Natural Resources Lesson with Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources Activities

Teach students about natural resources with this engaging elementary economics lesson! Through real-world examples and activities, students explore where natural resources come from, how people use them, and why resources are traded between countries. They also learn to distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources.

This ready-to-use lesson connects economics to the natural world, helping students understand how resources support people's needs and wants and contribute to trade between countries.

What's Included?

• Lesson Plan: Guide students through an introduction to natural resources and their role in the economy.

• Anchor Charts: Explain natural resources, and reinforce vocabulary.

• Informational Text: Help students build background knowledge about natural resources.

• Natural Resources Activities: Help students explore different types of natural resources around the world.

• What’s in a Phone Activity: Read about and complete an activity showing how natural resources are collected around the world to make goods, like phones.

• Natural Resources Poster: Give students opportunities to research natural resources and how they’re used.

• Real-World Examples: Connect natural resources to everyday products, human needs, and international trade.

• Quick Quiz: Reinforce learning and assess retention.

• Answer Key: Make checking student understanding easier.

What Will Students Learn?

• Define natural resources and identify examples.

• Explain where natural resources come from.

• Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources.

• Describe how people use natural resources to meet their needs and wants.

• Explain why countries trade natural resources.

Perfect For

• Natural resources worksheets and activities

• Renewable and nonrenewable resources lessons

• Elementary economics and social studies

• Natural resources and international trade instruction

• Ready-to-use classroom activities

Designed for Elementary Learners

Make economics meaningful by connecting natural resources to students' everyday lives. Students discover how resources from the natural world become the materials and products people use, why resources are not distributed equally around the world, and how countries rely on trade to access the resources they need.

Help students explore the connection between natural resources, economic activity, and global trade!