Field Trip

Our field trip to Texas Discovery Gardens

Natural Resources Interactive Word Walls

Student generated interactive word walls for our unit on natural resources. 

Class Picture

Class Update

No spelling words this week!

Science test is on Wednesday!

No School on Friday!

Field trip is next Wednesday! 

Science Test on Wednesday

Earth Science Study Guide

Part 1: Rapid Changes to Earth’s Surface

The student is expected to identify and compare different landforms, including mountains, hills, valleys, and plains.

Key Concepts

• A landform is a natural geographic structure on the Earth’s surface.
• Landforms, including mountains, hills, valleys, and plains, have specific characteristics.
• Landforms can look very different but can be formed by similar processes.
• We can compare different landforms based on their characteristics.

Key Concept 1: A landform is a natural geographic structure on Earth’s surface.

Earth is constantly changing from forces that act above and below its surface. Students have explored rapid changes to geography, such as earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides, but the landforms in this Key Concept were all formed slowly over a long period of Earth’s geologic history. The forces that formed mountains, hills, valleys, and plains took millions of years to sculpt the surface of the Earth, which is still changing today.

Key Concept 2: Landforms, including mountains, hills, valleys, and plains, have specific characteristics.

Features on Earth range in elevation from the highest mountains, which tower over lower hills, down to the sea level plains. Valleys also range in elevation from glacier-formed U-shaped valleys in the highest mountains and young river-formed V-shaped valleys between mountains, down to flat, older sea-level river valleys.

Mountains are very large rock formations with a peak at the top. Generally, mountains are structures taller than 1000 feet high and many form in rows called ranges. Some peaks are so high they reach into the clouds and are covered in snow. In West Texas, the Guadalupe Mountains have the tallest peak in the state. The Rocky Mountains in the West and the Appalachian Mountains in the East are two major mountain ranges in the United States.

Hills are large land formations of rocks, dirt, and grass that have a rounded top. Hills are smaller than mountains with elevations generally lower than 1000 feet and do not have jagged peak tops. The Texas Hill Country is an example of the limestone, rolling hills that are part of Central Texas. Mounds that are higher than the surrounding flat area are also considered hills but are the lowest type of hill.

Valleys are the areas between two mountains or two hills. A low area of land between mountains or hills often has a river or stream running along the valley bottom. Rapid, young rivers cut through mountains leaving a V-shaped valley. In some alpine mountains, glaciers gouge out the sides of mountains leaving a U-shaped valley. Older rivers can run down the middle of flood plains, such as the Rio Grande Valley or the Red River Valley in Texas. Valleys also run among the Texas Hill Country formations.

A plain is a large, flat area of land with no mountains, hills, or valleys. The Great Plains in the United States span from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains where broad, flat areas stretch for thousands of miles offering prime farmland. Texas plains are in the Panhandle and along coastal areas.

Key Concept 3: Landforms can look very different, but can be formed by similar processes.

Mountains form from slow-acting forces deep within Earth that push sections of the crust upward over millions of years into folded or block mountains. The Rocky Mountains were uplifted over 200 million years ago. The Guadalupe Mountains were formed by uplift 25 million years ago. Once mountains have formed, usually river water that collects and starts to flow downward begins to weather and erode the mountainsides into V-shaped valleys. Glaciers in alpine areas can weather and erode mountainsides into a U-shaped valley.

After hundreds of thousands of years, the constant erosion wears down the sides of the mountain, and rivers slow down leaving deposits in wide valleys on either side. The broad valleys of older rivers, such as the Mississippi or Rio Grande, are the results of eons of erosion and deposition. Hills also are folded parts of Earths crust, but represent mountain tops that have been eroded slowly over a long period of time leaving behind the mounds or hills as remnants of former tall peaks. The Great Plains were formed from uplift after an ancient sea that covered central North America long ago evaporated. So, uplift, weathering, erosion, and deposition are three common processes that change Earths surface dramatically, but the resulting landforms can look very different.

Key Concept 4: We can compare different landforms based on their characteristics.

Students are challenged to compare mountains, hills, valleys, and plains based on the characteristics summarized above. Below is a reference table that offers some basic comparisons students might propose:

The student is expected to investigate rapid changes in Earth’s surface, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides.

Key Concepts

·       Large forces can change the Earth’s surface rapidly.

