TOPIC: The Earth’s Resources

Push Pull
Planet Earth is made up of different things –air, water, plants, animals, soil, rocks, minerals, crude
oil, and other fossil fuels. These things are called natural resources because they are not made by
people; rather they are gathered from nature. Sunlight and wind are also natural resources. We all
use all these things to survive and satisfy our needs.

Many of the natural resources people need to survive are renewable . Renewable resources-such
as sunlight , water , and air-cannot be used up. However, pollution can make them harder to use.
Plants and animals are also renewable resources. Normally living things replace themselves
through reproduction. But such human activities as hunting, logging, building, and polluting can
cause whole groups of living things to disappear forever.
Non-living things make up another kind of natural resource. These resources, such as soil, stone,
oil, and gases, can take thousands or millions of years to form. They are considered non-renewable
because people use them faster than they can form.
The earth’s resources are slowly being depleted. Non-renewable resources like metal ores and
fossil fuel will not be available for a very long time once they are consumed. To help conserve these
resources. We may apply the 3Rs of conservation: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Unwise use of
resources can result in drastic changes in climate and loss of lives and property.
Guide Questions
1. How will you describe natural resources?
2. How do renewable resources different from non-renewable resources?
3. What are the examples of renewable and non-renewable resources?
4. Why is conserving our natural resources important?