Sustainable use of resources
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what is meant by the sustainable use of resources, and describe ways to make transport and buildings more sustainable.
Key learning points
- Renewable resources do not run out because they are replenished faster than they are used up.
- A resource is sustrainable it is maintained a certain level for as long as it is needed.
- Some resources, such as wood, are only renewable if they are used sustainably.
- We cannot have sustainable transport that uses petrol or diesel fuel.
- Altering the design of a building can make it more sustainable.
Keywords
Fuel - a substance we burn for heating things
Natural resource - a substance that can be found within the environment
Renewable resource - a resource that will not run out because it is replenished more quickly than we use it up
Sustainable resource - a resource that can be maintained at a certain level for as long as is needed
Common misconception
Wood is (always) a renewable resource.
Discuss with the pupils the different ways in which we can obtain and regenerate (or not) the wood we use. Highlight that trees do not necessarily replace all the wood we take from them, and even if they do, it may take many years of growing.
Teacher tip
Parts of this lesson are readily adaptable to the circumstances of your school. There may be projects or stratagies in place, or planned, that you can explore with your class in order to make the lesson more immediately relevant and accessible.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is a material?
Q2.What properties of a brick make it suitable for construction?
Q3.What properties of glass make it suitable for making a window?
Q4.What word describes a material that is a poor thermal conductor?
Q5.Which materials are good thermal insulators?
Q6.What types of material are always good thermal conductors?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What type of resources do we find in an environment?
Q2.What type of resources are replenished more quickly than they are used up?
Q3.How can wood be used sustainably?
Q4.Match each type of resource to the correct defintion.
a substance we burn for heating things
a substance that comes from Earth
one that can be maintained at a certain level for as long as is needed
one that is replenished more quickly than we use it up
Q5.Why can petrol never be used sustainably?
Q6.What are disadvantages of using wood in place of brick to construct buildings?
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Sustainable use of resources, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Sustainable use of resources, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 science lessons from the Climate change and living sustainably unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.