Natural+Resources

[|Concept Attainment Video] CE16 Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
 * Unit of Study:** Changing Earth


 * Lesson Title:** Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

· Why is it important to be stewards of our natural resources? · How does the study of Earth’s materials deepen our understanding of the natural world?
 * Essential Question(s):**

4.1A Demonstrate safe practices and the use of safety equipment as described by the Texas Safety Standards and ethical practices. 4.1B Make informed choices in the use and conservation of natural resources and reusing and recycling of materials such as paper, aluminum, glass, cans, and plastic. 4.2B Collect and record data by observing… using descriptive words and numerals such as labeled drawings, writing, and concept maps. 4.7C Identify and classify Earth’s renewable resources including air, plants, water, and animals; and nonrenewable resources, including coal, oil, and natural gas; and the importance of conservation.
 * TEKS:**

Students will identify and classify Earth’s natural resources.
 * Learning objective:**

Students will be able to identify renewable and nonrenewable resources as the classification for “yes” responses in the concept attainment game.
 * Evidence:**

The concept attainment game will serve as a pre-assessment of students’ understanding of renewable and nonrenewable resources. Be sure to take note of the level of understanding students have of natural resources and watch for misconceptions.
 * Pre-assessment:**

1. Tell the students that they are going to play a simple, yes/no game. 2. In this game, the students will try to identify a concept by classifying items as yes or no. The concept will **not be identified** until all students think they know it. 3. Draw a Yes/No T-chart on the board. 4. Inform the students that you will be holding up test tubes containing different materials. As you hold up the materials, place the items under the “yes” column or the “no” column. 5. Introduce the test tubes according to the chart below, starting with the “yes” column then follow with an example from the “no” column. The other examples can be given in a random order (follow order in chart, starting with cotton, aluminum, plants seeds, copper, tree cookie, paper, granite, air, sand, natural gas, food, oil, plastic, water, and animal (pig)) 3. plant seeds 5. tree cookie 6. paper 8. air 11. food 14. water 15. animal (pig) || 2. aluminum 4. copper 7. granite 9. sand 10. natural gas 12. oil 13. plastic || 16. Ask students, Who thinks you know the concept? Students can indicate progress by using a thumbs up, a thumbs across, or a thumbs down. Do not reveal the concept at this time. 17. Ask students, What is an example that goes in the “yes” column? 18. When it looks like 100% of the class has grasped the classification, ask for attributes of the similarities for the “yeses”. Create a list of the “yes” attributes. Discuss with the students the attributes in the “yes” column and ask them to identify a good title for the column. Eventually students should come up with the title Renewable Resources. Discuss the title for the “no” column, Nonrenewable Resources. The critical attributes of Renewable Resources are that they can be renewed in one’s lifetime and can be reproduced. The critical attributes of Nonrenewable Resources include not being renewed or reproduced in one’s lifetime because their formation takes thousands and millions of years. 19. After participating in the Concept Attainment game, review with students the different ideas they might have had about the “yes” answers and the “no” answers. Possible responses might include living, nonliving, earth materials, resources that there are a large amount of (sun, water, air). 20. Ask students, What resources can we run out of? What resources are so plentiful that we will never run out? What resources are we able to reproduce or make more of? 21. Break down the meaning of re-new-able and non-re-new-able. If needed, go back to the yes/no chart. 22. Ask students, Why would we not be able to renew a resource? Why does it matter if we can or can’t renew a resource? 23. Record student responses to determine a class definition of renewable and nonrenewable resources. 24. In conclusion to the lesson, ask students, How does the study of Earth’s materials deepen our understanding of the natural world?
 * Procedure:**
 * Yes (Renewable) ||  No (Nonrenewable)  ||
 * 1. cotton

· Ask students questions during the concept attainment game. · Students make an illustration for renewable/nonrenewable resources. · Students create a graphic organizer to organize their thoughts about renewable/nonrenewable resources.
 * Considerations for differentiation:**

Test tubes with lids each containing: cotton, plant seeds, paper, air, food, water, animal (plastic figure), soil, aluminum, copper, granite, sand, plastic, and oil; natural gas brochure; tree cookie
 * Materials:**

Resources are materials/energy that we use in our life to provide us with food, shelter, clothing, tools, energy, etc. Resources make our lives easier. There are natural resources, resources found in nature (oil, trees, aluminum) and manmade resources, resources that are not found in nature but originate from nature (plastic, paper, aluminum foil). Natural resources can be classified as renewable, or nonrenewable. Renewable resources are resources that can be replenished in a lifetime (plants and animals). Renewable resources also include resources that are so plentiful that we could not possibly run out (sun, water, air). Nonrenewable resources are resources that cannot be replenished in a lifetime (oil, minerals, aluminum, copper). It is important to understand there are some resources that can be considered renewable or nonrenewable depending on the argument. Soil, for example, is a resource that in the natural world might take years to form, however, there are processes, such as composting, that allow for the formation of soils. In this context, soil could be considered renewable.
 * Background Knowledge:**