ClassX Video Lessons Natural Resources for Kids | Teach your kids and students about Earths Natural Resources
Have you ever thought about how incredible our planet Earth is? It’s truly one of a kind! There’s no other planet like it in our solar system or even in the entire Milky Way Galaxy. Everything we need to live and enjoy life is right here on Earth.
Natural resources are things we find in nature that help us live. Can you think of something you can’t live without? Maybe you thought of water or air. That’s right! Clean water and air are natural resources we need to survive.
We can also include energy sources like wind and the sun, and animals used for food and clothing, such as cows, chickens, pigs, and fish.
Natural resources are divided into two groups: renewable and non-renewable. Renewable resources, like fresh water, trees, and solar energy, can be replenished. Non-renewable resources, like oil and coal, are limited and can run out.
People have used natural resources for a long time. They made bricks from clay, diverted rivers for water, and mined gold for jewelry. These resources help economies grow and create jobs. For example, steel from ores is used to make cars, and timber is used for building homes.
Oil is a major natural resource used for energy. It powers cars, planes, and ships. But remember, oil is non-renewable, so we need to find other renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
It’s important to manage and protect our natural resources. We need to conserve them, just like saving money. We should also find ways to reuse resources and reduce waste.
You can help by thinking of ways to conserve resources. Maybe you can use less water or recycle more. Every little bit helps!
Remember, our natural resources are precious. Let’s work together to protect them for the future!
Thanks for learning with us! If you want to explore more, check out the Clarendon Learning Lesson Plan activity page. Keep discovering and protecting our amazing planet!
Resource Hunt: Go on a scavenger hunt around your home or school to find examples of natural resources. Look for items made from wood, metal, or plastic. Discuss with a friend or family member which natural resources were used to make these items. Can you identify if they are renewable or non-renewable resources?
Water Conservation Experiment: With the help of an adult, measure how much water you use in a day. Try to find ways to use less water, like turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or taking shorter showers. Keep track of your water usage for a week and see how much you can save. Discuss why conserving water is important.
Solar Power Craft: Create a simple solar oven using a pizza box, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap. Use it to melt chocolate or cheese on a sunny day. Observe how the sun’s energy can be used as a renewable resource. Talk about other ways we can use solar energy in our daily lives.
**Clarendon Learning Explores Our Natural Resources**
Can I ask you for a moment to consider this fantastic planet we live on? It is remarkable. There is no other planet like ours; the planet we call Earth. Nothing like it exists in our solar system, and as far as we know, there is no other planet like this one in the whole Milky Way Galaxy!
Yes, Earth is unique and diverse, and everything we need to live and enjoy our lives is right here on planet Earth. When we talk about the things that are available in nature—things found in, on, and around the Earth—these are called natural resources. Think for a moment and answer this question: What is the one thing you could not do without?
Did you say smartphone? Let me rephrase the question. What is the one thing you cannot live without? …and please don’t say your smartphone.
Who said cheeseburgers? Now you’re getting closer! The food you eat comes from natural resources! Maybe you said you can’t live without water or air… BINGO! People need clean water and clean air to live, and these are natural resources.
Here is a short list of natural resources, and you may think of many more:
– Water
– Air
– Coal
– Oil
– Natural Gas
– Minerals
– Soil
– Timber
– Forests and plants
We could also include things that provide other forms of energy, like wind and the sun, as natural resources. And while we’re at it, let’s also include animals that are used for food and clothing, such as cattle, poultry, pigs, and fish.
Natural resources are categorized into two basic groups: renewable and non-renewable. Examples of renewable resources include oxygen, fresh water, trees, and plants. These are things that the Earth continues to provide, as well as solar energy from the sun and power from the wind. If animals continue to reproduce, they can also be classified as renewable resources.
Non-renewable resources, however, are those that, once used, are gone forever. Resources used to provide energy, like oil, natural gas, and coal, are non-renewable. These resources were in the Earth for millions of years, and as we use them, they are depleted. Also in this group are resources that are mined, like gold, silver, and other ores that cannot be replaced.
People began making use of these natural resources when they started creating bricks from earth and clay and began diverting rivers and streams to build reservoirs and irrigate crops. They planted seeds to grow food and raised herds of cattle, mined gold and gemstones for jewelry, and cut down trees to build log homes. Early people used different resources to trade for what they needed. Natural resources were and are like currency.
As you may have figured out, it is by using these resources that the economies of countries grow and develop. Jobs are created as natural resources are utilized. For example, ores are mined to make steel for cars, and timber is harvested to make lumber for homes. Plastics and glass originate from the resources the Earth provides. Clothing, textiles, medicines, and machinery all start from basic materials derived from natural resources.
Where does milk come from? Did you say “the store”? Where does it really come from? Food comes from something that begins in the Earth—our natural resources.
Currently, people rely heavily on a major natural resource: oil. Oil has been in the Earth for hundreds of millions of years, and people discovered that it serves as a fuel for energy. It is used to heat our homes and power machines, including automobiles, airplanes, and ships. We have been extracting it continuously around the world. But we can’t do that forever, can we? Remember that oil is a non-renewable resource, and once it’s gone, it is gone for all time.
Don’t you think we should find another source of renewable energy? Energy that is also cleaner when used? You just may be the one to figure out a better way to use our natural resources—perhaps a better way to harness renewable resources like water, wind, or solar energy.
Natural resources are valuable, considering the worth of timber, oil, natural gas, and minerals. Here is a list of the countries with the greatest total value in natural resources:
1. Russia
2. USA
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Canada
5. Iran
6. China
7. Brazil
8. Australia
9. Iraq
10. Venezuela
You may consider watching the Clarendon Learning video titled “The Industrial Revolution” to see how people have used the resources of the Earth to improve our lives.
In the future, managing and protecting our natural resources will require skill, ingenuity, technology, knowledge, awareness, and careful conservation. Remember that much of our resources are non-renewable; once they’re gone, they are gone for good. We will always need clean water; can you imagine a world without it?
As our need for energy increases, we will need people to develop improved and efficient sources of renewable power, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy. The use of non-renewables is still important, but it won’t last forever. Conservation of our resources is like saving money; you don’t want to spend it all and have nothing left, right?
Much of our natural resources have many uses. For example, we build dams to hold back rivers, creating reservoirs that provide water for large populations to drink, irrigate crops, generate hydroelectricity, and offer recreational areas. This is a wise use of a natural resource!
The oceans are vast, but they are not fresh water and not suitable for drinking. We use trees to provide timber for homes and products like toothpicks, but we must continue to plant new seedlings to ensure we have trees in the future.
We’ve got to be smart and learn to reuse resources and reduce consumption where we can. Can you help? What can you do to help preserve our natural resources?
Let me ask you again: what on this Earth can you NOT do without? Can you help keep it around a little longer? Can you help protect and conserve our valued natural resources? I believe you can!
Now you may want to check out the Clarendon Learning Lesson Plan activity page to see if you can better identify and classify our natural resources!
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