Sustainable Resource Use

Standards Overview 6.11A research and describe why resource management is important in reducing global energy poverty, malnutrition, and air and water pollution 6.11B explain how conservation, increased efficiency, and technology can help manage air, water, soil, and energy resources Essential Questions 6.11A

How can resource management be used to reduce global poverty? How can resource management be used to reduce malnutrition?
How can resource management be used to reduce air and water pollution? 6.11B

How can conservation help humans manage air, water, soil, and energy resources? How can new technologies help humans manage air, water, soil, and energy resources? In what ways have scientists already increased efficiency in managing air, water, soil, and energy resources? Student Learning Objectives I can research and describe why resource management is important in reducing global energy poverty. I can research and describe why resource management is important in reducing malnutrition. I can research and describe why resource management is important in reducing air and water pollution. I can explain how conservation can help manage air, water, soil, and energy resources. I can explain how increasing efficiency can help manage air, water, soil, and energy resources. I can explain how technology can help manage air, water, soil, and energy resources. Suggested Scope Calendar The following provides a suggested scope pacing guide for elements in the full product edition.

This schedule assumes there is a 45-minute science period each day.

The complexity level is based on teacher preparation, including materials and student grouping, as well as the level of work expected of students in the activity.

Spiral Opportunity Scope Name Concept Spheres and Layers of Earth When students are learning about the different spheres of Earth, students can review the ideas behind what our resources are, why we need to manage them, and how we impact them.Humans are dependent on all of Earth’s systems, including the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. These systems provide us with resources such as soil, air, water, minerals, metals, energy, plants, and animals. Some resources are renewable; others are not. Nonrenewable resources, such a minerals and fossil fuels, might never be regained once they are lost—like extinct species.

The earliest relationship between humans and natural resources was characterized by the dominance of the environment over human beings. Until 12,000 years ago, all humans were hunter-gatherers and subject to the laws of nature for subsistence living. With the formation of villages, where farming and fishing could sustain a small population, humans began shaping their environment by clearing land for agriculture and homes. Sustainability was not an issue with such small populations living in an area with sufficient human-carrying capacity. As civilizations grew, so too did the human impact on the environment. Ecosystems that had once supported small villages could no longer provide the natural resources for growing human populations. Natural resources, such as water, soil, and air, are required to sustain life on Earth. Conserving these resources has become a global problem and challenge.

An illustration of different earth resources. It shows the following eight resources solar energy, water resources, forest resources, coal resources, soil resources, oil resources, wind energy, and animal resources.

Water Conservation An image showing drain water being discharged onto city streets. Water is everywhere, but fresh water is quite rare. Clean, available fresh water is even rarer. Most of Earth’s fresh water is locked up in glaciers, polar ice, and groundwater. Only groundwater is available for use; therefore, conserving water is essential to maintain our way of life.

The average person uses 80–100 gallons of water per day. Water conservation starts in our homes with small changes in our habits. There are several ways to conserve water at home. Some examples of this are to turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, use water-saving toilets and shower heads, wash only full loads of laundry, plant drought-tolerant yards, allow rainwater places to soak into the yard (controlling runoff from paved areas), and use a rain barrel to collect rainwater for watering plants.

An image of the aerial view of an area. It shows several crop field, houses, and roads forming a network. Soil Conservation Soil is important to grow crops and raise cattle. Conserving soil means protecting it from erosion, overuse, salinization, and acidification. One of the biggest ways soil becomes unusable is when farmers grow crops that use up the nutrients in the soil year after year. Many farmers will rotate the types of crops they grow to avoid this. Having no-till practices can also conserve the soil by keeping healthy bacteria and earthworms in the soil and avoiding wind and water erosion. Practicing contour and terrace farming helps reduce runoff and erosion, which also affects soil availability

An image of a metropolitan city covered in smog. Air Conservation Air is a valuable natural resource, and maintaining the resource is important to keep in mind as we think about the future. Decisions we make every day can help maintain this resource. The more packaging an item has, the greater the impact it has on our resources. Recycling can help our air quality and reduce the number of new products that must be made. Planting trees helps filter the air and provide oxygen. On the global level, we need to cut emissions and continue to develop better technologies that keep the air cleaner.

Resource Conservation As the world population continues to grow, the consumption of energy resources has increased. However, there are various ways in which technology can help conserve the amount of energy we use daily. Energy efficient cars and appliances are available to help reduce the amount of wasted energy. LED light bulbs use around 75% less energy compared to incandescent lights.

Think about other resources worth conserving, such as water and soil. Turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth and planting trees to prevent erosion are other ways to help. Both small and large changes to energy consumption can have a lasting impact on the resources Earth can provide. It is vital for the survival of our species to conserve energy resources.

Global Energy Poverty In some areas, there is a lack of access to modern reliable energy services. Having access to adequate and affordable sources of energy is not the same across the globe, and that is referred to as global energy poverty. Being able to have access to energy is fundamental to improving quality of life and imperative for economic development. Managing resources is one step to help provide for the needs of communities that lack access to reliable energy services.