Grade 4 · Science · Earth science

4th Grade Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources worksheets

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Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

Grade 4 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the answer.

1.
Why do engineers often combine solar panels with batteries?
- batteries make sunlight stronger
- batteries store daytime energy for use at night
- batteries let panels work without any sunlight ever
- batteries turn panels into coal plants
2.
A town cuts down a forest for firewood and does not replant. What happens to this resource?
- it becomes a fossil fuel right away
- it turns into a nonrenewable mineral
- it is replaced faster than it is used
- it is used up faster than it is replaced
3.
Which is a problem with burning coal?
- it puts smoke and pollution into the air
- it makes the wind stop blowing
- it uses up all the sunlight
- it makes rivers flow faster
4.
Which energy resource is renewable?
- wind
- natural gas
- oil
- coal
5.
A student says, "Natural gas is renewable because it burns cleaner than coal." What is wrong with this idea?
- natural gas actually burns dirtier than coal does
- natural gas forms again under the ground every year
- renewable means it is replaced quickly, not that it is cleaner
- coal is a renewable resource, so gas is not

4th Grade Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources worksheet 1 – printable PDF — Download PDF: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Renewable and nonrenewable resource questions ask students to connect energy and fuels to natural sources and environmental effects asks fourth graders to connect observations with an explanation, model, or design decision instead of choosing a fact from memory. Students may label a resource renewable just because people use it often, or nonrenewable because it is stored underground, without asking how quickly nature replaces it. This worksheet uses short investigations and evidence-based situations so students must read what happened, decide which science idea is being tested, and choose the answer that fits the title.

Students classify resources, identify sources and uses, compare environmental effects, and choose conservation or alternative-energy decisions. Support versions use familiar objects and direct wording. Standard and challenge versions add closer distractors, fair-test language, and multi-step evidence. Ask your child to point to the measurement, diagram, map, or observation before answering. If the choice does not explain the evidence in the prompt, it is probably a distractor. That habit keeps science reasoning tied to data rather than guesswork.

What your child will learn

Classify renewable and nonrenewable resources
Connect resources with their natural sources
Describe environmental effects of resource use
Choose conservation or alternative-energy options

NGSS standard: 4-ESS3-1

Worked example

Coal is nonrenewable because it forms very slowly, while sunlight is renewable because it is continually available from the Sun.

Common mistake

Calling any useful resource renewable without checking how quickly it is replaced.

Helpful hint

Ask whether nature replaces the resource on a human time scale.

Next skill: Design and Test a Solution Earlier: Natural Hazards

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with renewable and nonrenewable resources?

Calling any useful resource renewable without checking how quickly it is replaced.

How can I help my child with renewable and nonrenewable resources?

Ask whether nature replaces the resource on a human time scale.

Are these 4th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

More 4th grade earth science

See all earth science

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