Natural resources

Science · Weather & Climate · ages 9-10

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which energy source is renewable?
- Oil
- Wind
- Coal
Which of these is a natural resource used to make energy?
- Coal
- Plastic bottle
- Bicycle
Coal, oil, and gas are natural resources that come from under the ground.
Circle one: True False
Which pair correctly matches renewable and non-renewable resources?
- Renewable: sun, wind; Non-renewable: coal, oil
- Renewable: coal, oil; Non-renewable: sun, wind
- Renewable: coal, sun; Non-renewable: oil, wind
A power plant burns coal to make electricity for a town. What might this do to the environment?
- Nothing changes
- It makes the air cleaner
- It can pollute the air and harm habitats
A family used 3 non-renewable resources (coal, oil, gas) and 2 renewable resources (wind, sun) this month. How many resources did they use in total?
Answer: ______________
A power company wants to build a wind farm instead of a coal plant. Why might this choice help the environment?
- Wind farms use more non-renewable resources
- Wind farms have no benefit over coal plants
- Wind farms use a renewable resource that produces less pollution than burning coal
Jay says burning gasoline in cars has no effect on the environment since gas comes from nature. What is wrong with Jay's thinking?
- Nothing is wrong, natural resources never cause pollution
- Even though gas is natural, burning it still releases pollution that affects air and climate
- Gasoline isn't a natural resource

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Wind · Wind keeps blowing and never runs out, so it's renewable. Oil and coal are non-renewable.
Coal · Coal comes from the ground and is burned to make energy. Plastic bottles and bicycles are made by people, not natural resources.
True · These fuels formed underground over millions of years.
Renewable: sun, wind; Non-renewable: coal, oil · Sun and wind keep coming back, but coal and oil don't renew once they're used up.
It can pollute the air and harm habitats · Burning coal releases smoke and gases that can pollute the air and hurt animal homes.
5 · Add the two groups together: 3 non-renewable plus 2 renewable makes 5 resources.
Wind farms use a renewable resource that produces less pollution than burning coal · Wind is renewable and doesn't release the pollution that comes from burning coal.
Even though gas is natural, burning it still releases pollution that affects air and climate · Coming from nature doesn't mean pollution-free. Burning fossil fuels like gasoline still releases gases that affect the air and climate.