the world. Due to the fact that wind is always there
and doesn’t need to be created, wind power is considered to be renewable. It isn’t “used
up” in the process of creating wind power and the process doesn’t produce any pollution at
all.

Large windmills called turbines are built and erected in places that are very open. If this is in
fields or other places of natural beauty, they can have a negative impact on the local area,
and so they are not always popular. Sometimes they are placed out at sea in offshore wind
farms. These have less impact on the natural environment but are more expensive.

It is handy to think of wind turbines as being like fans, but in reverse. A fan uses electricity
to turn a blade; a wind turbine uses wind to turn the blade, which creates electricity. In fact,
you can sometimes test this for yourself. If you have a small motor with a fan blade attached
and a lamp (the sort you might get in a school science kit), you can connect the two and see
wind power in action. You probably can’t blow hard enough to turn the motor, but if you
spin it as fast as you can with your finger, you might find that the lamp glows slightly. The
faster you turn it, the brighter it will get.

China is the world leader in wind energy, with over 30% of its power coming from this
source.

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
Water
Technically called hydroelectric power, this type of energy is generated from moving water.
Both coal and nuclear power stations generate electricity by heating water to create steam.
This steam then turns a turbine which creates electricity. All hydroelectricity does is cut out
the fuel. Moving water is captured by a hydroelectric dam and used to turn turbines, which
generate electricity.

The best sources of water for hydroelectric dams are rivers or waterfalls. Both of these
have lots of energy stored in the water as it moves and can turn turbines easily. When
water flows through a smaller space, it becomes more forceful. Hydroelectric dams contain
something called a penstock. This is a narrow pipe that funnels water towards the turbine,
increasing the pressure. Once the water has flowed through the system, it leaves on the
other side and continues along the river, unpolluted.

Some systems don’t require a dam at all (dams form large lakes, which can be damaging to
local wildlife). Waterwheels have been used for centuries to turn mills and grindstones; a
similar principle can be used on rivers to create electricity. This way, the river doesn’t need
to be altered at all, and it doesn’t have an impact on wildlife.

Some countries, such as Norway and Brazil, get almost 85% of their electricity from
hydropower.

RETRIEVAL FOCUS
1. How does the author suggest you can tell how heavy the air around you is?

2. How much of China’s electricity comes from wind power?

3. Which countries make the most out of water power according to the text?

4. True or false: fast flowing water is better for generating hydropower.

5. True or false: There are no downsides to wind power.

VIPERS QUESTIONS
V
Which word in the first paragraph means something can be controlled and used for a
purpose?

S Summarise how you can test how wind energy works.

I Why might governments be more willing to put wind farms in land rather than offshore?

V Which part of the name “hydroelectric” tells you that it is related to water?

S
Which of these two sources of power do you think are better? Give a reason supporting
your opinion.
all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
 STAGE 5
Unit focus: Natural Resources
Text focus: Information Text

Coal
People have been using coal as a source of fuel for thousands of years. Historians believe
that it was the Romans who were probably the first people to use it extensively, but
there are records of coal mining in China dating back 3,000 years! The Chinese were also
using it to help them melt metal around 120 BCE. Like many civilisations, the Chinese had
traditionally burned wood for their forges, but deforestation soon meant that they were
running out.

Strangely, a�er the Romans le� Britain, people seemed to stop using coal as a source of
energy. It was barely used during the middle ages when people began to burn wood again.
The only people who are recorded as using it a lot during this period are artisans - people
who make things by hand, such as blacksmiths. Even though only a small number of people
were burning coal, it soon became a problem. When coal is burned, it produces thick, sooty
smoke. This pollution became so bad that a Royal Proclamation was issued in 1306 that
banned artisans from using coal. Many of them ignored the ruling, and smoke pollution
continued to be a problem for centuries.

The use of coal really exploded in the 1700s. This was the beginning of the industrial
revolution, and the need for coal to run factories, steam engines and various other
technologies increased significantly. Until then, coal mines had to be quite shallow because
deeper mines would flood. The invention of the steam engine in 1712 meant that new
pumps could be invented to get rid of the water - suddenly, mines could go a lot deeper,
and more coal could be excavated. It also meant that mines became a lot more dangerous.
Poisonous gases and explosions were common; despite this, the demand for coal didn’t
slow down.

Throughout the industrial revolution, coal was the fuel source of choice. Smog in London
became so bad that people couldn’t see in front of them. In one of the Sherlock Holmes
stories set in Victorian London, the main character has to light a match to read a leaflet,
even though it is the middle of the day. This shows just how dark the streets were because

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
of the belching chimneys that littered the skyline. It wasn’t just people that were affected by
the smog. One of the reasons that brick buildings are so popular in British cities is because
brick was one of the only materials available that wasn’t corroded by coal smoke. Lots of
the more traditional building stones, such as limestone, started to blacken and wear away
during the industrial revolution.

As people became aware of the impact of coal on their health and buildings, alternative
sources of energy became more popular. Nowadays, many countries are trying to cut the
amount of carbon they use to zero. Britain has committed to being carbon neutral by 2050.
By 2019, only 2% of British energy came from coal, down from 30% in 2014.