·       Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes can cause rapid changes on Earth’s surface such as creating new land, making cracks in the crust, or changing landforms.

·       Landslides can cause rapid change to Earth’s surface such as rocks and debris falling from a rock face.

Key Concept 1: Large forces can change the Earth’s surface rapidly.

Most features on Earth’s surface, such as mountains, valleys, and plains, are created over hundreds or thousands of years. However, some events, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides, occur very rapidly and can completely change the surface within just hours or days. These slow and rapid changes create different landforms because of natural forces that work above and below the ground. Earth is made of three basic layers: the crust, the mantle, and the core. The crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle move together on top of soft molten rock deeper in the mantle (caused by tremendous internal heat of Earth).

Instead of one giant layer, the crust and upper mantle move very slowly together as broken puzzle pieces called plates. This slow movement is caused by the molten rock beneath sliding past the enormous plates above. Two of the three large forces that change the surface rapidly, volcanoes and earthquakes, begin below the surface of Earth along boundaries where these plates collide. The third large force, landslides, occurs above the surface.

Key Concept 2: Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes can cause rapid changes on Earths surface, such as creating new land, making cracks in the crust, or changing landforms.

Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are natures pressure valves. Along plates bordering the Pacific Ocean, magma (molten rock) is forced up through cracks to the surface releasing pressure in volcanic eruptions. Numerous volcanoes and earthquakes occur along this Pacific Ring of Fire.

Volcanoes erupt when magma reaches the surface as lava. Lava flows down the sides of the volcano and hardens. Ash, cinders, and gases are also released. The largest volcanoes release slow, continuous lava flows to create wide, volcanic mountains. Some volcanoes erupt violently with pyroclastic flow (deadly avalanche of superheated fragments, ash, and gas) that destroys landscape and lives in its path. Some volcanoes form on the ocean floor over hot spots, and after repeated eruptions, build up enough lava to form islands like the Hawaiian Islands. Volcanoes both destroy and create landscape.

When volcanic lava rock erodes after many years, soil often collects in the crevices, allowing plant growth to take root and animal life to develop. Many volcanoes are no longer active, such as those that formed the Davis Mountains in Texas, but serve as reminders of how the very forces that destroy are the same forces that can create new land and new life.

When rough blocks of rock along plate boundaries move against each other and get stuck, pressure builds. Finally, the blocks move, which suddenly releases energy in the form of shaking vibrations called earthquakes that radiate outward like ripples in a pond. These vibrations, or seismic waves, are felt many miles away in two ways. The first set stretches the rock in a back-and-forth motion. The second set produces side-to-side shaking. Together, these vibrations can create massive damage to landforms, buildings, roads, bridges, power lines, and take the lives of the people and animals caught in the collapse. If the earthquake occurs on the ocean floor, the vibrations can cause enormous waves called tsunamis that crash into coastal areas, destroying and flooding miles inland.

Landslides occur where the earth collapses suddenly. This can be caused by seismic vibrations or when the earth has become too saturated with water and slumps downward. Landslides and other inevitable rapid changes to Earths surface have led to a special interest in creating infrastructures (building, roads, etc.) that can withstand these strong forces of nature.

Part 2: Soil Formation

The student is expected to explore and record how soils are formed by weathering of rock and the decomposition of plant and animal remains.

Key Concepts

·       Weathering is the process that breaks down Earth’s rocks into smaller and smaller pieces over time.

·       Soils are made up of small pieces of weathered rock.

·       Soil contains many substances including decomposed plant and animal remains.

·       The materials in soil, or soil type, are different in different areas.

Key Concept 1: Weathering is the process that breaks down Earth’s rocks into smaller and smaller pieces over time.

All soils initially come from rocks, called “parent material”. Weathering agents, such as water, waves, wind, ice, temperature changes, plant and animal activity, and chemical processes, break the parent material into smaller pieces, and erosion carries the sediments to new locations. Water seeps into the cracks in rocks and breaks them apart. Temperature changes expand and crack the rocks further. Acidic water also seeps into rocks and breaks them down even more. Below the surface growing plant roots can split rocks, too. On the surface, blowing wind and rushing water constantly weather and erode rock into smaller pieces.

Key Concept 2: Soils are made up of small pieces of weathered rock.

