Natural Resources
A living or nonliving thing that exists "naturally" in the world. These can be found in the natural environment
True or false: all natural resources are nonrenewable
What is false
True or false: synthetic products can be made from plants or animals only
What is false
Synthetic products can be made from any natural resource including plants, animals, or petroleum (fossil fuels)
Name 2 of the big 5 natural resources that are unevenly distributed around the world
What is: Fertile soil, biodiversity, fossil fuels, metals and minerals
True or false: Each country has the same amount and access to natural resources
What is false
Each country has different natural resources based on location, past climate and geologic processes occurring there
Give two examples of natural resources:
What are: plants, animals, fossil fuels, rock, sunlight, water, etc.
a. Sunlight
b. Trees
c. Minerals
d. Water
What is c. Minerals
Give one example of an animal based synthetic product
What is: clothing, food, shoes, etc.
Where is biodiversity the greatest?
In tropical rainforests - around the equator, too
Humans tend to settle:
a. Where fossil fuels are abundant
b. in regions of high biodiversity
c. in regions rich in resources we need to survive (ex fertile land and water)
d. where it is hot and dry throughout the year
What is c. in regions rich in resources we need to survive (ex fertile land and water)
Which of the following is not a natural resource?
a. A grasshopper
b. Grass
c. A rock
d. Cotton fabric
What is d. Cotton fabric
What kind of resource can be regenerated or replenished by biochemical cycles?
What is a renewable resource
What synthetic product can be made from petroleum?
a. Plastic
b. Polyester
c. Nylon
d. All of the above
Where might you find metals and minerals?
What is: along plate boundaries and fault lines
Why would natural resources cause a conflict between countries?
Countries fight over natural resource-rich land. If countries do not have certain natural resources, they will have to trade or obtain territory that is rich in the natural resource they're needing.
Which of the following would you never find naturally in the environment?
a. Water
b. Minerals
c. Plastic
d. Cotton
What is c. Plastic
Name three products made from the nonrenewable resource fossil fuels
What are: crude oil, petroleum, gasoline, Styrofoam, plastic, polymer
What is one advantage of using synthetic products?
What is one disadvantage?
An advantage is that synthetic products are cheaper and quicker to make.
A disadvantage is they are usually not biodegradable and have more harmful effects on the environment
Why are natural resources unevenly distributed around the world? (3 reasons)
What is: past climate, Earth's history and Geologic processes
Can a country compensate for having very little natural resources? Explain
Yes. Today, countries can use technology and make products in exchange for natural resources and wealth.
We use natural resources, in general, in these three ways:
What is food, electricity (power) and building materials (construction)
What is: a renewable resource can become a nonrenewable resource if the renewable resource is used too quickly at a rate that cannot be replenished in one human lifetime.
Compare and contrast natural and synthetic resources
Natural resources exist in the environment naturally which synthetic resources are made by humans. We use natural resources to make synthetic products.
Where do you find coal?
Where do you find oil and natural gas?
You find coal where swamps used to be (past climate) and you find oil and natural gas in the ocean and are the remnants of marine life
Explain how distribution of resources impacts the economic activities of a country and a country's wealth or prosperity.
A country's economic activities often depend on natural resources in that country.