RETRIEVAL FOCUS
1. What did the Chinese use before coal as a source of fuel?

2. Who were the main people using coal in the middle ages?

3. When was coal banned?

4. What evidence is given for how bad the smoke was in London?

5. How much of Britain’s energy came from coal in 2014?

VIPERS QUESTIONS
V What does “extensively” mean?

V Find and copy a phrase that tells you people suddenly started using more coal.

S What caused people to suddenly start using more coal?

I What evidence is there that people prefer not to use coal?

S Why are lots of British buildings made of brick?

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
 STAGE 5
Unit focus: Natural Resources
Text focus: Information Text

Formation of Fossil Fuels

Coal, oil and gas are all called fossil fuels because they are formed from the remains of
dead organisms over millions of years. Part of the problem with them (other than the fact
that burning them pollutes the atmosphere) is that a lump of coal that has taken millions
of years to produce can be burned in minutes. Because of this, they are classed as non-
renewable resources; it would take too long to make more. Once they are gone, they are
gone forever.

Even though all three fuels are formed from fossilized remains, each one comes from a
different type of fossil. Coal is formed from dead trees and plant material, whereas crude oil
(oil in its natural form) and gas are formed from dead marine organisms.

To make crude oil and natural gas, you need three main things: heat, pressure and time. The
whole process started millions of years ago when tiny sea creatures called plankton sank to
the bottom of the sea. When this happened, they were often covered by mud and silt. Over
time (hundreds of thousands of years), more sediment covered it over, and, eventually, this
layer became very deep. As this happened, the temperature and pressure increased. This
combination caused a chemical reaction to take place, which turned the dead creatures into
crude oil and natural gas. This reaction didn’t happen quickly; it took tens of thousands of
years to fully happen.

Because crude oil is a liquid and natural gas is a gas, they were able to move through gaps
between stones in the ground. They moved upwards towards the surface but often reached
a layer of rock that was impermeable. This trapped the resources until humans came along
and drilled through the impermeable rocks.

Crude oil is processed to form oil for machines, along with petrol and diesel for vehicles.

Coal is produced in a very similar way to oil, but that process starts with trees and plants

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
dying on land and falling to the ground. These slowly rot down and are covered over with
sediment. Then, the process of pressure and temperature compresses the carbon until it
forms coal.

For a long time, it was believed that diamonds were formed when coal was placed under
even greater pressure in the Earth’s crust. Nowadays, scientists know that this isn’t true. In
fact, most diamonds are older than the first plants on Earth - the same plants that went on
to form coal.

VOCABULARY FOCUS
1. Why are coal, oil and gas called “fossil” fuels?

2. What does “non-renewable” mean?

3. What is “sediment”?

4. Which word in the text has a definition closest to “does not allow things to pass through it”?

5. Find and copy a word from the text that means “squeezes”.

VIPERS QUESTIONS
R Which types of fuel are formed from marine creatures?

S What happens after a marine creature is covered in silt?

R True or false: diamonds are formed from coal.

I What evidence is there in the text that supports the idea that we cannot make more coal?

R What relies on crude oil, according to the text?

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
Answers - Stage 5 - Coal:

1. Wood

2. Artisans

3. 1306

4. Sherlock Holmes has to light a match in the middle of the day

5. 30%

V: A lot/in large amounts

V: The use of coal really exploded

S: The factories of the industrial revolution and the fact that mines could be deeper

I: The amount of coal being used in Britain is going down

S: It wasn’t eroded by smoke like other building materials were

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
Answers - Stage 5 - Formation of fossil fuels:

1. They are made from the remains of dead creatures

2. We cannot make more of something

3. Soil and silt and other things that collect at the bottom of the ocean

4. Impermeable

5. Compresses

R: Oil and gas

S: More sediment piles on top until the pressure and temperature cause a chemical change

R: False

I: The process takes so long to complete that it wouldn’t be possible to do it

R: Machinery (oil) and vehicles (petrol)

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
Answers - Stage 5 - Nuclear power:

1. 3

2. Electron

3. 10%

4. 1986

5. True (437)

V: Minuscule

I: You cannot see them with the most powerful microscope

S: Uranium atoms are broken to create heat, which creates steam to power a turbine and generate
electricity

V: Toxic

S: It produces toxic waste that needs to be handled carefully, and disasters at Windscale and
Chernobyl were damaging.

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
Answers - Stage 5 - Solar power:

1. Visible light helps us to see, ultraviolet light helps us to produce vitamin D and infrared light is
used to generate solar energy

2. They turn direct current into alternating current, so that the things in your house can use it

3. They need to be at the correct angle and pointing in the correct direction to get the most out of
them

4. They are renewable, and don’t produce any pollution. They can be used on satellites in space as
well.

5. They have more sun for longer periods of time

V: Solar

R: Ultraviolet

R: Alternating

V: Optimum

R: 53%

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com
Answers - Stage 5 - Wind and water:

1. When it is windy, you can feel it blowing against you

2. 30%

3. Norway and Brazil

4. True

5. False: the impact on the local environment

V: Harnessed

S: Accept answers that demonstrate an understanding of the experiment given in the text

I: Offshore farms are more expensive

V: Hydro

all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed

http://www.literacyshedplus.com