1. Renewable/Non-renewable Resources Activity Adapted from UNC-Wilmington curriculum

2. Essential Question Why is sustainable use of natural resources important?

3. Natural Resources ALL of the things we use in our physical environment to meet our needs and wants, such as water, land, materials for clothing, etc. We can put all of the things that we use into two categories non- renewable and renewable resources.

4. What is a renewable energy resource?  Renewable energy is natural energy which does not have a limited supply.  Renewable energy can be used again and again, and will never run out.  Perpetual resources are those that have a never ending supply. Types:  Biomass  Hydro-electric  Geothermal  Solar  Tidal  Wave  Wind  Wood

5. Non-Renewable Resources Activity 1. Students each pick up a slip of paper from a bag (there are 4 “1 st generation”, 6 “2 nd generation”, 9 “3 rd generation,” and 14 “4 th generation” slips) 2. Teacher goes to the front of the classroom with a bag of popcorn, and leads a brief discussion of what it means when one generation finds a resource and how future generations are affected by it. 3. 1 st generation students then come up and take as much popcorn as they want back to their seats. 2 nd generation students then do the same, followed by 3 rd and 4 th generations.

6. Sustainability of Resources What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a resource in a sustainable way? Advantage: It can last forever. Disadvantage: You need to control your use of it. What advantages and disadvantages are there to using a resource in a nonsustainable way? Advantages: People can use as much as they want of an available resource; they can make a lot of money in the short term. Disadvantage: They can destroy the resource base for themselves and future generations.

7. What is a non-renewable energy resource?  An energy resource that is not replaced or is replaced only very slowly by natural processes  Fossil fuels are continually produced by the decay of plant and animal matter, but the rate of their production is extremely slow, very much slower than the rate at which we use them. Types:  Coal  Oil  Nuclear  Natural Gas  Tar Sands and Oil Shale

8. Discussion: How the students acted in “using” the resource? Was there any waste that occurred? (popcorn dropped on the floor) Was any thought given to students coming afterwards? Were there were protests from students? What was the quality of popcorn towards the end?

9. Follow-Up Questions Categorize the following as renewable, non-renewable or perpetual resources:  A field of corn  Oil in the Arctic tundra  Coal in the Appalachian mountains  Sunshine  Trees in a forest  Tuna in the ocean  Sand on a beach  A breeze over the Texas plains  Water in a river  Which resources would continue to be available no matter how much people used them? Perpetual  Under what circumstances would a renewable resource not be renewable?

10. Follow-Up Questions  What could be some effects of population growth, natural disasters, disease, and advanced technology systems on resource availability?  What are some advantages and disadvantages of using renewable resources in place of non-renewable resources?  List as many renewable resources as you can find in your classroom.  List as many non- renewable resources as you can that are found in your classroom.