Classifying Earth’s Resources
Renewable, Nonrenewable and
Inexhaustible
Renewable Resources
• Definition- a resource that can be replaced in a
short amount of time.
Examples of Renewable
Resources
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•
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Fresh Water via the water cycle
Plants via the life cycle
Animals via the life cycle
Air via the process of photosynthesis
Soil via decomposition of matter and bacteria
Fresh Water
Life Cycle of a Plant
Erosion Protectors
Food
Decoration
Medicine
Shade
Building Material
Sun Protection
Oxygen Producers
Animals- The Circle of Life
Food
Pollen Carriers
Seed Carriers
Clothing
Entertainment
Medicine
Companionship
Pollen Carriers
Carbon Dioxide Producers
Air Cycle- Photosynthesis
To Breath
To do Science
To Regulate Earth’s Temp.
To Sustain Plant Life
To Make Fire
To Make Rocks
Soil
Soil is dynamic and is filled with
all kinds of life… such as
microbes, worms, fungi, insects,
roots and more. It contains
minerals and small rocks that
vary in size from that of silt to
pebbles. Soil also usually
contains organic matter which is
the decaying remnants of plant
and animal life.
It can take hundreds or
thousands of years to make 1
inch of soil
Inexhaustible (HUH?)
Resources
• Definition- resources that cannot be used up.
• Oh wait……scientists don’t classify resources
an inexhaustible….so keep going with
– RENEWABLE!!
Examples of MORE Renewable
Resources
• Wind
• Ocean Tides
• Sunlight
Wind
Wind can be harnessed to store energy as electricity or used directly to pump water
Ocean Tides
The movement of the tides could be harnessed with
an underwater turbine to store the energy.
Sunlight
We can use sunlight to generate electricity by using solar panels
and we already know that the sun is the energy source for the water
and for photosynthesis.
Nonrenewable Resources
• Definition- a resource that cannot be replaced in
a short amount of time.
Examples of Nonrenewable
Resources
• Diamonds and Precious Gems
• Metal Ore
• Fossil Fuels such as Coal, Oil,
and Natural Gas
Precious Gems
Metal Ore
Iron ore
Platinum ore
Fossil Fuels
What Can We Conclude About
Earth’s Resources?
• How do we classify earth’s resources?
• What are some examples of each type of
resource?
• Should we be more careful with two types of
resources than the other one?
• What can we as individuals do to help conserve
some of our most important resources?