1. Treasure Hunt in Michigan
LIMESTONE
COPPER
IRON
COAL
GRAVEL
GYPSUM
FOREST
WATER
SALT
FERTILE SOIL
Treasure Hunt in Michigan
SAND
OIL
NATURAL GAS

2. Treasure Hunt in Michigan
Lesson Overview
Michigan’s rich natural resources have greatly influenced where people live and what work that they do. In this lesson students locate Michigan’s resources, learn how they have been used, and consider the consequences of those uses.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
Locate natural resources of Michigan today
Describe the uses of natural resources in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region and the consequences of these uses.
Explain how Michigan’s natural resources influenced the development of mining, lumbering, and manufacturing.
Treasure Hunt in Michigan

3. Treasure Hunt in Michigan
Grade Level Content Expectations
3-G1.0.1 Use thematic maps to identify and describe the physical and human characteristics of Michigan
3-G4.0.1 Describe major kinds of economic activity in Michigan today and explain factors influencing the location of these economic activities.
3-G5.0.1 Locate natural resources in Michigan and explain the consequences of their use.
3-E1.0.3 Analyze how Michigan’s location and natural resources influenced its economic development (i.e. How waterways and other natural resources have influenced economic activities)
Treasure Hunt in Michigan

4. Uses of Michigan’s Natural Resources
Resource name
Uses for the resource
Location of resource 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10.
11.
12.
Fertile Soil
Agriculture
Lower Peninsula
Copper
Pipes, wires, pennies, cookware
Keweenaw Peninsula
Gold/Silver
Money, dental work, jewelry
SW UP
Coal
Heating, electrical generation
Central LP
Iosco County, Grand Rapids
Gypsum
Plaster, wallboard, cement, chalk
Heating, fuels
Oil and Natural Gas
Central LP
Gravel
Road building, sharpening tools
Tip of Thumb
Limestone
Building, cement, manufacturing
Rogers City
Water
Drinking, irrigation, recreation, industry
Surrounding MI
Iron
Steel
Western UP
Salt
Roads, preserving, manufacturing
Detroit/Port Huron
Sand
Glass, cement, foundries, road building
Lake Michigan shore

6. Color the Land-Use map using the Great Lakes map.
Complete
the key.

7. Color the Land-Use map using the Great Lakes map.
Complete
the key.

8. Human Activities, Economic Development, and Consequences of Land Use
Forest
Agriculture
Urban
Human Activities
Influence of Great Lakes and rivers on Economic Activities
Consequences of Land Use
Tourism, camping, parks, recreation, hiking and sports
Lumbering, wood products (furniture)
Mining of resources (gold, oil, iron, etc.)
Manufacturing: industries making products based on materials mined
Construction: sewer systems, industry, landscaping, homes, roads
Growing crops (food)
Grazing animals
Fertilizing, clearing land
Water used for industry, drinking; Great Lakes used for shipping both raw materials and products
Rivers help in draining land; water for crops (irrigation) and animals; shipping grain
Rivers and lakes used for shipping, paper mills, and recreation
Decrease in forest cover (until reforested areas grow)
Dirt roads for logging equipment may erode land
Changes in natural habitats for plants and animals
Valuable Timber Industry
Water pollution from fertilizers and weed killers; Rural landscapes may replace forested areas.
Valuable Farming Industry
Change of drainage, pollution of water system (from sewage, detergent, oil products), air pollution.
Homes for laborers needed for industry

9. Using Resource #3 locate resources in Michigan
Copper
Gold
Iron
Limestone
Water
Add labels
to map
Gypsum
Sand
Coal
Oil
Nat. Gas
Gravel
Gypsum
Salt
Fertile Soil

11. Treasure Hunt in Michigan
Our valuable natural resources
1. Which of these resources are non-renewable, that is, we can use them up?
2. Which of these resources are least valuable in Michigan today?
3. Which of our valuable resources are used in manufacturing?
4. Where are most manufacturing plants located in Michigan?
5. How do manufacturing plants get the resources they need?
copper, gold, coal, gypsum, oil, natural gas, gravel, limestone, iron, salt, sand
copper, coal, gold and silver
gypsum, oil, limestone, iron, gravel, sand, timber
urban areas, lower peninsula
shipping on the Great Lakes, trucking on our highways
Treasure Hunt in Michigan

12. Treasure Hunt in Michigan
Group assignment:
Produce a poster, picture book, or skit
about one of the valuable resources in Michigan.
Include:
*Location of resource
*At least one use
*A flow chart of economic activities associated with the resource (for example):
forests >paper mills >newspapers
water >fishing industry >restaurants
*The location of an economic activity using this resource.  
Treasure Hunt in Michigan