Soil is made of four materials: small pieces of weathered rock or minerals (rock, sand, clay, and silt), air, water, and organic material (matter from dead plants and animals). There are thousands of soil types, but all soils are some combination of sand, silt, and clay particles. Of the particles, sand is the largest, silt is the middle-sized particle, and clay is the smallest. The texture of these three particles can be felt by rubbing the soil between the fingers. Sandy soil feels gritty, silt soil feels floury or silky; and clay soil feels slick and sticky. There are four major types of soil.

Sandy soil is made of quartz grains that appear light brown. When you roll slightly wet, sandy soil in your palm, usually no ball forms and it crumbles. Sand particles are the largest of the three rock particles and create large spaces between the grains. This causes water to flow too quickly through the soil, washing away important nutrients. Sandy soil, without humus, cannot retain water or nutrients essential to seedlings, which is not good for growing crops. Sandy soils are found in deserts and near coastal areas.

Silt soil is also made of quartz minerals, but is grey in color, with grains that are much smaller than sand, and feel silky smooth. Small spaces between sediments allow water and nutrient retention. Silt soils that have some humus are found in the flood plains surrounding rivers and are considered good for farming.

Clay soil particles appear red, are much smaller than silt, are sticky when wet, and have very little pore space to let water flow, but do retain plant nutrients. When wet clay soil dries, it shrinks and cracks. Clay can also become dense, hard, and brittle, making it difficult for plant roots to penetrate. Wet clay soil easily forms a sticky ball in the hand.

Loamy soil is an ideal soil that appears dark brown or black from rich organic materials and has a balance of all three particle sizes: sand, clay, and silt. Loamy soil, also known as topsoil is preferred for farming.

Key Concept 3: Soil contains many substances, including decomposed plant and animal remains.

Soil is actually made of four materials: small pieces of weathered rock or minerals (rock, sand, clay, and silt), air, water, and organic material (matter from dead plants and animals). When plants and animals die and decompose (decay), this organic matter makes nutrient-rich material called humus, which mixes with inorganic material (rock particles, minerals, and water) to form soil. The humus layer of soil is usually the dark rich top soil. Soil micro-organisms (e.g., bacteria and fungi) are responsible for this decomposition, which breaks down animal and vegetable material into nutrient elements that can be used by growing plants.

Key Concept 4: The materials in soil (or soil type) are different in different areas.

Landforms, climate, rainfall, plants, and animal activity affect the soil found in a particular regions of the United States. Forest soil is rich in topsoil and humus where decayed plant and animal material help retain water and nutrients that allow forest trees, other plant life, and animals to flourish.Desert soil, however, lacks topsoil and humus due to sandy particles that do not retain water or nutrients. Only specially adapted plants, such as cactus and sagebrush, are suited to this sandy soil.Prairie soil of the Midwestern United States is fertile, dark, loamy soils that are a balance between the three particle sizes. A variety of weathered materials eroded into this basin represent the diverse parent material that contributed to the rich soil that supports American farmlands. Southern soil is dominated by red clay. The red color results from the iron minerals that have rusted into iron oxides in the warm, damp climate of the South.

 

Part 3: Natural Resources

The student is expected to explore the characteristics of natural resources that make them useful in products and materials, such as clothing and furniture, and how resources may be conserved.

Key Concepts

·       Natural resources, such as oil, coal, metals, rocks, soil, air, water, plants, and animals, come from the Earth.

·       Characteristics of natural resources make them useful such as the fibers of cotton to produce cloth or the strength of wood to make furniture.

·       Natural resources can be conserved by using less, by recycling, and by reusing.

Key Concept 1: Natural resources, such as oil, coal, metals, rocks, soil, air, water, plants, and animals, come from the Earth.

Humans have always been dependent on Earth for water for drinking, irrigation of crops, cleaning, transporting boats, and for recreation. We need air for breathing and for blowing blades of windmills, electric turbine blades, and for air conditioners or furnaces to bring coolness and warmth. Plants and animals provide food for the human race and by-products for building, medicines, paper, clothing, etc. The ground provides soil for farming, land to build on, minerals, metals, and coal and oil. All products made by humans depend on natural resources from the Earth that supply the raw materials needed to manufacture the object.

Key Concept 2: Characteristics of natural resources make them useful, such as the fibers of cotton to produce cloth or the strength of wood to make furniture.

