Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Energy

Active learning helps students grasp the complex trade-offs between energy sources by making abstract concepts concrete. When they role-play a wind farm inquiry or simulate a power grid, they experience firsthand how energy decisions involve costs, benefits, and unintended consequences.

• Year 4
• Geography
• 3 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Classify energy sources as either renewable or non-renewable, providing at least two examples for each.
2. Explain the geographical factors influencing the placement of wind farms and solar power stations.
3. Compare the environmental advantages and disadvantages of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
4. Analyze how personal daily energy consumption contributes to broader environmental impacts.

Simulation Game

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Power Grid Game

Small groups are given a 'budget' of energy tokens. They must choose a mix of energy sources to power a city. They face 'events' (e.g., a cloudy day or a coal shortage) and must see if their grid can cope.

Prepare & details

Explain the geographical reasons for locating wind farms in coastal or upland areas.

Facilitation Tip: During the Power Grid Game, circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'What happens if demand suddenly increases?' to push students to think strategically.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Role Play

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Role Play: The Wind Farm Inquiry

Students act as a green energy company, a local birdwatcher, and a homeowner. They must debate whether to build a new wind farm on a nearby hill, considering the need for clean energy versus the impact on the view and wildlife.

Prepare & details

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Facilitation Tip: For the Wind Farm Inquiry, assign roles clearly so students debate trade-offs from specific perspectives, such as local residents or wildlife advocates.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Energy Landscapes

Display photos of different energy sites (an oil rig, a coal mine, a solar farm, a dam). Students move in pairs to identify one way each site has changed the physical landscape around it.

Prepare & details

Analyze how daily energy use contributes to global climate change.

Facilitation Tip: In the Energy Landscapes Gallery Walk, post guiding questions at each station to focus observations on scale, location, and environmental impact.

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

Teach this topic by balancing facts with perspective-taking. Start with clear definitions, then use role play or simulations to reveal the human and environmental costs of energy choices. Avoid oversimplifying by presenting renewables as flawless; instead, use real-world examples to show that every option has trade-offs. Research shows students retain more when they engage emotionally and intellectually with the material.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students will confidently distinguish renewable from non-renewable energy and explain the geographical impacts of each. They will also practice weighing environmental, economic, and social factors in energy choices.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Wind Farm Inquiry, watch for students assuming renewables have no negative effects.

What to Teach Instead

Use the role-play debrief to redirect their attention to the trade-off cards, asking them to share specific local impacts they identified during the debate.

Common Misconception

During the Power Grid Game, watch for students confusing electricity with natural resources like coal or wind.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the simulation to ask, 'What exactly is flowing in the wires?' and have them trace energy from source to generator to the grid, using the game’s visual cues.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After the Power Grid Game, present students with images of energy sources and ask them to label each as renewable or non-renewable and cite one geographical or environmental trade-off.

Discussion Prompt

During the Wind Farm Inquiry debrief, pose the question, 'Where did your group agree and disagree, and why?' to assess their ability to weigh pros and cons based on the role-play evidence.

Exit Ticket

After the Energy Landscapes Gallery Walk, ask students to write one thing they learned about energy landscapes and one question they still have about renewable energy trade-offs.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to design a hybrid energy system for their school that balances renewable sources with local constraints.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters for the Wind Farm Inquiry debate, such as, 'One advantage of placing turbines here is...'
• Deeper exploration: Have students research a country’s energy mix and present how geography influences their choices.

Key Vocabulary

Renewable Energy	Energy generated from sources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as wind, sun, and water.
Non-Renewable Energy	Energy derived from finite resources that are consumed much faster than they are formed, like coal, oil, and natural gas.
Fossil Fuels	A group of non-renewable energy sources formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals, including coal, oil, and natural gas.
Wind Turbine	A device with large blades that rotate to capture wind energy and convert it into electricity.
Solar Panel	A device that converts sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic cells.