MATERIAL WORLD ANALYSIS
1.Take a few moments to look through Material World and get a sense of the information it provides.
2.Look at the locator map in Figure 1 and on pages 4–5 in Material World to see where each of the following
countries is located: Thailand, Iceland, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. Based only on information from the maps, rank
these four countries in order from “easiest to survive in” to “most difficult to survive in.”
3.Now, look carefully at the photographs in Material World of the families from Thailand, Iceland, Ethiopia, and
Guatemala. Make a data table similar to the one on the next page to record your observations.
4.For each family, predict the purpose of one of the possessions you do not recognize.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5.Typically, essential natural resources are not considered personal possessions, but are instead shared by all
members of the community. Describe any evidence in Material World that might indicate whether or not each family
has an adequate supply of clean air, water, and soil.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6.Based on the information you now have, again rank the four countries in order from “easiest to survive in” to
“most difficult to survive in.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Kuankaew
rice farming equip
Banana Trees
Water Container
clothes
firepot
20%
air
soil
motorscooter
video game
television
china cabinet
water buffalo
television
clothes
fans
bed
gas stove
Rice Canister
Group Analysis
1.Does your family have possessions that meet the same needs as things owned by the families pictured in Material
World? Explain.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2.Which possessions do you recognize as similar to something your family owns?Do these items tend to be essential
or non-essential?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3.In general, are a family’s most valued possessions the same as those they need for survival? How do you think
people determine the value of their possessions? Explain
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Individual Analysis
4.Do you think the estimate you made in the Prediction is still a good one? Explain why or why not.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5.Think about your own family’s possessions. List the five you consider to be the most valuable and the five you
consider most essential. Is your list similar to any of the lists you made for families in Material World? Are your
family’s most valued possessions the same as those you need for survival? Explain.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6.Does the number of material goods a family owns have any relationship to soil, air, or water quality? Explain.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
7.Using your knowledge of your own community and your observations about the four families from Material
World, describe two practices that promote sustainability for future generations and two that do not.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________