Lesson Plan: Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources for Electricity Generation
Grade Level: Grade 4
Subject: Earth Science
Duration: 50 minutes

1. Learning Objectives  

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:  

1. Define and differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources.  
2. Identify examples of both types of resources used for electricity production.  
3. Gather, analyze, and use evidence to construct an argument about the benefits and drawbacks of renewable vs. nonrenewable energy.  
4. Communicate their arguments in both written and oral form, citing specific evidence.

2. Alignment to Standards  

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):

– 4-ESS3-1: Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and impact the environment.  

– 4-ESS3-2: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.  

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) – English Language Arts:

– CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1: Write opinion pieces that introduce a topic, state an opinion, supply reasons supported by facts and details, and provide a concluding statement.  

– CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; follow agreed-upon rules, and build on others’ talk to explore ideas.

3. Materials & Resources  

• Projector or Smartboard  
• Chart paper & markers  
• Resource cards (pictures and facts about coal, oil, solar, wind, hydro, and biomass)  
• Science journals or notebooks  
• “Resource Sort” worksheet (Activity WS1)  
• “Evidence Table” worksheet (Activity WS2)  
• “Argument Outline” worksheet (Assessment WS1)  
• “Energy Quiz” worksheet (Assessment WS2)  
• Exit ticket slips  
• Timer  
• Colored pencils or crayons  

4. Instructional Procedures

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Display two images: a coal plant chimney and a wind turbine.  
• Prompt: “What do you notice? What questions do you have about these images?”  
• Students discuss ideas with a partner (Think-Pair-Share).  
• Solicit 2–3 quick responses; record key words (e.g., “smoke,” “clean,” “wind,” “pollution”).

5. Vocabulary Words

• Renewable resources – can be replaced quickly
• Nonrenewable resources—cannot be replaced quickly
• Electricity—energy used to power lights, machines, and devices
• Energy source—where energy comes from

6. Lesson Proper (15 minutes)

         Direct Instruction:

• Define Renewable Energy Sources and Non Renewable energy sources and give examples. 
• Show a brief video clip (2–3 minutes) on how wind turbines and coal power plants work.  
• Show a comparison chart

7. Guided Practice (10 minutes)

• Sort the Resources: Cut and paste the resources at the correct column. 
• Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Energy: Look at the list of energy resources. Write each one under the correct column: renewable or nonrenewable. 

8. Independent Practice (10 minutes)

• Pros and Cons Table: Fill in at least 2 pros and 2 cons for each resource. Use facts from our activity, cards, or video 
• Fill in the Blanks: Read each sentence and fill in the blanks with the correct word from the Word Bank. 

9. Closure & Review (5 minutes)

• On a slip of paper, students answer: “Name one renewable and one nonrenewable resource and one reason we should use more renewable energy.”  

10. Assessment Methods

• True or False: Write T if the statement is True and F if it is False in the blank. 
• Classify the Energy Sources: Circle the correct answer. 

11. Differentiation Strategies

Language Learners 

• Provide sentence starters and bilingual vocabulary cards; pair with a fluent peer 

Struggling Writers   

• Graphic organizers; allow drawing diagrams; scribe support

Advanced Learners   

• Offer extension: research a local renewable energy project and present findings 

Kinesthetic Learners 

• Use the resource-card relay race for the sorting activity    

Visual Learners      

• Color-code pros/cons on the evidence table; watch video  

12. Lesson Timeline

Introduction Video

PowerPoint Lesson

Worksheet