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.