Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources Teaching Resources
Teach your students all about renewable and nonrenewable resources this school year with printable worksheets, activities, vocabulary guides and more created by teachers for your elementary science lessons.
Aligned to the NGSS, this collection of teaching resources has been created with differentiated options and editable versions to make your lesson plans easier to create and save you time! Each resource in this collection has been thoroughly reviewed by a member of the Teach Starter teacher team to ensure it's ready for your lesson planning and your students.
New to teaching this section of the elementary science curriculum or looking for fresh ideas to explain the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources and why these are so important? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Are Natural Resources? A Kid-Friendly Definition
In order to explain renewable and nonrenewable and the differences between them, students first need to understand what it means to have a natural resource. Here's a natural resources definition to share with your students:
Natural resources are materials or substances that are naturally occurring in the environment and are valuable to humans for their economic, environmental, or cultural benefits. These resources are generally classified into two categories — renewable and nonrenewable resources.
What Is a Renewable Resource?
Need a kid-friendly way to explain this concept? Try this one: A renewable resource is a natural resource that we can use over and over again without running out. It's sort of like having a cookie jar that never runs out of cookies. Only in this case, the "cookies" provide the energy we need for things like heating our homes and running the electrical items in our schools.
Sometimes renewable resources will be regenerated naturally, while others require human intervention (for example, tree planting replenishes the supply of wood but requires people to do some work!).
What Are Some Examples of Renewable Resources?
Some examples of renewable resources include:
- Sun — The sun is one of the most abundant renewable resources in the US, and it is used to create energy with the help of solar panels.
- Wind — Wind turbines harness this renewable resource, generating electricity as gusts of wind move through them.
- Water — Hydroelectric dams are often used to create energy with this renewable resource.
What Is a Non-Renewable Resource? A Kid-Friendly Definition
As the prefix "non" would indicate, nonrenewable resources are essentially the opposite of the renewable type. These natural resources used to create energy cannot be easily replenished or replaced.
Some may be used up entirely over time, and once they're gone, they will be gone for good. Others may come back, but the time it takes to come back is so long that it won't happen for thousands or even millions of years, which means we will run out too quickly.
Many nonrenewable resources create other issues, such as the harm that burning fossil fuels represents to the environment. Nonrenewable resources are often considered unsustainable, and their use is a major contributor to environmental degradation, climate change, and other global issues.
What Are Some Examples of Nonrenewable Resources?
Some examples of nonrenewable resources that you can share with your students include:
- Fossil fuels — Nonrenewable fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas are used for electricity and heat but would take millions of years to regenerate.
- Minerals — Gold, silver and copper are all minerals that are mined for use in electronics, jewelry and more, but they won't just replenish naturally.
Renewable Energy vs. Non-Renewable Energy — What's the Difference?
Many of the resources we have are tied to the energy we use to power our houses, our cars and more. We classify these energy types as either renewable energy or non-renewable energy.
So what's the difference? Let's look at a breakdown you can share with students.
Renewable Energy
The energy that comes from natural resources that can be replenished over a relatively short period of time is called renewable energy.
Types of renewable energy include:
- Solar
- Wind
- Geothermal
- Biomass
Non-Renewable Energy
Non-renewable energy is energy that is produced with finite resources that cannot be easily replenished.
Sources of non-renewable energy include:
- Coal
- Oil
- Natural gas
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Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources Crossword Puzzle
Reinforce science vocabulary with a renewable and nonrenewable resources crossword puzzle.
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Natural Resources Mini Book
Learn about natural resources with this printable mini book.
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Recycling Craftivity - We Recycle Because...
Write about why we recycle and create this recycling craft to display in the classroom.
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Match It Up! Natural Resources – Worksheet
Match natural resources with how they are used with the help of this worksheet.
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Conservation T-Shirt Challenge
An engaging, creative task where students design their own t-shirt promoting the conservation of the Amazon rainforest.
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What Can Be Recycled? Poster
A poster showing the products that can be recycled.
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Water Conservation Foldable
Display different ways to save water with this water conservation foldable.
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Deforestation-Infographic Analysis Activity
Read and understand an infographic about Deforestation with a thought-provoking poster and comprehension questions.
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Renewable or Nonrenewable? Earth's Resources Task Cards
Identify natural resources and Earth’s energy sources with a set of 24 renewable and nonrenewable resource task cards.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Earth Day Foldables
Display different ways to conserve resources with a set of fun recycling–based foldable interactive notebook templates.
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Helping the Earth Flipbook - Primary
Use this printable recycling flipbook with your students to teach them about ways to help Earth.
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Recycling Writing Prompts - Earth Day Worksheets
Differentiate writing instruction in primary grades with informational writing prompts about recycling and conservation.
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Reduce Reuse Recycle! - Printable Earth Day Read-Alouds
Teach your students to reduce, reuse, and recycle with a printable 3 Rs Mini-Book.
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How to Reduce Waste - School Lunch Project
Investigate the waste produced from school lunches and create a plan of action to reduce waste with a school lunch waste analysis project.
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Sustainability Activity - Caring for the Environment Sort
Promote sustainable living with a sustainability sorting activity.
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What Can We Recycle? Cut and Paste Worksheet
Remember what to recycle with a cut-and-paste worksheet.
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To Your Tap - Water Poster
Display the process that water goes through to get to your tap with a printable poster.
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Being Water Wise - Saving Water Poster Project
Learn and demonstrate knowledge about water conservation with a "Being Water Wise" poster project.
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The World Without Water – Natural Resource Worksheet
Imagine and depict what a world without water would look like with a drawing prompt worksheet.
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Water Use Timeline Worksheet
Observe and explore the ways water is used throughout the day with a printable water timeline worksheet.
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To Your Tap - Water Worksheet
Identify the places where water travels before entering homes with a vocabulary-matching worksheet.
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Water is Life Resource Pack
Discover the world of water with a 15-page resource pack of posters, worksheets, and activities for teaching about how we use water and where it comes from.
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Natural and Processed Materials – Earth's Resources Slide Deck
Discuss processed and natural materials and their differences with an instructional slide deck.
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Comparing Energy Sources Worksheet & Graphic Organizer
Compare and contrast different types of renewable energy sources with a printable graphic organizer.
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How Can We Help Our Planet Mini Book
Make an Earth Day mini book that your students can complete to explain how they can help the planet.
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My Promise to the Earth - Flipbook Template
Make a promise to protect the planet with a printable Earth Day flip book.
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Great Barrier Reef - Comprehension and Note Taking Worksheet
Learn about The Great Barrier Reef with a comprehension and note-taking activity.
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Recycling Writing Prompts - Primary
Show off your procedural writing skills with a pack of recycling writing prompts.
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How to Build an Earthworm House Project
Learn to build an earthworm house with a step-by-step instructional guide.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable Energy Worksheet
Discover the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy sources with a cut-and-paste sorting worksheet.
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How is Plastic Recycled? – Recycling Worksheets
Explore the process of recycling plastic with a printable recycling worksheet.
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Recycling Card Game - SNAP!
Use this card game to reinforce the correct containers to be used for recycling, composting, and discarding waste.
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources Worksheets
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources Posters
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources Templates
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources for Kindergarten
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources for 1st Grade
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources for 2nd Grade
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources for 3rd Grade
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources for 4th Grade
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources for 5th Grade
- Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources for 6th Grade