Resource Rangers Slides Resource Rangers
Economics & Conservation in Action
"Protecting the things that make our world work."
Warm-Up Poll
Is a tree renewable?
Think about how it grows and how we use it.
YES
Tally here
NO
Tally here
What is an Economy?
A system of making things (goods) and providing services.
Economics is the study of how we make, buy, sell, and use things.
BUY
MAKE
SELL
USE
Natural Resources
Things found in nature that are not made by man.
Examples:
Water
Sunlight
Wind
Trees
Rocks
Oil/Coal
Can we run out?
Renewable
"Never being used up."
Solar Energy
Wind Energy
Non-Renewable
"Once we use them up, they are gone."
Oil & Coal
Gold & Iron
Watch & Learn
Economics in Action
Embedded media
Minute 3:15
Gas prices and supply.
Minute 5:00
The Tree Paradox.
Minute 7:23
The Resource Quiz!
The Tree Paradox
BIOLOGICALLY:
Trees grow back from seeds. They are renewable!
ECONOMICALLY:
Humans use them FASTER than they grow. So we call them non-renewable.
CONSERVE!
If we use more than we grow, we will run out.
The Other Resources
Human Resources
"The labor or work people do."
Examples:
Farmers & Factory Workers
Truck Drivers & Store Clerks
YOU ARE A RESOURCE!
Capital Resources
"Tools, machines, and vehicles."
Examples:
Tractors & Factory Machines
Trucks & Freezers
Your Pencil & Tablet
Conservation Campaign
Design a message that saves a resource.
1
Choose One
OIL • COAL
2
Create It
Draw a flyer or bumper sticker to encourage others.
3
Explain Why
Tell the class why your resource is special and needs help.
"The less there is of something that people want, the more expensive it becomes."
Be Resourceful. Be Clever.
Conservation Campaign Worksheet Conservation Campaign
Resource Rangers Design Challenge
Name
Date
The Mission
Non-renewable resources like oil, coal, copper, and trees (in an economic sense) are limited. Once they are gone, they are gone forever! Your task is to create a powerful visual message to encourage people to conserve one of these resources.
1 Plan Your Campaign
Selected Resource
Oil
Coal
Copper
Trees
Why is it important?
2 Design Your Message
Use the space below to design a bumper sticker or a small flyer. Include a catchy slogan and a clear image!
Your Design Here
3 Presentation Notes
What is the "catchy slogan" you used?
Explain one way someone can conserve this resource in real life:
Resource Rangers Video Transcript Video Transcript
Resource Rangers
Video Title
Three Kinds of Resources
00:00
Kylie: Hello, my name is Kylie and welcome to Three Kinds of Resources. In this video, you will learn about three different types of resources, how they are made, and how they are used. It has a lot to do with economics and money. Ready to learn about resources in our economy? Let's take a closer look.
00:35
Our economy is a system of making things called goods and providing services. It also is how we go about trading, buying, and selling these goods and services. Economics is the study of how we make, buy, sell, and use things. The use and moving around of these items is an important part of economics. These things are called resources.
01:33
Let's take a look at three different kinds of resources that are all around us. The first and perhaps the most important resources we will discuss are Natural Resources. Natural resources are things that are found in nature and not made by man.
02:16
There are some natural resources that are renewable. These resources can be thought of as never being used up. These include sunlight or solar energy, and wind energy. We can collect solar power with solar panels that collect sunlight from the sun and turn it into electricity.
02:48
Most natural resources are non-renewable. This means that once we use them up, there will be no more of that resource. For example, oil, used to make gasoline, plastic, and heating oil is found deep, deep underground. There is a limited amount of it. Once we use it up, it will be gone forever.
04:03
Non-renewable natural resources must be carefully conserved. Conserved means to only use what we need, find ways to use less, and protect what little there is left. Trees are a very good example of this.
04:54
You may say, "Well, then trees are a renewable natural resource, right?" Well, technically yes, but we classify or group them into the non-renewable category because humans use them up faster than they can grow.
05:28
Let's take a look at the second type of resources: Human resources. Yes, you, you are a resource. Humans are resources because we do labor, or work. Of course, there are a ton of different types of jobs humans do.
06:35
The last type of resource is called capital resources. These are things like machines, tools, vehicles, and information people use to do their work. Remember that delicious vanilla ice cream I talked about? The tractor... the forklift... the freezer... they are all capital resources.
Resource Rangers Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
Resource Rangers: Economics & Nature
Grade Level
4th Grade
Duration
45-50 Minutes
Subject
Economics / Science
Learning Objective
Students will be able to differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources and propose specific conservation methods for finite resources.
Materials Checklist
Resource Rangers Slides
Video Transcript (for reference)
Conservation Campaign Worksheets
Cardstock (for flyers/stickers)
Art Supplies (Markers, crayons, etc.)
Internet access for video playback
Instructional Sequence
5 MIN Warm-Up
The Tree Poll
Conduct a quick poll: "Is a tree renewable?" Tally the "Yes" and "No" answers on the board. Do not reveal the "correct" answer yet; explain that the class will investigate this during the lesson.
15 MIN Instruction
Video Discovery
Watch the "Three Kinds of Resources" video. Utilize the following pause points for discussion:
Pause at 4:03-5:28:
Focus on Deforestation . Revisit the poll question. Clarify the economic vs. biological definition. Why are they grouped as non-renewable in economics? (Humans use them faster than they grow).
Pause at 7:23:
Interactive Quiz. Pause before Kylie gives the answers for the School Bus, Pencil, and Copper Ore to let students guess.
15 MIN Activity
Conservation Campaign
Students form small groups to design a bumper sticker or small flyer encouraging conservation. They must choose one resource: Copper, Oil, Coal, or Trees.
Distribute cardstock and art supplies for the creative portion.
10 MIN Closure
Presentations
Groups present their campaigns. They must explain why their specific resource needs conserving and how their design helps spread that message.
Common Misconceptions
"Renewable means it's always good."
Remind students that even renewable resources (like water) can be polluted or made difficult to use if we aren't careful.
"Trees aren't like coal."
In this economic context, they are similar because of the rate of consumption . Coal takes millions of years to form; trees take decades. Both are outpaced by human demand.