Matter has properties that describe mass, dimensions, texture, relative density, temperature, magnetism, the ability to conduct heat and electricity, etc. Humans have discovered natural resources with specific properties that lend themselves to specific uses. Solid materials, such as metals that conduct heat or electricity well, are used in the manufacture of cooking pots and electric wire. Metals, such as iron, steel, and other alloys are very strong and are, therefore, useful in construction of tall buildings, vehicles, trains, and ships that need to hold a lot of weight and last a long time. Metals that are light and flexible, such as aluminum or titanium, are useful for foil, eyeglasses, and airplane coverings where the least amount of weight is an advantage. Cotton fibers are perfect for woven cloth that is durable and versatile in clothing and upholstery. Wood can be carved, sawed, nailed, sanded, or combined in unique ways to build strong furniture, homes, and shipping crates, or ground up to be pressed into paper. Because wood is lightweight, it is also used for boats and musical instruments. Because oil and coal are flammable, these natural resources popular fuels are burned to produce energy. Oil and coal are versatile natural resources which, chemists have learned to convert into thousands of useful products, such as plastics or lubricants. Each natural resource with its unique set of properties has infinite uses limited only by human imagination and, quite often, the finite availability of that resource.

Key Concept 3: Natural resources can be conserved by using less, reusing, and by recycling.

The 3 Rs of conservation are reduce (use less), reuse (use again), and recycle (use for a different purpose). Beginning conservation efforts at home and school help students understand how business, industry, and the global community can be more responsible toward protecting natural resources.

Environmentally Friendly, Eco-Friendly, Going Green, and Sustainable are terms students are not held responsible for, but are frequently encountered when students explore conservation issues. Environmentally friendly or eco-friendly are general terms that mean the manufacturing or use of the product is safe for the environment, does not pollute the environment, nor does it deplete the natural resource.

The term green is a specific term that means the actual use of the product does not cause pollution. For example, gasoline-powered cars are not considered green because when you use a car the exhaust fumes pollute the air. However, electric-powered cars are considered green because they do not have exhaust to pollute the air. Sustainable is a specific term that means the manufacturing of the product did not use fossil fuels, did not harm the environment, or deplete natural resources. Sustainable products can be reused or recycled. These terms can be misleading on commercial packaging.

For example, paper towels that are made from recycled paper are green (doesnt pollute when you use it), but are possibly not sustainable (made from cutting down trees which can harm the environment, if new trees are not planted). A more eco-friendly towel would be a fiber towel that is not thrown away, but is reusable. Below are examples of conservation efforts that reduce, recycle, and reuse natural resources.

Reduce waste by donating unwanted items (clothing, toys, etc.). Reduce packing that ends up in landfills by buying in bulk. Reduce water use by taking shorter showers, not letting the water run when brushing teeth, and resetting sprinkler systems not to run on rainy days. Use native plants or ground cover that needs less watering. Reduce energy use by turning lights and electronics off when not in use. Wash clothes in cold water. Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Walk or bike when possible instead of driving to conserve fuel. Buy more fuel-efficient cars. Carpool or use public transportation. Use alternative energy resources, such as solar or wind power energy.

When natural resources are recycled, they are put to a new use. Recycling paper saves trees, eliminates the oil or coal used to power the plants that manufacture the paper, eliminates the landfill space need for waste paper, and eliminates the air pollution created from cutting the trees and manufacturing the new paper product. Place recycle bins at home, school, and businesses to recycle glass, aluminum, newspapers, cardboard, etc. Create compost piles to recycle food wastes as fertilizer. Use disposable items as craft materials or use them creatively as another product instead of throwing the item away. Repurpose old furniture or fabric.

Buy reusable products instead of single-use items, such as rechargeable batteries or reusable water bottles. Carry groceries in reusable fabric bags. Instead of throwing away old clothes, restyle them with different accessories, or cut them up for rags or cleaning cloths. Check out resale stores, thrift shops, or garage sales to find reusable items. Reuse glass jars from purchased products for storing homemade jams, jellies, or pickled food. Old toothbrushes make great scrubbers for cleaning small areas. Donate old books to a local library or school. Baby food jars make great holders for buttons, seeds, or spices. Cut up old jeans to make potholders or a jean purse bag.

