Renewable or Nonrenewable Energy?

4th Grade ScienceRenewable and Nonrenewable Resources3 pages

About this worksheet

Ten labeled photos of energy sources sit across page 1 of this 3-page 4th grade science sheet: solar panels, coal, wind turbines, oil, a hydroelectric dam, natural gas, a geothermal plant, uranium, biomass (wood and crops) and gasoline. A box above them defines renewable and nonrenewable resources, and students write each source in the right column. Page 2 has three questions, including which energy source powers most cars. The answer key lists both columns and sample answers.

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Renewable or Nonrenewable Energy?: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources - page 1

Renewable or Nonrenewable Energy?: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources - page 2

Renewable or Nonrenewable Energy?: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources - page 3

Curriculum objectives covered

4-ESS3-1

“Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.”

The sort places ten sources by whether they can be replaced, question 3 asks why a country might choose renewables, and question 4 traces car fuel back to oil.

“Explain the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources in your own words.”

Question 2 on page 2.

What's inside this worksheet

Definitions

A short box saying renewable resources come from nature and can be replaced quickly, and nonrenewable resources take millions of years to form inside the Earth.

Energy Sort

Ten labeled photos and a two-column chart headed Renewable Energy and Nonrenewable Energy, with five lines in each column.

Think About Energy

Three written questions: explain the difference in your own words, why a country might want more renewable energy, and which energy source powers most cars today.

Answers

Both columns with five sources each, sample answers for questions 2 and 3, and gasoline made from oil for question 4.

How teachers use it

Definitions first

Read the box together and ask for one example of each kind before anyone sorts. Gasoline is worth a pause, since students should see that it comes from oil.

Photo talk

Have students say what they see in each photo before they write its name. Uranium and biomass are likely to be the least familiar.

Question 3 debate

Use question 3 as a quick partner talk before writing. List the reasons on the board and compare them with the sample answer in the key.

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Energy Waves Earth's Processes Structure and Function Moon Phases Water Cycle Food Chains Parts of a Flower Rock Cycle Skeletal System Conductors and Insulators

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