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TRB 5:2 - Activity # 2 - Land and Ocean: Home of Natural Resources

Using a sheet of paper, fractions of the paper are used to represent the natural resources that we rely upon.

Natural resources are the features and products found on the Earth that are used to satisfy the needs and wants of those who live on the Earth, both human and animal. Natural resources include the land and water and the biological and mineral resources found on and in both.

Awareness of the two 'homes' of resources, land and water, helps to build an understanding of their location ad potential use or overuse. The Earth has been determined to be made up of 72% oceans and seas, and 28% land. This activity will help students understand the general uses of the land and oceans of the earth's surface; therefore, simple, generalized fractions will be used.
Oceans an seas 3/4
Land 1/4
Supports plants and animals 1/8
Minerals 3/8
Habitable 1/8
Used for growing food 1/32
Fresh water 3/100
Uninhabitable 1/8
Other facts may be added as students' understanding and ability to graph indicate.

For the Student:(per student): 1 large piece of paper (12 x 18, if possible). Scissors. Crayons, colored pencils, or markers. Paper for making graphs. Word Strips with the natural resources listed in background information.

Step 1. See background materials.

Teacher Resource Book General Background

Teacher Resource Book - Elementary Science - Background Information Very informative; gave lesson plans that fit the core.

Teacher Resource Book 5th Grade Background

Teacher Resource Book - Elementary Science - Fifth Grade Background Information

Teacher Resource Book 5th Grade Standard 2 Background

Teacher Resource Book - Elementary Science - Background Information

Step 2. As students to name examples of natural resources; list on the chalkboard.
Step 3. Present the word strips of the natural resources that will be used in this activity. Have the students determine which category represents the natural resources that they named. For instance, 'trees' might fall under 'land' and 'supports plants and animals.' 'Coal' would fall under 'minerals.'
Step 4. Divide the resources into the two areas where they are found,either land or oceans and seas; some are found in both, such as minerals and food.
Step 5. Explain that by dividing paper into parts, students will be able to graphically see where some of the Earth's resources are found.
Step 6. Give each student a piece of paper. This paper represents the planet Earth, both land and water. Have the students fold the paper into four parts. Three of the four parts will represent the ocean. Have the students lightly color these parts blue. The last section represents the land. Have the students lightly color this section brown. Cut the four sections apart.

Land and Ocean: Home of the Natural Resources

Teacher Resource Book - Graphic of earth's resources in relative size to each other.

Step 7. Cut the land piece in two pieces. 1/8 of the Earth is uninhabitable. Label this section 'uninhabitable.' Discuss and list the reasons for this (lack of water, too steep or rocky, etc.). Name the kinds of land where people cannot live or grow crops (deserts, mountain tops, glaciers, beaches, etc.).
Step 8. Fold the remaining 1/8 piece of land into 4 parts. Cut off one of the our parts. This represents the 1/34 of the Earth that is used for growing food, Label this section 'food.' The remaining 3/32 represents land used for buildings, highways, etc. Label this section 'habitable land.' Discuss resources found in each of these areas.
Step 9. Divide the food strip into thirds. Fold 1/3 in half and cut off the section. This represents the 3/100 of the land surface that is drinkable water. Label this section 'fresh water.'
Step 10. Cut one of the ocean/sea pieces in half. This represents the 1/8 of the ocean that supports plant and animal life. Label this section 'plant and animal life.'
Step 11. Label the remaining 1/8 and one of the 1/4 sections of ocean as 'minerals,' for a total of 3/8. The remaining 1/4 should be labeled 'ocean water.' Discuss resources found in the ocean.
Step 12. The students can now assemble the cut pieces into a type of bar graph, with the greatest sources of natural resources and one end (ocean minerals) and the least at the other end (fresh water).
Step 13. As students to interpret the data represented by the graph. Where are our greatest natural resources? What resources need the greatest protecting? Why? What resources are used the most? The least? Why?

1. Students can use other graphs to represent the Earth's resources. Consider adapting this data to the following graph types: bar graph, pie chart, pictograph. 2. Make a display of the various graphical representations that can be used with a single data source. Which graph is the most informative? Least informative? Easiest to interpret?

No Assessment Rubric

Bibliography:

	http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Office of Education (USOE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USOE Specialist - Mr. Brett Moulding and see the Science Home Page. For general questions about Utah's Core Curriculum contact the USOE Director of Curriculum - Dr. Vicky Dahn  email:  vdahn@usoe.k12.ut.us