Pros and Cons of Energy Sources

This worksheet helps students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 examine major energy sources through structured evaluation and explanatory writing. Learners analyze renewable and nonrenewable energy options by identifying advantages and disadvantages related to cost, availability, pollution, climate impact, and human needs while practicing scientific reasoning, organization, and clear written expression.

Learning Goals

• Energy Trade-Off Evaluation (Grades 4-6) – Students assess benefits and drawbacks of solar, wind, hydropower, coal, oil, natural gas, biomass, and geothermal energy.
• Environmental Impact Awareness – Learners consider how different energy choices influence pollution levels and climate outcomes.
• Explanatory Writing Skills – Students write complete sentences explaining at least one pro and one con for each energy source.
• Informed Decision-Making – A reflection question encourages students to justify which energy type may be most important for the future.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper-elementary environmental science standards.
• Deep Thinking Focus – Moves beyond identification to analysis and evaluation of real-world energy choices.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Works well for independent practice, partner work, small groups, or science notebooks.
• Supports Diverse Learners – Structured prompts guide responses while allowing for varied levels of detail.

This pros and cons energy worksheet helps students strengthen science literacy, critical thinking, and written explanation by weighing real-world energy trade-offs. By analyzing how energy sources affect pollution, climate, and human needs, students develop a clearer understanding of sustainability and resource use. Whether used in a classroom or homeschool setting, this printable resource provides meaningful, low-prep practice that supports thoughtful environmental decision-making.

This worksheet is part of our Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Sources Worksheets collection.