Upcoming!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

3/21	Students return from Spring Break
3/23	Report Cards will be available for viewing after 3:30 pm
3/24	Principal's Coffee - 8:00-9:00 library
3/24	GCISD Bond Information Meeting - 6:00 pm Cannon cafeteria
3/24	GMS Band Tryouts will be held at Cannon between 5:00-7:00 pm - 5th graders only
3/25	Bad Weather Make-Up Day (If no bad weather days are used prior to this date, this will be a student holiday)
3/28	GCISD Board Meeting - Colleyville Middle School - 7:00 pm cafeteria
3/29	STAAR Testing - 4th Grade Writing (Day 1) & 5th Grade Math
3/30	STAAR Testing -  5th Grade Reading
4/01	Special Programs Lottery

STAAR TESTING BEGINS NEXT WEEK FOR 4th & 5th GRADE STUDENTS   It's almost time for our 4th grade & 5th grade students to begin STAAR testing!  Our 4th graders will take the STAAR Writing test on Tuesday, March 29th.  Our 5th grade students will take STAAR Math on Tuesday, March 29th and STAAR Reading on Wednesday March 30th.  We are confident that our students will perform well on these state-mandated assessments!  Please remember to provide your child with positive encouragement, as well as reminders to do work hard, use the strategies they have learned, and to do their best on these upcoming assessments.  Please watch for any last minute information/reminders coming home from your child's teachers about STAAR testing.
PRINCIPAL'S COFFEE THIS WEEK - PLEASE JOIN ME! I will be hosting my next Principal's Coffee on Thursday, March 24th, from 8:00-9:00 am in the Cannon library. In addition to enjoying a cup of coffee & a pastry, this will be an informal opportunity to chat about topics that are important to our school community.  Hope to see you there!
EASY WAY TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL!   Did you know that it has been OVER 5 YEARS since Cannon has done a school-sponsored fundraiser!  In an effort to provide an opportunity for Cannon parents to help support Cannon directly, by making donations that go directly to Cannon school funds (not through PTA), we are doing a Greenback Fundraiser!  Instead of asking families to support sales, such as cookie dough, candy or wrapping paper, we are making it easy for Cannon parents by simply asking parents to make a one-time donation directly to Cannon.  Funds raised through this effort will help support our G-R-O-W-T-H and will be used to help fund the purchase of curriculum materials for STEM, technology,  professional development opportunities for our teachers, and for the purchase of MORE wonderful resources that will directly benefit your child!  In order to make this as easy as possible for our parents, donations can either be made online, using a credit card (no fees involved!) or by cash/check.  Checks should be made out to Cannon Elementary.  All donations are tax-deductible and a form for tax deductions will be provided upon request. Donation forms will be sent home with all students soon!   Click here to make a donation ONLINE now!  Select the button - Cannon- Growing the Future!! 
IT'S YEARBOOK TIME!  Yearbook information was sent home with ALL students last week.  Yearbooks are $20, which includes a free personalized page, and can be purchased online or by making a payment in the Cannon office by cash or check.  All checks should be made payable to Cannon Elementary.  Yearbooks must be purchased by April 4th and personalized pages must also be completed by this dates.   When you purchase a yearbook, you will have the option to customize TWO pages in your child's yearbook for FREE!  You can design your child's pages with pictures of their  year, including school parties, field trips, vacations, fun events, sports, or other activities.  Parents can even create these pages as dedication pages with baby pictures and special quotes. If you design custom pages, they will be included ONLY in your child's yearbook and must be complete through the online site.  You are not required to create custom pages - it's only an option for interested parents!  To get started on your yearbook order, go to www.TreeRing.com/validate.  You will be asked for our school's passcode:  1014520263794913  We are excited to offer these new yearbook options this year!
FREE eBOOKS FOR ALL CANNON STUDENTS! All students received information about FREE eBOOKS that are now available to all Cannon students!  In case you missed the information that came home with your child, I have provided all of the information below on how to access a library of thousands of popular and award-winning eBooks for free!  We hope that all of our Cannon parents will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and that it helps further support and engage your child's learning and foster their love of reading beyond the classroom.

1. Go to the App Store on your device (Apple or Android)
2. Search for "Open eBooks" and follow the instructions to download. 
3. Open the app. 
4. Agree to any terms & conditions. 
5. Enter your code and PIN combination when prompted.  For Pre-K - 4th grade eBooks: Access Code: M6901N0WZ0  Pin: 5806;  For 5th-8th grade eBooks: Access Code: MUZI856QUT Pin: 8534
6. Browse the catalog of books available.
7. Download eBooks of interest to your child and enjoy reading.  Please note that you can download 10 eBooks at a time.  Each eBook will be available for 56 days before it must be renewed. 
8. That's it!  Enjoy!! 

