and charging my phone…

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Click here to get more information about different kinds of power before trying to solve this puzzle!

Light and heat are basic. For many of us, you flip a switch and they are there. If that is true for you, you probably don’t think much about where they come from.

Picture this; you live many kilometers (or miles) from any town or city. The land around you is flat and grassy, and there are hills or mountains nearby where trees grow.  Your profession? Herder. That is, you have herds of goats, sheep, cows, and horses that you take care of. You sell them, but you also use them to feed your family with food you and your family make from their milk and their meat. Everyone in the family helps with all of these tasks. Your home is the little white dot in that picture above.

At least twice a year, maybe more often, you pack up your entire home including the ger itself, and you move to a spot that is better for your animals. In winter you would want a sheltered area, maybe near the foot of a hill or mountain. In spring and summer you would look for excellent grass for them to eat.

It gets very, very cold in winter: from December-February on most days the temperature will hit -30° C (-20° F). It is very windy in the winter, but you still get a lot of sunshine (thank goodness). You need to stay warm and you need to have some electric lights, a freezer, a television, and a way to keep your telephone charged.

How would you get electricity? Do you think that the government would run electrical lines to your ger? If so, what would happen if you move?

Think about where you might get electricity. Be sure that you read the information about different types of power as you consider the best ways to get electricity to gers in the countryside:

• Solar
• Wind
• A large coal-burning power plant
• Hydropower (water)

What might work best? Would you get your power from a big central place or would you have . to provide it for yourself?

Comment here with your thoughts about how people might get electricity in the countryside, then go on to find out more. Remember that your comments won’t appear right away because they must be approved first.

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