Oklahoma Science 4.ESS3.1

Science4th GradeEarth and Human Activity

The Standard

Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from renewable and non-renewable resources and how their uses affect the environment.

Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science (2026)

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students use information from two sources to identify where energy and fuels come from. They explain which sources nature replaces quickly and how using each source can affect land, air, or water.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can sort sunlight, wind, coal, and oil by whether nature replaces them quickly. They can use facts from two sources to explain that burning coal pollutes air and a solar farm can take up animal habitat.
Common Misconceptions: Students may say coal is renewable because more coal can be mined. They may assume solar panels cause no environmental changes because they do not burn fuel.
How to Assess It: Give students two cards: 'Coal takes millions of years to form, and burning it pollutes air' and 'Sunlight returns daily, and large solar farms can replace animal habitat.' Ask them to name the renewable and nonrenewable source and explain one environmental effect of each.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs picture cards of coal, oil, wind, and sunlight; have them sort by replacement time and add an air or land effect.
Ask, 'Can a solar farm affect wildlife even though it does not burn fuel?' Have students support answers with two reading cards.
Play a matching game with cards for oil, gasoline, coal, smoke, sunlight, and solar farms; partners explain each source-to-use-to-effect chain.
Show photos of the school roof and a cleared field; ask where solar panels could make electricity with less habitat loss.

Free download