Science · Grade 4

Active learning ideas

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.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• 4-ESS3-1

• 35–90 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Present students with images of different energy sources (e.g., solar panel, coal mine, wind turbine, oil rig). Ask them to sort these into two columns: 'Renewable' and 'Non-Renewable', and briefly explain their reasoning for one item in each column.

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

Activity 02

• 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.'

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.

What to look for

Pose the question: '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?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to reference environmental impacts and resource availability.

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

Activity 03

• 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.

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.

What to look for

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.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• 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.

  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.

• 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'.

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Formal Debate
• Inquiry Circle
• Gallery Walk