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Natural Gas and the Marcellus Shale
https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/energy/activities/32345.html

Sid Halsor, SERC - On the Cutting Edge Collection

This homework problem introduces students to Marcellus shale natural gas and how an unconventional reservoir rock can become an attractive hydrocarbon target. It is designed to expand students' understanding of hydrocarbon resources by introducing an unconventional natural gas play. Students explore the technological factors that make conventional source rocks attractive reservoir rocks and how this advance impacts both U.S. energy supply and the environment.

Designed as a homework assignment, but could also be done in a lab. Computer access for students is necessary.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»


Grade Level

Regional Focus

Topics

Energy Literacy

This Activity builds on the following concepts of Energy Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines

1. Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation Skills:C) Collecting information
Other materials addressing:
C) Collecting information.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.4 Environment and Society:A) Human/environment interactions
Other materials addressing:
A) Human/environment interactions.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.4 Environment and Society:C) Resources
Other materials addressing:
C) Resources.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.4 Environment and Society:D) Technology
Other materials addressing:
D) Technology.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.4 Environment and Society:E) Environmental Issues
Other materials addressing:
E) Environmental Issues.
3. Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues:3.1 Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues:A) Identifying and investigating issues
Other materials addressing:
A) Identifying and investigating issues.
3. Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues:3.1 Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues:B) Sorting out the consequences of issues
Other materials addressing:
B) Sorting out the consequences of issues.

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

  • Easily adaptable assignment for any introductory geology or environmental geology course.
  • It would be interesting to include a comparison of CO2 generated from natural gas per unit of energy produced to the CO2 generated by coal per unit of energy produced. Natural gas has lower emissions than coal, and it would be helpful to point this out in the exercise.
  • Activity is very regionally specific - educator might want to make it less regionally specific.

About the Content

  • Introduces the potential for unconventional natural gas reservoirs to help us meet our energy needs, the economic and technological factors that increase natural gas reserves, and the environmental impacts associated with this type of exploration and development.
  • The activity provides a very good and scientifically accurate introduction from which additional classroom discussions and activities could evolve.
  • Background information is presented along with a series of questions; links and references are used to derive the answers.
  • Comment from scientist: The activity refers to laws and regulations that are specific to the State of Pennsylvania. Educators using this activity in adjacent states that also have Marcellus Shale need to clarify to their students that the rules specified in the activity may or may not apply in their state. In New York there is significant public debate regarding the development of the Marcellus Shale resource as well as the underlying Utica Shale or Trenton Black River Shale. The activity does not acknowledge that this debate is occurring, which is an important social aspect of this issue. Moreover, the activity does not mention exploration in the Utica Shale.
  • Comment from scientist: Chief environmental concerns include: the volume of water used in hydro-fracturing, the disposal of flow-back and production water, forest fragmentation by new pipelines, spills and handling accidents involving frac water, and increased stream turbidity resulting from well pad storm water drainage and degraded roadways. While the article presents valuable data on resource characterization and development, greater emphasis could be placed on these environmental impacts in order to balance the exercise.

About the Pedagogy

  • Requires lots of prior knowledge to understand vocabulary.
  • The strategy of the assignment is to lead students through a learning process in which concepts are introduced and followed by questions that require application of the concepts.
  • Learning goals are assessed by evaluating student responses to 10 integrated questions.
  • Video describing horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in student assignment is engaging and informative.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

  • Complete in scope and ready for use.
Entered the Collection: February 2012 Last Reviewed: July 2016

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