Pg. 142-145
Pg. 142-143
What is one thing that makes Samsø not so ordinary?
The island is very windy.
Pg. 146-147
What inference can you make about the kind of teacher Søren Hermansen is?
He’s a fun teacher who has unusual ways to get his students interested in energy.
Pg. 150-151
How does the author show that Søren Hermansen worked hard to convince the people of Samsø about renewable energy?
The author says that Søren talked to everyone on the island. It took him several years to do it.
Pg. 156-157
1. How does Samsø look different today
from the top of Jørgen Tranberg’s
wind turbine?
2. Why do people from all over the world come to Samsø today?
1. There are wind turbines all over the island. Otherwise, it is the same Samsø as before.
2. They come to learn about creating, sharing, and saving energy at the Energy Academy.
Pg. 144-145
What inference can you make about how the people on Samsø used energy?
People turned on lots of lights and turned up their heaters. They used energy without thinking. I know that when people use energy without thinking, they can waste it. People on Samsø sometimes wasted energy.
Pg. 148-149
What does Søren Hermansen mean when he says that the students need to “think big”?
They have to think of big ways to replace all of the energy from nonrenewable sources that the island uses.
Pg. 154-155
1. What is an example of one of the small ideas people had for renewable energy?
2. What is an example of a big idea?
1. The Holm family put solar panels on their farm.
2. Biomass is so big that whole villages are heated by burning wood and straw grown on the island.
Pg. 158
1. What does the author compare Earth to?
2. Why does the author make
that analogy?
1. An island, like Samsø
2. Because, like Samsø, all people on Earth need to change how they use energy so that they can save their island.
Pg. 144-145
1. What does Søren Hermansen probably know a lot about?
2. What text details help you infer this?
3. What will Søren Hermansen probably teach his students?
1. energy
2. The Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy chose him to lead the energy independence project on Samsø.
3. How to become independent of nonrenewable energy.
Pg. 150-151
What inference can you make about how people react to Søren Hermansen’s efforts?
People are starting to change their minds about renewable energy. One person wants to build a small wind turbine. Another person says that they have to think big.
Pg. 152-153
Think about how people in One Plastic Bag reacted to Isatou Ceesay’s plastic bag purses. How is the way they changed their minds similar to the way people on Samsø might change their minds about renewable energy?
In One Plastic Bag, people thought the purses were strange. Then, one person bought one. Then more people bought them. On Samsø, two people make changes—one big and one small. Now, maybe more people will change.