Geography · Grade 7 · Natural Resources and Economy · Term 2

Types of Resources: Renewable vs. Non-renewable

Distinguishing between renewable and non-renewable resources and their global availability, use, and depletion.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Natural Resources around the World: Use and Sustainability - Grade 7

About This Topic

Renewable resources, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, replenish naturally over short periods, while non-renewable resources, like fossil fuels and minerals, exist in finite supplies that deplete with use. Grade 7 students explore global patterns of availability, noting how oil-rich regions in the Middle East contrast with mineral deposits in Canada or Australia. They examine consumption rates and depletion timelines, connecting these to economic dependencies in countries like Saudi Arabia or Nigeria.

This topic aligns with Ontario's curriculum emphasis on sustainability, prompting analysis of unequal distribution sparking conflicts, such as water disputes in the Middle East, and community collapses when resources like cod fisheries in Newfoundland exhaust. Students also design global transition plans, weighing costs and benefits of shifting to renewables amid climate pressures.

Active learning shines here through simulations and role-plays that make abstract depletion tangible. When students map resource flows or debate trade policies in groups, they grasp interconnections and practice decision-making, turning passive facts into actionable insights that stick.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how the unequal distribution of resources leads to global conflict.
2. Explain what happens to a community when its primary natural resource is exhausted.
3. Design strategies to transition to renewable energy on a global scale.

Learning Objectives

• Classify Earth's natural resources as either renewable or non-renewable based on their rate of replenishment.
• Compare the global distribution and primary uses of at least three major renewable and three major non-renewable resources.
• Analyze the economic and environmental consequences of resource depletion for specific communities or countries.
• Design a strategy for a hypothetical community to transition from reliance on a non-renewable resource to a renewable alternative.

Before You Start

Introduction to Natural Resources

Why: Students need a foundational understanding of what natural resources are before they can classify them into types.

Basic Economic Concepts (Supply and Demand)

Why: Understanding how supply and demand influence resource value is helpful for discussing global availability and consumption.

Key Vocabulary

Renewable Resource	A natural resource that can be replenished naturally over a short period, such as solar energy, wind, or timber.
Non-renewable Resource	A natural resource that exists in finite amounts and is consumed much faster than it can be formed, such as fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and minerals.
Resource Depletion	The exhaustion of a resource, especially non-renewable resources, faster than it can be naturally regenerated or replaced.
Sustainability	The practice of using resources in a way that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Renewable resources never run out.

What to Teach Instead

Renewables can deplete locally if overused, like deforestation outpacing regrowth. Active sorting and mapping activities help students see sustainable rates versus exploitation, building nuance through peer debates.

Common Misconception

Non-renewable resources regenerate slowly.

What to Teach Instead

They do not regenerate on human timescales; once extracted, supplies dwindle. Simulations of depletion graphs in groups reveal exponential use patterns, correcting timelines via hands-on data plotting.

Common Misconception

All countries have equal resource access.

What to Teach Instead

Distribution is uneven, fueling trade and conflict. Mapping exercises expose this reality, with discussions clarifying how geography shapes economies, fostering empathy through role-plays.

Active Learning Ideas

Sorting Cards: Resource Classification

Prepare cards listing resources like coal, wind, timber, and uranium with descriptions. In pairs, students sort into renewable and non-renewable piles, then justify choices using renewal rates. Discuss edge cases like peat as a class.

30 min·Pairs

Case Study Analysis: Resource-Exhausted Town

Provide profiles of towns like Detroit (auto decline tied to oil) or Kirkland Lake (gold mine closure). Small groups chart economic, social impacts and propose recovery plans. Present findings on posters.

45 min·Small Groups

Map Activity: Global Distribution

Students use world maps to plot renewable (hydro sites) and non-renewable (oil fields) hotspots. Mark conflict zones and depletion risks. Pairs add data on Canada's resources like tar sands.

35 min·Pairs

Design Challenge: Energy Transition

Whole class brainstorms strategies for a fictional country to switch to 50% renewables. Groups prototype models like solar farms from recyclables and pitch viability.

50 min·Small Groups

Real-World Connections

• Engineers at companies like Vestas design and install wind turbines in regions like Texas and Denmark, harnessing wind power as a renewable energy source to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
• Geologists working for mining companies in Sudbury, Ontario, identify and extract mineral deposits like nickel and copper, which are finite non-renewable resources essential for manufacturing electronics and vehicles.
• Communities in Newfoundland and Labrador experienced significant economic hardship when the cod fishery, a once abundant renewable resource, became severely depleted due to overfishing, leading to widespread job losses.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with a list of 10 resources (e.g., solar power, diamonds, trees, coal, water, iron ore, wind, oil, natural gas, fertile soil). Ask them to categorize each as renewable or non-renewable and provide a one-sentence justification for their choice.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'Imagine your town's main industry relies on extracting a non-renewable resource that is running out. What are three immediate challenges the community would face, and what are two long-term strategies for survival?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to share their ideas.

Exit Ticket

On an index card, have students write the definition of resource depletion in their own words. Then, ask them to name one specific renewable resource and one specific non-renewable resource and explain why they chose those examples.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I teach renewable vs non-renewable resources in grade 7 geography?

Start with concrete examples: Canada's hydroelectric power as renewable, Alberta oil sands as non-renewable. Use visuals of global maps showing uneven distribution. Build to sustainability by analyzing depletion data and transition strategies, tying to key questions on conflict and community impacts.

What causes global conflicts over natural resources?

Unequal distribution creates tensions, as resource-poor nations depend on imports from suppliers like Russia for natural gas. Competition escalates into disputes, seen in Arctic claims or South China Sea oil. Students analyze via case studies to understand economic and geopolitical drivers.

How does active learning benefit teaching resource types?

Activities like resource sorting or depletion simulations engage kinesthetic learners, making distinctions memorable. Group mapping reveals global patterns collaboratively, while design challenges develop critical thinking on sustainability. These approaches outperform lectures by connecting facts to real-world decisions.

What happens to communities when resources deplete?

Economies contract, jobs vanish, leading to out-migration and social strain, as in Venezuela's oil downturn or Australia's coal towns. Recovery demands diversification, like renewables or tourism. Role-plays help students explore adaptive strategies and long-term planning.