YOU ARE INVITED TO A GCISD BOARD MEETING! In an effort to invite community members to see our district at work, the Board of Trustees are taking some monthly Board meetings on the road!  On Monday, March 29th the GCISD Board of Trustees will host its regular meeting at Colleyville Middle School, located at 1100 Bogart Drive, Colleyville, TX.  The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm in the cafeteria.  We hope to see you there!
MATH TELESCOPING ASSESSMENT DATES ANNOUNCED   Testing opportunities for telescoping in math for the 2016-2017 school year are available in the spring and summer for GCISD students who are completing grades K through 7. The Math Telescoping Information Packet will be available the first week of March on the district website under the For Parents and Students Directory by selecting the link for Acceleration Exams, Math Telescoping, Grades K-7.  From the Assessment Department page select either the ENGLISH or SPANISH version for Math Telescoping, Grades K-7. Parents will find information about the requirements to qualify for Math Telescoping and instructions about the new TWO STEP Online Registration Process.  There will be links to print the Information Packet, begin the TWO STEP Online Registration Process to register for the spring exams, view the TEKS on the TEA website, and download Study Guides for the exams purchased from UT-Austin. Click here to see the exam dates and registration deadlines for each exam date - English.  Click here to see this information in Spanish.
LET'S TALK!  In an effort to continually improve the district's communication with parents, staff, and community members, GCISD has created an online system called Let's Talk, in which you can simply click on the appropriate department or program to start a conversation, submit a question, comment, make a suggestions, or share a concern or compliment.   Access Let's Talk by clicking here.
GCISD BOND 2016  The GCISD Board of Trustees approved ordering a bond election for May 7th, 2016.  As a reminder, early voting can be done from April 25 - May 3.  The bond election will be held on May 7th.
Please take a moment to watch this video below for more details about specific projects included in the bond package within each objective. Now that the election has been called, there are a number of resources available that will provide more information about this bond package. These include:

• Dr. Ryan's letter to community about Bond 2016  - English       Dr. Ryan's letter to community about Bond 2016 - Spanish
• Bond 2016 website - this website has resources to provide more information about specific projects in the bond package; press releases, bond video, etc..
• FIRST Committee website - this website has information/videos of each meeting of this committee, as well as many resources that were shared with this committee.

STAY CONNECTED!   HAVE YOU "LIKED" OUR CANNON FACEBOOK PAGE YET? If you haven't already "liked" our Cannon Facebook page, please do so today!  We work hard to provide updates, information, and celebrations on our Cannon page. Click here to see our Cannon Facebook  Also, please follow us on Twitter @canSTEM

Science Resources Labs/Activites

Our Natural Resources Labs and Activities:

Through exploring different natural resources, we were about to answer several questions: What are natural resources? What are their characteristics and why are they useful? What resources come from underground?  How can we conserve them? What products are made from oil? What might happen if we fail to conserve our resources?

Natural Resources Overview

Student Expectation

The student is expected to explore the characteristics of natural resources that make them useful in products and materials, such as clothing and furniture, and how resources may be conserved.

Key Concepts

• Natural resources, such as oil, coal, metals, rocks, soil, air, water, plants, and animals, come from the Earth.
• Characteristics of natural resources make them useful such as the fibers of cotton to produce cloth or the strength of wood to make furniture.
• Natural resources can be conserved by using less, by recycling, and by reusing.

Fundamental Questions

• What are some natural resources that come from the Earth?
• What characteristics of natural resources make them useful to us?
• How can natural resources be conserved?

Key Concept 1: Natural resources, such as oil, coal, metals, rocks, soil, air, water, plants, and animals, come from the Earth.

Humans have always been dependent on Earth for water for drinking, irrigation of crops, cleaning, transporting boats, and for recreation. We need air for breathing and for blowing blades of windmills, electric turbine blades, and for air conditioners or furnaces to bring coolness and warmth. Plants and animals provide food for the human race and by-products for building, medicines, paper, clothing, etc. The ground provides soil for farming, land to build on, minerals, metals, and coal and oil. All products made by humans depend on natural resources from the Earth that supply the raw materials needed to manufacture the object.

