1. Chapter 15 Section 2 What are natural resources?
Objective:
Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable natural resources

2. Key Terms
natural resource: material from the earth that is used by living things
conservation: wise use of natural resources

3. Natural Resources
When a spaceship travels into space, it carries everything its crew needs to live. A spaceship must have a supply of food, air, water, and fuel. Earth can be compared to a spaceship. Earth has everything living things need to survive. Materials from the earth that are used by living things are called natural resources.

4. What is a natural resource?
DEFINE
What is a natural resource?
Answer: A natural resource is a material from the earth that is used by living things.

5. Renewable Resources
Natural resources that can be reused or replaced are called renewable resources. Air, water, soil, and living things are renewable resources.

6. Renewable Resources
The water cycle allows Earth’s water to be used over and over. New soil is formed to replace soil that has been carried away by wind and water. New plants grow to replace those that die. Animals are born to replace animals that die.

7. What are four renewable resources?
2. LIST
What are four renewable resources?
Answer: Four renewable resources are air, water, soil, and living things.

8. Nonrenewable Resources
Oil, coal, and natural gas are fossil fuels. They were formed from plants and animals that lived long ago.

9. Nonrenewable Resources
Fossil fuels and minerals are called nonrenewable resources. Nonrenewable resources are natural resources that are not easily replaced by nature or by human effort. Nonrenewable resources can take millions of years to form. Once nonrenewable resources are used up, they are basically gone forever.

10. What is a nonrenewable resource?
3. DEFINE:
What is a nonrenewable resource?
Answer: A nonrenewable resource is materials that are formed from plants and animals that lived long ago.

11. Conservation
The wise use of a natural resource is called conservation. As the number of people on Earth gets larger, the need for natural resources increases. People must learn how to use natural resources wisely to help them last longer.

12. 4. ANALYZE:
What happens to the need for natural resources as Earth’s population grows?
Answer: As Earth’s population grows the need for natural resources increases.

13. Classwork CHECKING CONCEPTS
Water, soil and air are ________ natural resources.
Oil is a ___________ natural resource.
Natural resources come from _______.
Fossil fuels ______ be reused or replaced.
The wise use of natural resources is called __________.
renewable
nonrenewable
the Earth
can not
conservation

14. Classwork THINKING CRITICALLY
6. CLASSIFY: Classify each of the following as a renewable or nonrenewable resource: trees, coal, nitrogen, people, diamonds, water, natural gas, soil, oil, and iron.
trees - renewable
diamonds - nonrenewable
oil - nonrenewable
coal - nonrenewable
water - renewable
iron - nonrenewable
nitrogen - nonrenewable
natural gas - nonrenewable
people - renewable
soil - renewable

15. Classwork THINKING CRITICALLY
7. CONCLUDE: Why is it important to conserve even renewable resources?
Possible answer: It is important to conserve renewable resources because they do not renew instantly.