Req 4b5a — Present How Fuels Are Found
4b5a.
Make a display or presentation showing how oil and gas or coal is found, extracted, and processed. You may use maps, books, articles from periodicals, and research found on the internet (with your parent or guardian’s permission). Share the display with your counselor or a small group (such as your class at school) in a five-minute presentation.
This option asks you to teach the story of a resource from the ground to society. A good five-minute presentation does not try to cover everything. It follows a simple sequence that your audience can remember.
A Strong Presentation Structure
- What is the resource? Oil, gas, or coal
- Where does it come from geologically? Source rock, depositional environment, burial, and structure
- How is it found? Maps, seismic data, drilling, samples, or wells
- How is it extracted? Surface mine, underground mine, drilling, pumping
- How is it processed and used? Refining, cleaning, transport, electricity generation, manufacturing
Display Ideas
- A simple cross-section showing source, reservoir, and trap
- A sequence of pictures showing exploration, extraction, and processing
- A map of where the resource is common in the United States
- A short chart comparing how oil/gas differs from coal
Five-Minute Presentation Tips
Keep it organized and easy to follow
- Lead with one clear topic. Do not switch between oil, coal, and gas unless you are comparing them carefully.
- Use geology words correctly. Explain source rock, reservoir, seam, trap, or basin in simple language.
- Show the process in order. Formation → discovery → extraction → processing → use.
- Practice out loud. Five minutes goes quickly.
Official Resources
There is no official resource link for this page, so build your presentation from the research and concepts you learned on the previous Energy Resources pages.
Even if you choose this presentation path, it helps to understand what a real drilling site looks like. That is what the next page covers.