A bar graph for a made-up place called Sunnyville State fills page 1 of this 3-page 4th grade science sheet. Its five bars show natural gas at 40%, coal at 20%, wind at 20%, solar at 10% and hydroelectric at 10%, on an axis from 0 to 50. Page 2 has six questions that read single bars, add the renewable bars and the nonrenewable bars, find a difference of 10 and ask what could replace coal. The answer key shows each sum.
“Read a bar graph and answer questions from it.”
Questions 1, 2 and 5 take values straight from the bars.
“Add the percents for renewable and for nonrenewable sources and check that they make 100%.”
Questions 3 and 4 give 40% and 60%.
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 graph splits one state's electricity between natural gas, coal, wind, solar and hydroelectric, and question 6 asks what could replace coal.
A graph titled Electricity Sources in Sunnyville State. The vertical axis shows percent of electricity from 0 to 50 in steps of 10.
Questions 1 to 5 have answer boxes: the biggest source, the percent from coal, the total percent from wind, solar and hydroelectric, the total percent from natural gas and coal, and how much more wind gives than solar. Question 6 has lines to explain what could replace the coal plants.
All six answers with the sums shown, such as 20% wind + 10% solar + 10% hydroelectric = 40%, and a sample answer for question 6.
Keep the graph in view
The graph and the questions are on separate pages, so give each student page 1 to keep beside page 2, or show the graph on the board.
Check the totals
Ask students to write the sums beside questions 3 and 4. The two totals must make 100%, which lets partners check each other.
Replace the coal
Take question 6 as a class talk. The sample answer names wind, solar and hydroelectric, but some students will say natural gas. Ask what that does to the 60% nonrenewable total.
Get started today
