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Natural Resource Definition

A natural resource is anything in nature used by living things, like water, forests, and minerals. For example, forests provide materials for shelter.

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Natural Resources

LESSON MATERIALSmove

Fun Facts

  • Nearly all things that humans make, like robots, come from natural resources.
  • We can conserve natural resources by following the 3R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
  • Plants and animals need natural resources like water and air.

Why Do We Need To Know About Natural Resource

Studying natural resources helps us see how important they are in our everyday life and why we need to save them. For example, natural gas is used to heat our homes and cook our food. This is important for our energy needs and for making things like stoves work.

Materials like wood and rubber are used to build things and make everyday items like baseball bats and car tires. This shows how natural resources are connected to jobs in building, making things, and protecting the environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do people use natural resources?
People use natural resources to make things, produce energy and provide water, food and shelter needed to live. Natural resources are even used to make cars and computers.
Can there be shortages of natural resources?
Yes, if we use a lot of them very quickly, there may not be enough for everyone or they could run out. For example, if people eat too many fish from the ocean, that kind of fish may no longer exist.
Why are fossil fuels considered limited resources?
Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, formed in the Earth over millions of years. Humans are using up these resources much faster than they are being formed. The process to make fossil fuels happens naturally, but it is very slow.
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