Land and Ocean: Home of Natural Resources

Using a sheet of paper, fractions of the paper are used to represent the natural resources that we rely upon.

Background:

Natural resources are the features and products found on the Earth that are used to satisfy the needs and wants of those who live on the Earth, both human and animal. Natural resources include the land and water and the biological and mineral resources found on and in both.

Awareness of the two 'homes' of resources, land and water, helps to build an understanding of their location ad potential use or overuse. The Earth has been determined to be made up of 72% oceans and seas, and 28% land. This activity will help students understand the general uses of the land and oceans of the earth's surface; therefore, simple, generalized fractions will be used.
Oceans an seas 3/4
Land 1/4
Supports plants and animals 1/8
Minerals 3/8
Habitable 1/8
Used for growing food 1/32
Fresh water 3/100
Uninhabitable 1/8
Other facts may be added as students' understanding and ability to graph indicate.

Materials:

For the Student:(per student): 1 large piece of paper (12 x 18, if possible). Scissors. Crayons, colored pencils, or markers.

Step 1. Explain that by dividing paper into parts, students will be able to graphically see where some of the Earth's resources are found.

Step 2. Give each student a piece of paper. This paper represents the planet Earth, both land and water. Have the students fold the paper into four parts. Three of the four parts will represent the ocean. Have the students lightly color these parts blue. The last section represents the land. Have the students lightly color this section brown.

Step 3. Divide the land piece in two pieces. 1/8 of the Earth is uninhabitable. Label this section 'uninhabitable.' Discuss and list the reasons for this (lack of water, too steep or rocky, etc.). Name the kinds of land where people cannot live or grow crops (deserts, mountain tops, glaciers, beaches, etc.).

Step 4. Fold the remaining 1/8 piece of land into 4 parts. Divide one of the four parts. This represents the 1/32 of the Earth that is used for growing food, Label this section 'food.' The remaining 3/32 represents land used for buildings, highways, etc. Label this section 'habitable land.'

Step 5. Divide the food strip into thirds. Fold 1/3 in half and mark off this section. This represents the 3/100 of the land surface that is drinkable water. Label this section 'fresh water.'

Step 6. Divide one of the ocean/sea pieces in half. This represents the 1/8 of the ocean that supports plant and animal life. Label this section 'plant and animal life.'

Step 7. Label the remaining 1/8 and one of the 1/4 sections of ocean as 'minerals,' for a total of 3/8. The remaining 1/4 should be labeled 'ocean water.

 

Bibliography
Land and Ocean: Home of Natural Resources  Utah State Office of Education March 4, 1997