Science · 6th Grade

Active learning ideas

Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources

Active learning helps students grasp the finite nature of non-renewable resources and the limits of renewable ones by making abstract concepts tangible. Hands-on simulations and debates engage students in the trade-offs of resource use, which builds critical thinking about sustainability and environmental impact.

• Common Core State Standards
• MS-ESS3-1

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Individual

Simulation Game: The Cookie Mining Lab

Students 'mine' chocolate chips out of a cookie using toothpicks. They must pay for 'tools' and 'land reclamation' (fixing the cookie), seeing firsthand how difficult it is to extract resources without damaging the environment.

Differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources with examples.

Facilitation Tip

During the Cookie Mining Lab, circulate with a timer to ensure students experience the pressure of finite resources firsthand.

What to look for

Present students with a list of resources (e.g., solar power, coal, trees, natural gas, wind, diamonds). Ask them to categorize each as renewable or non-renewable on a worksheet and write one sentence explaining their choice for at least three items.

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

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 50 min · Small Groups

Formal Debate: Energy Trade-offs

Groups are assigned an energy source (coal, solar, nuclear, wind). They must research the pros and cons and debate which source should be the primary focus for a new 'green city' based on cost and reliability.

Explain why some resources are considered non-renewable while others are not.

Facilitation Tip

For the Energy Trade-offs Debate, assign roles clearly so students must research and defend specific perspectives on resource use.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine your town needs more electricity. What are the environmental pros and cons of building a new coal power plant versus a new solar farm?' Facilitate a class discussion, guiding students to consider resource availability, pollution, and land use.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Renewable vs. Non-renewable

Students are given a list of items (a plastic bottle, a wooden chair, a gasoline car). They discuss with a partner which resources were used to make them and if those resources can be easily replaced.

Analyze the environmental impact of extracting fossil fuels.

Facilitation Tip

Use the Think-Pair-Share to slow down the discussion and give quieter students time to process the differences between resource types before sharing.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one non-renewable resource and describe one specific environmental problem associated with its extraction or use. Then, have them name one renewable resource and explain why it is considered renewable.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by emphasizing the importance of systems thinking. Avoid oversimplifying renewable resources as always 'good' or non-renewable as always 'bad,' as both categories have nuanced environmental impacts. Research shows that students better retain concepts when they experience the consequences of resource depletion through simulations and debates, rather than through lectures alone.

Successful learning is visible when students can distinguish renewable from non-renewable resources and explain the environmental consequences of their extraction and use. They should also articulate trade-offs in energy production and recognize that renewable does not mean unlimited.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Cookie Mining Lab, watch for students who assume the 'cookie mines' can provide unlimited chocolate chips or that the mining process has no limits.

  Use the lab debrief to emphasize that even renewable chocolate (cocoa beans) requires sustainable farming practices, and overharvesting can deplete soil or require more land, just as over-mining can.

• During the Energy Trade-offs Debate, listen for students who claim all 'natural' energy sources (like coal) are worse than all synthetic or processed ones (like solar panels) without considering the full lifecycle impact.

  Guide students to reference the resource-intensive processes of extracting and manufacturing solar panels or batteries during the debate, using their analyses to challenge oversimplified claims.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Formal Debate
• Think-Pair-Share