In this activity, students will model the extraction of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Students will extract black beans (oil) and white beans (geothermal) out of a bin that also contains pinto beans (Earth's crust). As a group, students will need to collect enough beans to supply their town with energy. At the end of the activity students will graph their data and answer questions.

The lab worksheet and powerpoint that accompany the lab are fully editable.

Materials list (per group): Large bin, pinto beans, black beans, white beans, small dixie cups, beaker, stopwatch.