1
1
Overview
READI NG WARM-U P
In this section, students will learn
about Earth’s natural resources.
They will explore the difference
between renewable resources and
nonrenewable resources. Students
will also learn why conservation
and recycling are important.
Objectives
•
•
•
Describe how humans use natural
resources.
Compare renewable resources with
nonrenewable resources.
Explain three ways that humans can
conserve natural resources.
Terms to Learn
natural resource
renewable resource
nonrenewable resource
recycling
Bellringer
Display the following items: a
plastic sandwich bag, a piece of
paper, a pencil, a glass of water,
1 qt of motor oil, an empty aluminum can, a wooden match,
salt, and some aquarium charcoal. Challenge students to
determine what these items
have in common. Help students
conclude that all of these items
are made from natural resources.
Have students make a list of
resources that are renewable and
are resources that nonrenewable.
READI NG STRATEGY
Reading Organizer As you read this
section, make a concept map by using
the terms above.
Natural Resources
What does the water you drink, the paper you write on,
the gasoline used in the cars you ride in, and the air you
breathe have in common?
Water, trees used to make paper, crude oil used to make gasoline, and air are just a few examples of Earth’s resources. Can
you think of other examples of Earth’s resources?
Earth’s Resources
The Earth provides almost everything needed for life. For
example, the Earth’s atmosphere provides the air you breathe,
maintains air temperatures, and produces rain. The oceans and
other waters of the Earth give you food and needed water. The
solid part of the Earth gives nutrients, such as potassium, to
the plants you eat. These resources that the Earth provides for
you are called natural resources.
A natural resource is any natural material that is used by
humans. Examples of natural resources are water, petroleum,
minerals, forests, and animals. Most resources are changed and
made into products that make people’s lives more comfortable
and convenient, as shown in Figure 1. The energy we get from
many of these resources, such as gasoline and wind, ultimately
comes from the sun’s energy.
Figure 1
Discussion ----------------------------------g
This pile of lumber
is made of wood,
which comes from
trees.
Kinds of Energy Have students
brainstorm a list of different
sources of energy, such as oil,
coal, sunlight, and wind. Ask
students to discuss which
sources are nonrenewable
resources and why.
Natural Resources
The gasoline in this
can is made from oil
pumped from the
Earth’s crust.
Electrical energy generated by these wind turbines ultimately comes
from the sun’s energy.
l Interpersonal
CHAPTER RESOURCES
Chapter Resource File
CRF
• Lesson Plan
• Directed Reading A b
• Directed Reading B s
Technology
Transparencies
• Bellringer
122
Chapter 5 • Energy Resources
CONNECTION to
Environmental Science -------------------g
Volunteering Have your class learn
what volunteer opportunities related
to the environment exist in your area.
Students may be interested in a beach
or river cleanup, tree planting, or a public
outreach program for resource conservation. Suggest that students volunteer two
weekends as they study this chapter. At
the end of the chapter, have students
share their volunteer experiences with
the class. l Intrapersonal
Discussion --------------------------------------b
The Three Rs Complete your
discussion of nonrenewable
resources by reviewing with students the three Rs of conservation: reducing, reusing, and
recycling. Have students list as
many examples as possible of
reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Renewable Resources
Some natural resources can be renewed. A renewable resource
is a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at
which the resource is used. Figure 2 shows two examples of
renewable resources. Although many resources are renewable,
they still can be used up before they can be renewed. Trees,
for example, are renewable. However, some forests are being
cut down faster than new forests can grow to replace them.
l Verbal
CONNECTION v
Real World ---------------------------------------------g
Figure 2 Trees and fresh water
are just a few of the renewable
resources available on Earth.
✓
Reading Check What is a renewable resource? (See the Appendix
for answers to Reading Checks.)
