Social Studies · Grade 4

Active learning ideas

Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources

Active learning works for this topic because students need to physically interact with concepts to grasp the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources. Moving between stations, handling real or simulated materials, and collaborating on tasks makes abstract ideas concrete and memorable.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: People and Environments: Political and Physical Regions of Canada - Grade 4

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Four Corners
• 35 min · Small Groups

Sorting Stations: Resource Classification

Prepare stations with image cards of Canadian resources like trees, oil rigs, wind turbines, and coal mines. Small groups sort cards into renewable or non-renewable bins, justify choices with evidence from labels, then share one example per category with the class.

Differentiate between renewable and non-renewable natural resources.

Facilitation Tip

In Sorting Stations, place a mix of renewable and non-renewable examples in each bin so students must justify their choices before placing them on the chart.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 10 natural resources found in Canada. Ask them to write 'R' next to renewable resources and 'N' next to non-renewable resources. Then, ask them to choose one 'N' resource and explain why it is non-renewable in one sentence.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Four Corners
• 45 min · Pairs

Map It Out: Regional Resources

Provide blank Canada maps and resource lists tied to provinces. Pairs research and label two renewables and two non-renewables per region, add economic notes like 'oil exports jobs,' then gallery walk to compare maps.

Analyze how specific natural resources contribute to regional economies.

Facilitation Tip

For Map It Out, provide labeled resource cards and blank maps so students physically place where each resource comes from in Canada.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine a town in Saskatchewan relies almost entirely on potash mining (a non-renewable resource). What are two things that might happen to that town in 50 years if the potash runs out?' Encourage students to share their predictions and justify their reasoning.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Four Corners
• 25 min · Whole Class

Depletion Demo: Finite Supplies

Use candies or beans as non-renewable resources and seeds as renewables. Whole class extracts 'resources' from bowls over rounds, tracking depletion on charts, then discusses economic slowdowns as supplies dwindle.

Predict the long-term consequences of relying heavily on non-renewable resources.

Facilitation Tip

During Depletion Demo, use counters to represent extraction rates so students can see finite supplies dwindle visibly.

What to look for

On one side of a card, students draw a symbol representing a renewable resource and label it. On the other side, they draw a symbol for a non-renewable resource and label it. They must also write one sentence explaining how one of these resources is important to a specific Canadian region.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Four Corners
• 40 min · Small Groups

Economy Role-Play: Resource Reliance

Assign provinces to small groups with resource profiles. Groups present economic strengths and predict issues from non-renewable overuse, using props like toy factories, then vote on class sustainability pledges.

Differentiate between renewable and non-renewable natural resources.

Facilitation Tip

In Economy Role-Play, assign roles clearly and give each group a scenario card to ensure discussions stay focused on resource dependence.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 10 natural resources found in Canada. Ask them to write 'R' next to renewable resources and 'N' next to non-renewable resources. Then, ask them to choose one 'N' resource and explain why it is non-renewable in one sentence.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by starting with familiar examples before introducing less obvious cases like potash or nickel. Avoid overwhelming students with too many resources at once; instead, build understanding gradually. Research shows students grasp sustainability best when they see cause-and-effect relationships, so simulations and role-plays work better than lectures.

Successful learning looks like students accurately classifying resources by renewability, explaining regional dependencies, and demonstrating how resource scarcity affects communities. They should articulate why sustainable practices matter and connect resources to jobs and daily life in Canada.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sorting Stations, watch for students who assume all biological resources are renewable without considering overharvesting rates.

  Use the sorting activity to pause and ask groups to explain why fish might not be renewable if caught too quickly, then adjust their labels accordingly.

• During Sorting Stations, watch for students who label only fossil fuels as non-renewable.

  Include metallic minerals in the station and ask students to argue why a mineral like nickel fits the definition, then have peers add examples to the 'N' column.

• During Map It Out, watch for students who place resources evenly across Canada without considering local industries.

  Have students compare their maps in small groups and ask each member to explain why one region relies more on a specific resource, then revise their maps based on peer feedback.

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Methods used in this brief

• Four Corners