Exploring Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources

Learning Objective

Total Time: 1 minute

Students will be able to identify and classify examples of renewable and non-renewable resources.

Assessments

Total Time: 1 minute

Students will participate in a group presentation where they classify resources as renewable or non-renewable, demonstrating their understanding through discussion.

Key Points

Total Time: 2 minutes

Renewable Resources: Natural resources that can be replenished, such as solar energy, wind energy, and timber.
Non-Renewable Resources: Resources that cannot be readily replaced, like fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and minerals.
Environmental Impact: Understanding how resource use affects our planet.

Opening

Total Time: 3 minutes

• Start with a quick interactive poll: Ask students to raise their hands if they think resources like sunlight and water can run out.
• Briefly discuss the responses to gauge their understanding.
• Show a short video (1 minute) introducing renewable and non-renewable resources.

Introduction to New Material

Total Time: 3 minutes

• Present a simple visual chart on the board with two columns: Renewable Resources vs. Non-Renewable Resources.
• Call on students to provide examples they think belong under each category.
• Clarify any misconceptions during this discussion.

Guided Practice

Total Time: 5 minutes

• Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
• Give each group a set of cards with different resources (e.g., sunlight, coal, wind, oil, etc.).
• Students will work together to classify the resources into renewable or non-renewable and share their reasoning with their group.

Independent Practice

Total Time: 3 minutes

• Each student will select one resource from their group's list and draw a simple illustration of it along with a sentence explaining why it's classified as renewable or non-renewable.

Closing

Total Time: 2 minutes

• Each group will quickly share their classified resources with the class, summarizing any interesting findings or debates that arose during their discussion.

Extension Activity

Total Time: 1 minute

• For extra engagement, challenge students to come up with an idea for a new renewable resource or an innovative way to use a non-renewable resource sustainably.

Homework

Total Time: 1 minute

• Students will complete a worksheet identifying five renewable and five non-renewable resources found in their own home or community, including a brief explanation.

Standards Aligned

Total Time: 1 minute

• This lesson aligns with ICSE standards by engaging students in practical learning and critical thinking about environmental issues.