Connected to the Grid: ELA Extension

Fill in the blanks below using the form on the right!

Power Distribution Mad Lib

Read the following informational text about the power distribution grid and fill in the blank spaces with the correct noun or verb

When you want to watch a football game or your favorite show, you simply ___(1)___on your TV using a remote. Your TV screen buzzes to life, displaying images and producing sounds. Turning on the television requires you to press a button, but the electricity powering the TV traveled a ___(2)___ journey to reach you!

Electricity is ___(3)___at a power plant and is then sent through a power distribution grid to power homes, schools, and any other ___(4)___that require electricity. The power distribution grid is a system that delivers electricity from where it's made to where it's used.

We use natural resources to generate our electricity. Coal burning produces about 33% of our total electricity in the United States. To collect coal, we have to ___(5)___ deep into the earth, where the energy from plant fossils has been sitting for millions of years. This process of mining damages and pollutes the surrounding ecosystems. We then burn the coal at a power plant. Burning ___(6)___ produces a thick, dark smoke that releases ___(7)___ into the atmosphere. In the power plant, the burning coal heats a tub of water until it turns to steam. This steam spins giant turbines that rotate large magnets around wires, creating an electric current. This newly-made electricity is sent through ___(8)___ to reach your neighborhood.

When the electricity reaches your home it doesn't go straight from a power line to your TV! First, the electricity goes through an ___(9)___ that measures how much electricity your home is using. Finally, the electricity is sent through electrical wires within your home to the outlet, where your TV draws its power.