Nonrenewable Resources
Not all of Earth’s natural resources are renewable. A
nonrenewable resource is a resource that forms at a rate that
is much slower than the rate at which it is consumed. Coal,
shown in Figure 3, is an example of a nonrenewable resource. It
takes millions of years for coal to form. Once coal is used up,
it is no longer available. Petroleum and natural gas are other
examples of nonrenewable resources. When these resources
become scarce, humans will have to find other resources to
replace them.
natural resource any natural
material that is used by humans,
such as water, petroleum, minerals,
forests, and animals
renewable resource a natural
resource that can be replaced at
the same rate at which the resource
is consumed
nonrenewable resource a
resource that forms at a rate that
is much slower than the rate at
which it is consumed
Figure 3 The coal used in the
industrial process shown here is
not quickly replaced by natural
processes.
Answer to Reading Check
A renewable resource is a natural resource
that can be replaced at the same rate at
which the resource is used.
h --------------------------------b
A Resourceful Project Provide
students a large piece of poster
board, scissors, glue, and magazines. Have
them attach pictures of products made from
renewable and nonrenewable resources on
each side of the poster board. Beside each
type of resource, have students describe its
origin, how it is obtained, and the environmental effects of extracting and using it.
Have students suggest ways the resource
can be conserved or recycled. l Visual
PORTFOLIO
The Costs of Aluminum
Aluminum is refined from the
ore bauxite, which is deposited
in a thin layer at the Earth’s
surface. Bauxite strip mines
cover more of the Earth’s surface
than any other type of metal ore
mine. Aluminum production
uses so much electrical energy
that the metal has been referred
to as congealed electricity. The
energy of l L of gasoline is
needed to produce six aluminum cans. For this reason, aluminum smelters are located
close to cheap and reliable
energy sources, such as the
hydroelectric dams in the
Pacific Northwest, Quebec,
and the Amazon. When the
environmental damage caused
by producing new aluminum
is considered, the importance
of recycling becomes clear.
Recycling one aluminum can
saves enough energy to run
a television set for 4 hours!
Currently, the United States
obtains about 20% of its aluminum from recycling. Have students write a persuasive letter
explaining why that percentage
should increase. Gather students’ letters, and mail them
to your state or federal
representative. l Intrapersonal
Section 1 • Natural Resources 123
Conserving Natural Resources
Reteaching -------------------------------------b
Reviewing the Three R’s Draw
a table that has three columns
on the board. Label one “Reduce,”
one “Reuse,” and one “Recycle.”
Have students list examples of
each type of conservation to fill
in the table. l Verbal/Visual
Quiz ---------------------------------------------------------------------g
1. List three renewable and three
nonrenewable natural resources.
(Sample answer: renewable: trees,
wind, and water; nonrenewable:
coal, oil, and natural gas)
Renewable?
WRITING With a parent, find
SKILL five products in
your home that were made
from natural resources. List
the resource or resources
from which each product was
made. Label each resource
as renewable or nonrenewable. What can you do to
help conserve the resources
you listed? In your science
journal, describe a personal
action plan to conserve some
of the resources you rely on
every day.
2. Explain the difference between
conserving a resource and recycling it. (Conserving a resource
is using it sparingly and not
wasting it. Recycling is reusing
natural resources to make new
products.)
Alternative
Assessment ---------------------------g
Concept Mapping Have students use the following terms
to construct a concept map:
use, disposal, recycling, nonrenewable resource, reuse, production, renewable resource, and
conserving. l Visual
Figure 4 Making sure the washing
machine is full before running it
is one way you can avoid wasting
natural resources.
124
Chapter 5 • Energy Resources
Whether the natural resources you use are renewable or nonrenewable, you should be careful how you use them. To conserve
natural resources, you should try to use them only when necessary. For example, leaving the faucet on while brushing your
teeth wastes clean water. Turning the faucet on only to rinse
your brush saves water that you may need for other uses.
Conserving resources also means taking care of the resources
even when you are not using them. For example, it is important
to keep lakes, rivers, and other water resources free of pollution. Polluted lakes and rivers can affect the water you drink.
Also, polluted water resources can harm the plants and animals,
including humans, that depend on them to survive.
