Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

Providing the everyday things that people use in their lives takes large amounts of energy and raw materials. Water is used to grow crops, land is used to raise animals, trees are used for paper and as a building material, and gasoline serves as a fuel. Water, land, trees, and oil are all natural resources. Resources are not all infinite. Many resources do not replenish in a short period of time, while others will never run out if they are managed properly. In this topic, you will learn about the different types of resources, how natural resources are harvested and used, and how resource use affects their long-term availability.

Essential Questions

• What is a resource, and how are they used?
• What is the difference between a renewable and nonrenewable resource?
• How can resource use be reduced in order to conserve resources?