As we continue to dive into protecting our environment, first graders are learning about resources – both natural and man-made. On Tuesday, we began our lesson by practicing the word resource and discussing that a resource is a supply of something you use. We made connections to real life by brainstorming some resources that we use in our classroom such as pencils, crayons, books, STEM toys, chairs, iPads, etc. Some students made connections to our past learning about needs and wants and pointed out that some resources are needs while others are wants.
After learning the term resource, we read a nonfiction book called Natural or Man-Made? which discussed the two types of resources. Natural resources are materials we get from nature, like water, air, plants, and minerals. Man-made resources are things humans create using natural resources, such as buildings, machines, and tools. In the text, we saw the connection between natural materials and their man-made counterparts such as: trees/lumber/homes, clay/pottery, sand/glass, and wheat/breakfast cereal. After reading, we watched a short video clip from How It’s Made of glass bottle being made from silica sand, soda ash, and limestone (all examples of natural resources) to see how man-made resources can be created from natural resources.
Finally, students worked together as a class to sort natural and man-made resources to match them up as pieces of a puzzle. Each student was responsible for two resources and was tasked with finding the classmates with the corresponding pieces of the puzzle. Activities like this one are a great opportunity for students to move around the classroom and practice interpersonal skills while exploring the concept at hand!
