A “RESOURCE” OFADOPT-A-FOREST MANY NAMES 1 OVERVIEW Natural resources are the basis for life. Rural dwellers are often aware of their dependence upon natural resources. Urban dwellers are often apart from the natural environment. This activity is designed to reacquaint all users with knowledge forgotten, taken for granted or possibly, never recognized. BACKGROUND more slowly and young trees to be less vigorous. In extreme cases, the resource GRADE LEVELS: Forests as Renewable Natural Grades 6–10 Resources can be overused or abused to the point where it can no longer be renewed at all. Natural resources are the raw materials OBJECTIVES: The students will (1) be An example of this would be the over- able to define natural resource, renew- obtained from our physical environment hunting of a wildlife species to the point able resource, non-renewable resource which we use in order to meet our wants and identify their occurrences in their of extinction. Over-hunting is in part and needs. These raw materials may be environment, (2) be able to trace re- what caused the extinction of the passen- sources used in everyday items to their used in their natural or near-natural ger pigeon. Renewable resources need to original source in the environment and state, such as burning wood for heat, or (3) be able to describe how he/she feels be carefully managed in order to ensure they may be substantially changed to about resource use in their community. that they remain renewable. produce a product very different from The sustainable yield for a renewable PENNSYLVANIA PROPOSED the raw material, such as making paper ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY resource is the rate at which people use or plastics from trees. STANDARDS ADDRESSED: that resource without reducing the abili- 4.2.7 Natural resources can be categorized ty of the resource to be renewed. The A. Know that raw materials come from as perpetual, non-renewable or renew- natural resources. sustainable yield of any renewable re- B. Examine the renewability of the re- able. People don’t always recognize per- source can vary substantially from re- sources. petual resources as being resources at all. D. Describe the role of recycling and gion to region and can also vary waste management. Perpetual resources are those that essen- depending on how it is managed. The tially will last forever. Examples of per- 4.4.7 sustainable yield for timber would mean B. Explain agricultural systems’ use of petual resources are solar energy, wind harvesting only the amount of trees that natural and human resources. and the ocean tides. the forest could grow. In Pennsylvania it 4.8.7 Non-renewable resources are avail- is estimated that timber is growing faster B. Explain how people use natural re- able only in fixed amounts. Those sources. than it is being harvested. This means D. Explain the importance of maintain- amounts may be large or may seem so, that even less than the sustainable yield ing the natural resources at the local, but once used up, they are gone forever is being harvested annually. state and national levels. (at least from the perspective of the Many renewable and non-renewable 4.2.10 human life span). Examples of non- A. Explain that renewable and non- resources can be recycled or reused. By renewable resources supply energy renewable resources are fossil fuels such recycling or reusing natural resources, and materials. as coal, oil and natural gas. These re- we are able to decrease the demand on B. Evaluate factors affecting availability sources were formed through natural of natural resources. our natural resources. In many cases, re- D. Explain different management alter- processes that required millions of years. cycling also saves energy. Despite the natives involved in recycling and solid Once all currently available fossil fuels fact that the recycling process itself con- waste management. are used, additional amounts will not be sumes energy, less energy is used than 4.8.10 available again for millions of years. would have been needed to produce the B. Analyze the relationship between the use of natural resources and sustain- Renewable resources are resources product from the raw materials. ing our society. that can be replenished through natural Paper products are an example of D. Explain how the concept of supply and/or human processes. Trees are an ex- products being recycled now more than and demand affects the environment. ample of a renewable resource. Although ever. Recycling helps keep paper out of ESTIMATED DURATION: 4 hours trees die naturally or are harvested by hu- our landfills and incinerators. Most of with discussion. Can break into two ses- mans, new trees naturally sprout, are re- the paper recovered is recycled into new sions after Activity C. seeded or can be replanted by humans. paper and paperboard products. While MATERIALS NEEDED: Activity While renewable resources can be replen- paper recycling is important, it is impor- cards A–C for each participant — ished, they can also be overused or tant to understand that paper fibers can- Activity A: Analyze an Object, Activity B: Classification of Natural Resources and abused and the time it takes for the re- not be recycled indefinitely and that Activity C: Quantities of Natural source to renew is lengthened. For exam- new fiber from trees must always be Resources, masking tape, markers in a ple, if log roads, skid trails and log added to the papermaking cycle. Stated variety of colors, flip chart papers, local phone books for each group, pencils, landings are located or abandoned im- more clearly, even if all paper were recy- natural objects such as rocks, shells, properly, the soil can be negatively affect- cled, some trees would still need to be water, soil, antlers, bird’s nest, cocoon, ed causing the new forest to regenerate harvested for paper. Section III — Activity 1 A “Resource” of Many Names 1 PROCEDURES cantly with time. Since the total ini- tial supply is limited in quantity, spider web imprint, etc. Strive for variety (Indoors, then Outdoors) and diversity. One object per participant. Set Stage: In the next few hours (or class each use must diminish the total sessions) we will investigate our use of stock. Renewable resources: Resources CD ROM: Use the section on “Wood natural resources. We will discuss the whose supply becomes available for you Buy that?” origins of natural resources and how nat- use at different intervals in time. The ural resources are classified and used. use of present supply flows does not A. Tell each student that they have five diminish future flows and it is possi- minutes to think about their defini- ble to maintain use indefinitely pro- tion of the term “natural resource.” vided the usage rate does not exceed The students should then write their the flow rate. Renewable resources definitions on a piece of paper. can be living organisms, soil, water or (Background – natural resource: (1) A other resources that are closely associ- feature of the natural environment ated with and affected by living or- that is of value in serving human ganisms. Non-renewable resources are needs. (2) Any feature of the natural nonliving materials such as minerals environment that requires choices be and fuels.) made. (3) A natural resource must be F. Begin a discussion based on Activity useful or of value to a culture (i.e., Sheet B. Possible questions to use are: air, water, trees, animals) and their re- ◆ What are some ways you can dis- lationships. A natural resource must tinguish between renewable and be basic or primary, not manufac- non-renewable resources? (This tured or processed.) helps students examine closer the B. Ask students to share their defini- attributes they used to classify tions of “natural resources.” Accept objects.) all answers, but do not record. ◆ What values are there in distin- C. Assign students to groups of three or guishing between renewable and four. Hand each group one of the non-renewable resources? ◆ natural objects that have been col- What makes a resource renewable lected. Pass out Activity A, Analyze or non-renewable? an Object Student Page. Have each Transition: To apply what has been group answer the three questions. learned so far. Distribute Activity Sheet C The answers should be recorded and to each student. Select a site near the each group should select someone to school or use the school itself to com- present their findings to the rest of plete this activity. the class. Allow about 20 minutes. G. After choosing a site, have the stu- D. Retrieve Date: Each group will pre- dents look around and list all natural sent their object and findings to the resources that have been used. After rest of the class. Lead a discussion on each natural resource, have students all of the objects listed on Activity write how it is used, whether it is re- Sheet A. Questions you might want newable or non-renewable, and the to ask include: relative quantity found at your site. (You might want to explain what rel- ◆ What are some of the uses of each ative quantity means or allow the object? class time to discuss the term and ◆ Which of the objects seem most come up with a definition.) The stu- important to you? Why? dents should come back to the class- ◆ Which object could you do with- room for discussion after their survey out? Why? is complete. E. Now that the students have looked at H. Once students are back in the class- one natural resource and have had a room, have them sit in their original chance to discuss it, have them try to groups and give them paper, marking classify several of them.