Natural Resources – Writing Prompts

Are you looking for a way to integrate science and writing? These two subjects go hand in hand, particularly if students are learning about informative or persuasive writing. Teach Starter has created a set of journal task cards that will help your students sharpen their composite skills while articulating their thoughts about renewable and nonrenewable resources. Students will respond to prompts such as:

🌱 Soil is created by the decomposition and nutrient recycling processes; this takes thousands of years. 

Why do you think soil is considered nonrenewable while plants are considered renewable? 

☀️ You have recently joined the local clean energy committee. At your first meeting, the topic of discussion is which type of clean energy your city should consider: solar or wind. 

State your opinion and explain why you chose the energy type that you did. 

Consider using these journal task cards individually or allow students to choose a few to complete. Each of the 24 task cards comes with a different prompt to encourage students to think critically about a given scenario. With each journal task card, students should state their opinion, give 2-3 reasons or details, and check their response for proper punctuation and grammar. 

These journal task cards should be used for students to engage in deep thinking about renewable and nonrenewable resources in specific scenarios.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your science lessons.

In addition to individual student work time, use this set of task cards to enhance learning through guided science groups, whole class lessons, or remote learning assignments. 

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

For students who need additional support, invite them to share their answers verbally instead of writing them down.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

If there are students who need an additional challenge, encourage them to write additional paragraphs for their topic or complete additional journal task cards. Students can also create an infographic or comic to accompany their journal response.

👋 Exit Ticket 

Use these cards as a formative assessment after your lesson. Pick a random assortment of cards and project them on the board for the whole class to see. Students can record their answers on a sheet of paper, sticky note, or their notebook. 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or editable Google Slides version of this resource. 

Print on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

To keep the task cards out of pockets or under desks, punch a hole in the corner of each to place them on a binder ring. 

This resource was created by Kaylyn Chupp, a teacher in Florida and Teach Starter Collaborator.

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:  

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Natural Resources – Exit Tickets

Assess student understanding of natural resources with this set of exit tickets.

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Natural Resources Mini Book

Learn about natural resources with this printable mini book.

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Natural Resources Task Cards

Answer questions about natural resources and their uses with this set of 16 task cards.