Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources

Students need to move beyond simple labels of 'good' or 'bad' energy sources to understand the real trade-offs involved in energy decisions. Active learning helps them analyze costs, environmental impacts, and practical constraints using hands-on materials and real-world contexts. When students build models or debate scenarios, they can see how theoretical concepts connect to actual energy systems in Ontario and beyond.

• Grade 4
• Science
• 3 activities
• 35 min–90 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare the environmental impacts of renewable and non-renewable energy sources on local ecosystems.
2. Explain why some energy sources are finite while others are naturally replenished.
3. Analyze how community energy consumption patterns affect air and water quality in Ontario.
4. Evaluate the suitability of different energy sources for a specific community's needs and resources.
5. Identify Indigenous perspectives on resource stewardship and their relevance to sustainable energy use.

Formal Debate

⏱ 60 min·Whole Class

Formal Debate: The Energy Mix

The class is divided into groups representing different energy sources. They must research the pros and cons of their source (cost, environment, reliability) and debate which combination is best for a new town in Northern Ontario.

Prepare & details

Evaluate which energy source is best for a specific community.

Facilitation Tip: Before the debate, assign roles (e.g., economist, environmentalist, Indigenous leader) and require students to prepare 2-3 evidence-based points using the provided data on Ontario’s energy mix.

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 90 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Solar Oven Design

Groups use pizza boxes, foil, and plastic wrap to build a solar oven. They test how well it can melt a marshmallow and discuss the variables that affected its 'energy efficiency.'

Prepare & details

Explain what causes some energy sources to run out while others do not.

Facilitation Tip: For the solar oven challenge, provide exact material limits (e.g., only 10 sheets of aluminum foil per group) to push students to problem-solve within constraints.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 35 min·Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Energy Around the World

Students create posters showing how different countries or regions (like Quebec's hydro dams or Alberta's oil sands) get their energy. They walk around and identify which sources are renewable and which are not.

Prepare & details

Analyze how the way we use energy impacts the air and water around us.

Facilitation Tip: During the gallery walk, post a blank world map on a wall and have students physically move sticky notes to mark energy hotspots, creating a visual reference for global energy patterns.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should avoid oversimplifying renewable energy as 'always better' or framing non-renewables as 'evil.' Instead, use Ontario-specific examples to ground discussions in local reality, where nuclear and hydro power dominate but still have trade-offs like waste storage or dam impacts. Research shows students grasp sustainability better when they analyze real data sets (e.g., Ontario Energy Board reports) rather than abstract definitions. Always connect abstract concepts to tangible impacts students can observe, like air quality near a highway or the cost of heating their homes.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students should be able to explain why energy choices matter, describe the environmental and economic trade-offs of renewable and non-renewable sources, and evaluate Ontario’s energy mix with evidence. They should also recognize that 'clean' energy isn’t without costs, and that resource availability shapes policy decisions in their own province.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Collaborative Investigation: Solar Oven Design, watch for students assuming the oven has no costs or environmental impacts because the fuel (sunlight) is free.

What to Teach Instead

Ask groups to list every material in their design and assign a hypothetical cost to each, then discuss where those materials come from (e.g., mining for aluminum). Use this to redirect toward 'trade-offs' by comparing their solar oven’s environmental footprint to a store-bought electric oven powered by Ontario’s grid mix.

Common Misconception

During the Structured Debate: The Energy Mix, watch for students arguing that non-renewable resources will last forever because they are 'plentiful' or 'still available'.

What to Teach Instead

Introduce a 'resource depletion' simulation using a bowl of beads (e.g., 100 beads = total resource, remove 10 beads per turn). Have students track how quickly the 'resource' is used up compared to its renewal rate, and connect this to the millions of years required to form fossil fuels.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After introducing the topic, show students images of different energy sources and ask them to sort these into two columns: 'Renewable' and 'Non-Renewable'. Have them write one sentence explaining their choice for one item in each column, then collect responses to identify patterns in their reasoning.

Discussion Prompt

During the Structured Debate: The Energy Mix, assign students to small groups to discuss the prompt: 'Imagine our school needs a new energy source. What are two pros and two cons of using solar panels versus natural gas for our school?' Require each group to share one key point during the debrief, and listen for evidence of environmental impact, cost, and reliability.

Exit Ticket

After the Collaborative Investigation: Solar Oven Design, ask students to write one sentence explaining why the 'Seven Generations' principle is important when choosing energy sources, and one sentence describing a specific way energy use affects air or water quality in their local community.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to research and present a 3-minute pitch for a new energy project in Ontario, including a cost-benefit analysis and community impact statement.
• For students struggling with the solar oven activity, provide pre-measured templates for the box dimensions and a simplified equation for calculating heat gain (e.g., temperature rise = 0.5°C per minute of sunlight exposure).
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare historical energy data from Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to current trends, identifying shifts in energy source reliance over the past 20 years.

Key Vocabulary

Renewable Resource	An energy source that can be naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as solar, wind, or hydro power.
Non-Renewable Resource	An energy source that exists in finite quantities and is consumed much faster than it can be formed, like coal, oil, and natural gas.
Environmental Impact	The effect of human activities on the natural environment, including changes to air, water, land, and living organisms.
Energy Mix	The combination of different energy sources a region or country uses to meet its energy demands.