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PlayOwl

Science · Grade 4

Natural Resources and Engineering Tradeoffs

Where does the energy for our lights and buses come from? Learners trace energy and fuels back to natural resources, sort them into renewable and nonrenewable, and combine information about how getting and using each resource affects the environment. Then, as engineers for a fictional town, they compare energy options in a decision table and recommend a plan that balances criteria, constraints and tradeoffs.

  • 3 lessons
  • About 100 minutes
  • Resources and tradeoffs check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, match pairs, type a number, put in order, sort into groups and true or false
See plans Included with Family, Teacher and School plans. Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Describe that energy and fuels come from natural resources, and classify resources as renewable or nonrenewable.
  • Combine information to describe how obtaining and using energy resources affects the environment.
  • Compare energy solutions using criteria, constraints and tradeoffs, and recommend a choice with evidence.

Lessons

  1. Energy comes from natural resources 4 steps2 practiceabout 30 min
  2. Effects on the environment 5 steps3 practiceabout 32 min
  3. Choosing energy: tradeoffs 8 steps4 practiceabout 38 min
  4. Resources and tradeoffs check 9 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Marble MountainLay straights, curves, drops and splitters to roll marbles down the mountain.
  • Bridge LabBuild a bridge from beams, brace it with triangles, and stay on budget.
  • Circuit Workshop 3DWire up batteries, bulbs and switches on a 3D workbench.

More 4th grade science

Guide for grown-ups