Nonrenewable Energy Resources Complete Lesson Plan - MS

This complete unit provides middle school teachers with everything needed to teach the advantages and disadvantages of nonrenewable energy resources. Students investigate resource use, environmental impacts, and real-world tradeoffs while practicing skills such as research, critical thinking, and debate. The lesson includes editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, a differentiated station lab, and assessments. Designed for multiday instruction with minimal prep, it emphasizes student-led, differentiated learning so teachers can focus on guiding student success.

Essential Questions for Students

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of nonrenewable energy resources?

• How can my research findings be presented in a debate format?

Note for Texas teachers: This lesson aligns with the 2017 TEKS.

Key Features

• Differentiated supports for students needing remediation or enrichment

• Multimodal learning opportunities to sustain engagement

• Flexible implementation—resources are provided in both printable and digital formats

• Editable PowerPoints for teacher customization

• Spanish translations of vocabulary, a station lab reading passage, and interactive notebook pages

Instructional Framework: The 5E Model

This resource follows the 5E instructional model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate—balancing inquiry, guided practice, and assessment.

Engage

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

• Teacher file with discussion prompts, classroom activity ideas, and common misconceptions

Explore

• A nine-station, student-led lab introduces nonrenewable resources in varied, multimodal ways

Input Stations:

• Explore It! – Hands-on demonstration or experiment

• Read It! – Differentiated reading passages (English & Spanish) with comprehension checks

• Research It! – Guided online activity with structured tasks

• Watch It! – Short video with discussion prompts

Output Stations:

• Organize It! – Sorting and categorization activities (printable and digital)

• Write It! – Open-ended responses in complete sentences

• Illustrate It! – Sketching/drawing to reinforce learning

• Assess It! – Vocabulary-in-context and mastery questions

Bonus Station:

• Challenge It! – Extension tasks such as puzzles, games, and mini-projects for early finishers or enrichment

Explain

• Editable PowerPoints in both standard and interactive versions

• Interactive Notebook templates (digital & print, English & Spanish)

• Guided note-taking templates

Elaborate

• Student-choice projects on nonrenewable resources to extend learning in class or at home

Evaluate

• Assessments updated for STAAR 2.0, available in standard and modified versions

• Review worksheets and discussion questions for homework, practice, or test prep

Flexible Learning Options

This lesson is designed for both in-person and virtual classrooms. The digital station lab and interactive notebook activities are fully compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides, making them simple to integrate into blended or online instruction.

This is a finished product; it will be updated with formatting or corrections as needed. Future improvements and new features will be sold as a separate product.