Key Concept 2: Characteristics of natural resources make them useful, such as the fibers of cotton to produce cloth or the strength of wood to make furniture.

Matter has properties that describe mass, dimensions, texture, relative density, temperature, magnetism, the ability to conduct heat and electricity, etc. Humans have discovered natural resources with specific properties that lend themselves to specific uses. Solid materials, such as metals that conduct heat or electricity well, are used in the manufacture of cooking pots and electric wire. Metals, such as iron, steel, and other alloys are very strong and are, therefore, useful in construction of tall buildings, vehicles, trains, and ships that need to hold a lot of weight and last a long time. Metals that are light and flexible, such as aluminum or titanium, are useful for foil, eyeglasses, and airplane coverings where the least amount of weight is an advantage. Cotton fibers are perfect for woven cloth that is durable and versatile in clothing and upholstery. Wood can be carved, sawed, nailed, sanded, or combined in unique ways to build strong furniture, homes, and shipping crates, or ground up to be pressed into paper. Because wood is lightweight, it is also used for boats and musical instruments. Because oil and coal are flammable, these natural resources popular fuels are burned to produce energy. Oil and coal are versatile natural resources which, chemists have learned to convert into thousands of useful products, such as plastics or lubricants. Each natural resource with its unique set of properties has infinite uses limited only by human imagination and, quite often, the finite availability of that resource.

Key Concept 3: Natural resources can be conserved by using less, reusing, and by recycling.

The 3 Rs of conservation are reduce (use less), reuse (use again), and recycle (use for a different purpose). Beginning conservation efforts at home and school help students understand how business, industry, and the global community can be more responsible toward protecting natural resources.
Environmentally Friendly, Eco-Friendly, Going Green, and Sustainable are terms students are not held responsible for, but are frequently encountered when students explore conservation issues. Environmentally friendly or eco-friendly are general terms that mean the manufacturing or use of the product is safe for the environment, does not pollute the environment, nor does it deplete the natural resource.
The term green is a specific term that means the actual use of the product does not cause pollution. For example, gasoline-powered cars are not considered green because when you use a car the exhaust fumes pollute the air. However, electric-powered cars are considered green because they do not have exhaust to pollute the air. Sustainable is a specific term that means the manufacturing of the product did not use fossil fuels, did not harm the environment, or deplete natural resources. Sustainable products can be reused or recycled. These terms can be misleading on commercial packaging.
For example, paper towels that are made from recycled paper are green (doesnt pollute when you use it), but are possibly not sustainable (made from cutting down trees which can harm the environment, if new trees are not planted). A more eco-friendly towel would be a fiber towel that is not thrown away, but is reusable. Below are examples of conservation efforts that reduce, recycle, and reuse natural resources.
Reduce waste by donating unwanted items (clothing, toys, etc.). Reduce packing that ends up in landfills by buying in bulk. Reduce water use by taking shorter showers, not letting the water run when brushing teeth, and resetting sprinkler systems not to run on rainy days. Use native plants or ground cover that needs less watering. Reduce energy use by turning lights and electronics off when not in use. Wash clothes in cold water. Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Walk or bike when possible instead of driving to conserve fuel. Buy more fuel-efficient cars. Carpool or use public transportation. Use alternative energy resources, such as solar or wind power energy.
When natural resources are recycled, they are put to a new use. Recycling paper saves trees, eliminates the oil or coal used to power the plants that manufacture the paper, eliminates the landfill space need for waste paper, and eliminates the air pollution created from cutting the trees and manufacturing the new paper product. Place recycle bins at home, school, and businesses to recycle glass, aluminum, newspapers, cardboard, etc. Create compost piles to recycle food wastes as fertilizer. Use disposable items as craft materials or use them creatively as another product instead of throwing the item away. Repurpose old furniture or fabric.
Buy reusable products instead of single-use items, such as rechargeable batteries or reusable water bottles. Carry groceries in reusable fabric bags. Instead of throwing away old clothes, restyle them with different accessories, or cut them up for rags or cleaning cloths. Check out resale stores, thrift shops, or garage sales to find reusable items. Reuse glass jars from purchased products for storing homemade jams, jellies, or pickled food. Old toothbrushes make great scrubbers for cleaning small areas. Donate old books to a local library or school. Baby food jars make great holders for buttons, seeds, or spices. Cut up old jeans to make potholders or a jean purse bag.

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