Grades:

4-6

Objective:

Better understand natural resources, and explain the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources and apply their knowledge.

Method:

Students discuss the meanings of renewable and non-renewable natural resources and will understand how people have used those resources. They will also draw a diagram of the water cycle.

Materials:

• Diagram of water cycle
• Crayons or colored pencils

Time:

• Preparation Time: 5 minutes
• Class Time: 45 minutes

Procedure:

• Explain the definition of natural resources.
• Discuss natural resources as a class:
  Questions to Ask:
  • How do we use natural resources today?
  • Why were natural resources important to the world one hundred years ago?
  • How are natural resources important to the world today?
  • Explain renewable natural resources and renewable energy resources.
  • Ask students to name some renewable resources that they have seen used around them.
  • “Water as a Renewable Resource” Activity:
    • Ask students to draw and label the water cycle
      • Question: How can you tell by looking at the diagram that water is a renewable resource?
  • Explain non-renewable natural resources and non-renewable energy sources.
  • Ask students to name some examples of non-renewable energy resources.
  • Explain that when students are visiting Hanford Mills Museum they will see resources being used.
  • Ask students to learn the meaning of these terms during their visit to the museum: headrace, tailrace, millrace, and millpond.
  • This may also be a good time to cover the Pre-Visit Orientation Activity.
  • OPTIONAL: Consider asking students to bring notebooks with them to Hanford Mills Museum to record the natural resources used, and whether those natural resources were renewable or non-renewable.

Assessment:

• • Participation in class discussion (listening and speaking)
• Finished water cycle diagram.

NYS Learning Standards:

• ELA Standard 1
• Math, Science and Tech. Standard 1
• Math, Science and Tech. Standard 4

Vocabulary & Spelling Words

    Energy Resources – n. sources of usable power, such as fossil fuel, electricity, water, wind, or solar radiation.

    Headrace – n. the race, flume, or channel leading to a water wheel or a millpond.

    Millpond – n. a pond for supplying water to drive a mill wheel.

    Natural Resources – n. the natural wealth of a country, consisting of land, forests, mineral deposits, water, etc.

    Non-renewable – adj. something that cannot be restored or replenished.

    Renewable – adj. something that can be restored or replenished.

    Resource – n. a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily used when needed.

    Tailrace – n. the race, flume, or channel leading away from a waterwheel or the mill.

    Water cycle – n. the route of water movement from the oceans to the air, to the Earth, and return to the air.