Lindsey Pearlstein

TEKS Part III: Lesson Plan

The Science Concept TEK I am working with is Grade 4 TEK 7(C): identify and classify

Earth's renewable resources, including air, plants, water, and animals; and nonrenewable

resources, including coal, oil, and natural gas; and the importance of conservation. To help teach

this, I am using the Science Process TEK: Science Investigation and Reasoning Grade 4 TEK

3(A): analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical

reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, including examining all sides of scientific

evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student. By

the end of the lesson, students will be able to think critically about what makes a resource

renewable or non-renewable. They should be able to both identify and classify these resources

using scientific problem solving, in order to make these decisions. Throughout the lesson,

students will investigate conservation, so that they learn its importance, themselves. At the end,

students will form groups and create posters encompassing all they have learned. This should

ensure that each and every student learns all of these objectives.

In preparation for the lesson, a teacher should have a background in biology and earth

science. From Hands-on-Science, one should review the past events before the formation of the

Earths resources. One should look back at plate tectonics in order to provide extra background

knowledge in the discussion. Also, one should look back to NSC 306L to review the properties

of life, compartments of living organisms, and resources. Additionally, one should start reducing,

reusing and recycling in the classroom to stress their importance. Also, they should do this so the

children will already be familiar with helping the environment and can use this to further explain

conservation and resources, as the lesson will delve deeper into the reasoning behind this.
 Through my research, I have learned that many children, including fourth-graders,

believe the Earth has unlimited resources. This error is common and is part of the reason for this

TEK. The teacher should begin the lesson by asking the students if they know what renewable

and nonrenewable resources are and if they can provide any examples. After this discussion, a

teacher should provide the definition of renewable and nonrenewable resources, but not mention

their importance just yet. Teachers should bring in various materials that are both renewable and

nonrenewable and students should fill out the sheet provided in Appendix A (answer sheet is

below for teachers use). Teachers should be sure to mention oil and natural gas, as they are not

included on the sheet, but included in the TEK. For any materials listed that are impossible to

bring in, such as an animal, the teacher should simply replace the actual item with a picture of

the item. Students will analyze and evaluate these items to see if they believe they are renewable

or nonrenewable and provide logical reasoning. After their investigation, the teacher will bring

the students back for another discussion. This time, the teacher will ask students to define

renewable and nonrenewable resources in their own words. Students will likely say that

renewable can be used again and nonrenewable cannot be used again. The teacher should then

ask why this is important to note. Students will likely respond that they should care more about

the resources that cannot be used again, or the Earth will not have any left. Next, the teacher will

ask students to take this a step further and using their logical reasoning, form groups to create

posters. These posters will explain why they must use conservation to prevent the exhaustion of

these resources. On the posters, students will include the main reason they believe conservation

is important, two ways to teach others about resources and conservation, and three ways to

conserve resources. After the students present their posters to the class, the teacher will put them
up around the school to teach other students about resources and send a message about

conservation.

After the lesson, students should be able to talk about resources in terms of renewable

versus nonrenewable the importance of conservation. They will have developed their critical

thinking and logical reasoning skills and be prepared for more scientific explorations and

explanations. They will a greater vocabulary to be able to discuss resources and also know how

to advocate for conservation, as they will understand the importance of conservation.

Appendix A
Source:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ve
d=0ahUKEwjBhZnou7bJAhWJGT4KHesXAHkQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bsisd
.esc18.net%2Fdocuments%2FLesson%2520Ideas%2FLESSONS%2520%26%2520RESOURCE
S%2FSCIENCE%2F4th%2520Gr%2FScience_Grade_04_Unit_05_Exemplar_Lesson_01__Inve
stigating_the_Earth%27s_Resources.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGP19x57-S950A3dYa-
VTALkjCwGg&sig2=oA_giNjxO6s6oX5q28GOBg&bvm=bv.108194040,d.cWw

Bibliography

http://zunal.com/teacherspage.php?w=118603

http://sisddlc.wikispaces.com/4.7C+Renewable+and+Non-re-newable+Resources-+Science
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ve
d=0ahUKEwjU9MPNqbbJAhVJND4KHXwCD4kQFggeMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.esc
7.net%2Fdocs%2F10-Grade%25204%2520Unit%25205_TD_blue.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFT-aVZ-
Gho8zZd-acQBjz4rpi-Bg&sig2=wYjzcpCfYQs2lsnZVHH0qQ

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ve
d=0ahUKEwjU9MPNqbbJAhVJND4KHXwCD4kQFgguMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ali
efisd.net%2Fdownload.axd%3Ffile%3D71505679-ca7d-4ba2-a0f2-
6284fdb357d0%26dnldType%3DResource&usg=AFQjCNFMt0oHvag8xanHcRvon_xBqEW_H
w&sig2=8MawPYQq93z4HUy7Ku82Gw
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ve
d=0ahUKEwjBhZnou7bJAhWJGT4KHesXAHkQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bsisd
.esc18.net%2Fdocuments%2FLesson%2520Ideas%2FLESSONS%2520%26%2520RESOURCE
S%2FSCIENCE%2F4th%2520Gr%2FScience_Grade_04_Unit_05_Exemplar_Lesson_01__Inve
stigating_the_Earth%27s_Resources.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGP19x57-S950A3dYa-
VTALkjCwGg&sig2=oA_giNjxO6s6oX5q28GOBg&bvm=bv.108194040,d.cWw