Unit 1 Wants, Resources and Choices Lesson 2 Resources

What types of resources are there

and how can they be used?

1 Think, pair and share

What is this and how could it have helped people to satisfy their needs and wants?

Vocabulary

capital natural services

community needs sustainably
future present wants
goods resources
human satisfy

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Unit 1 Wants, Resources and Choices Lesson 2 Resources

Stone tools are the first known technological invention. The tools were used
to chop branches from trees, cut meat from large animals or smash bones for
marrow fat. This technology helped humans satisfy their basic needs for food and
shelter. For nearly two million years, humans have been developing technology
to help satisfy their needs and wants economically through the careful use
of money, resources and production.

2 Watch the video Primitive Technology, then answer the questions.

3 What need did the person have?

He needed fire to get warm

4 What natural things did he use to satisfy this need?

To make tools

5
4 What human abilities did he use (physical and intellectual)?
Brain power,iq, eq

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4 Draw the piece of equipment he built and label its parts.

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Unit 1 Wants, Resources and Choices Lesson 2 Resources

Types of economic resources

Natural things, human abilities and equipment are called economic resources.
They are important parts of the process we use to satisfy our needs and wants.

7 Look at the definitions and then write some examples for each resource.

Natural Human Capital

Definition Natural resources are Human resources Capital resources
found in nature and include the human include the equipment,
are used by people effort or knowledge buildings, tools and
to make things. required to make things machinery used to help
and provide services. produce things faster
and more easily.
Examples
of resource

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Unit 1 Wants, Resources and Choices Lesson 2 Resources

8 Many people think one of the most important needs in a community is education.
Brainstorm the resources needed for a school.

Natural resources

Human resources

Our school

Capital resources

9 Share and discuss your ideas in a group. Decide which resource is the most essential.

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Unit 1 Wants, Resources and Choices Lesson 2 Resources

Decisions about the use of resources are usually made by thinking economically.
This involves the careful use of money, resources and production. Money for
education is limited, it is mostly provided by the government. The school manages
the money through a budget which decides on the resources which will give
the best production. In a school the production is education.

10 Look at the school budget example.

School budget
Calculate the amount of money given
to each type of resource. Resources Cost in $
Teaching staff 1,800,000
Natural $ Casual teachers 150,000
Support staff 800,000
Human $ Office staff 180,000
Cleaners 137,500
Capital $
Caretaker 50,000
Water 20,000
The cost of building a school is
a capital cost but it is not included Electricity 34,000
in a school budget.
Classroom supplies 94,000
Other resources 220,000

11 In this budget, the school has $220,000 to spend on other resources.

Watch the video about Samuel Terry Public School. Discuss with your group what
resources the additional funding was spent on.
Look back at your answers to Question 7. Complete a budget for your school
for additional resources to the value of $220,000.

Resource Budget Type of resource

Discuss with your class or group the improvements in production (education)

you would expect to see after spending the money on additional resources.

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Unit 1 Wants, Resources and Choices Lesson 2 Resources

12 Many schools are going paperless and using only digital devices. This would mean
a change in resources from natural to capital. Complete the PMI chart for a change
to a paperless school.

Plus Minus Interesting

13 Think of an item sold in your school canteen. Create a flowchart of all the resources
needed to make the item and get it to your school. Next to each resource in the
flowchart write N, H or C to show the type of resource.

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