Earth's resources and sustainable development
I can describe examples of how humans can ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ to support sustainable development.
Earth's resources and sustainable development
I can describe examples of how humans can ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ to support sustainable development.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Humans use the Earth’s resources for most of our material needs.
- Some resources from the Earth are finite and will run out if we use them.
- Sustainable development meets our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
- Synthetic products are those that are manufactured from the Earth’s resources.
- To enable effective recycling, materials need to be sorted according to type.
Keywords
Natural resources - Natural resources are substances that come from Earth.
Renewable resources - A renewable resource is not used up, or it can be replaced in our lifetime.
Finite resources - Finite resources exist in limited quantities on Earth. Once they have been used they cannot be regenerated or replaced in our lifetime.
Synthetic products - Products that are manufactured from natural resources are known as synthetic products.
Sustainable development - Sustainable development is using resources to meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the needs of future generations.
Common misconception
Students believing that sustainability is someone else's responsibility.
Everyone needs to reduce, reuse and recycle to ensure sustainable development. The slide deck gives examples of products that can be recycled and the benefits of reducing, reusing and recycling.
To help you plan your year 11 chemistry lesson on: Earth's resources and sustainable development, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 chemistry lesson on: Earth's resources and sustainable development, 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 4 chemistry lessons from the Using Earth's resources unit, dive into the full secondary chemistry curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
None required.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
come from Earth, the oceans and the atmosphere
are not used up, and can be replaced or regenerated in our lifetime
once used cannot be regenerated or replaced in our lifetime
are man-made from natural resources
Exit quiz
6 Questions
clothing
shelter
transport
food