Energy Conservation
The energy we use to heat our homes, drive our cars, and run
our computers comes from natural resources. The way in which
we choose to use energy on a daily basis affects the availability of the natural resources. Most of the natural resources
that provide us energy are nonrenewable resources. So, if we
don’t limit our use of energy now, the resources may not be
available in the future.
As with all natural resources, conserving energy is important. You can conserve energy by being careful to use only the
resources that you need. For example, turn lights off when you
are not using them. And make sure the washing machine is
full before you start it, as shown in Figure 4. You can also ride
a bike, walk, or take a bus because these methods use fewer
resources than a car does.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Answers to Section Review
Another way to conserve natural resources is to recycle,
as shown in Figure 5. Recycling is the process of reusing materials from waste or scrap. Recycling reduces
the amount of natural resources that must be obtained
from the Earth. For example, recycling paper reduces
the number of trees that must be cut down to make
new paper products. Recycling also conserves energy.
Though energy is required to recycle materials, it takes
less energy to recycle an aluminum can than it does to
make a new one!
Newspaper, aluminum cans, most plastic containers,
and cardboard boxes can be recycled. Most plastic containers have a number on them. This number informs
you whether the item can be recycled. Plastic products
with the numbers 1 and 2 can be recycled in most communities. Check with your community’s recycling center
to see what kinds of materials the center recycles.
1. Sample answer: A natural
resource is any natural material
that is used by humans. Renewable resources can be replaced
at the same rate at which they
are consumed. Nonrenewable
resources form at a rate much
slower than the rate at which
they are consumed. Recycling
is the process of recovering
valuable materials from waste
or scrap.
2. Humans consume most natural
resources by using products
made from the resources.
3. b
4. Sample answer: We can conserve natural resources by using
them only when necessary, by
reusing them whenever possible,
and by recycling them.
5. 3.3 L/h 8.6 h ! 28.38 L
6. Answers may vary. Students
should note that most human
activity affects Earth’s resources.
7. Sample answer: aluminum cans,
milk jugs, glass bottles, paper,
and plastic bottles
8. Sample answer: The population
is significantly larger now than it
was 100 years ago, so many nonrenewable resources are being
used at a much faster rate than
they were used in the past. As
these resources become harder
to find, people may begin to use
renewable resources.
✓Reading Check
recycling the process of recovering valuable or useful materials from
waste or scrap; the process of reusing some items
Figure 5 You can recycle many
household items to help conserve
natural resources.
What are some kinds of products that
can be recycled?
Review
Summary
use natural resources
• We
such as water, petro-
•
•
leum, and lumber to
make our lives more
comfortable and
convenient.
Renewable resources
can be replaced within
a relatively short period
of time, but nonrenewable resources may take
thousands or even millions of years to form.
Natural resources can be
conserved by using only
what is needed, taking
care of resources, and
recycling.
Using Key Terms
Critical Thinking
1. Use each of the following terms
in a separate sentence: natural
resource, renewable resource, nonrenewable resource, and recycling.
Understanding Key Ideas
2. How do humans use most natural
resources?
3. Which of the following is a
renewable resource?
a.
b.
c.
d.
oil
water
coal
natural gas
4. Describe three ways to conserve
natural resources.
7. Applying Concepts List five
products you regularly use that
can be recycled.
8. Making Inferences Why is the
availability of some renewable
resources more of a concern now
than it was 100 years ago?
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Math Skills
5. If a faucet dripped for 8.6 h and
3.3 L of water dripped out every
hour, how many liters of water
dripped out altogether?
Answer to Reading Check
Answers may vary. Sample answer: newspapers,
plastic containers, and cardboard boxes
6. Making Inferences How does
human activity affect Earth’s
renewable and nonrenewable
resources?
Topic: Natural Resources
SciLinks code: HSM1015
CHAPTER RESOURCES
Chapter Resource File
CRF
• Section Quiz g
• Section Review g
• Vocabulary and Section Summary g
• Reinforcement Worksheet b
Section 1 • Natural Resources 125