Resources and the Environment

Author(s): Barbara Tharp, MS, Nancy Moreno, PhD, and Paula Cutler, MA

Associated Reading Associated Resource Collection

Grades:
K-2

The Resources and the Environment Teacher's Guide allows very young students to explore how living things—including humans—use resources found naturally in their environments or modify resources to meet their needs.

Students study an animal in a habitat, make a processed food, learn about the water cycle and air quality, investigate resources for home building, and sequence the steps for transforming a raw product into something different (for example, the process of turning freshly cut timber into a painted chair). The guide provides the following hands-on activities:

Assessments: Pre- and post-assessments
Resources and Animals: What resources do animals need to live in their environment?
Is It Natural or Transformed? What is the difference between a natural or changed resource?
Raw vs. Processed Food: What is the difference between natural and processed food?
Make a Processed Food: Can we change how a banana is used for food?
Making a Water Cycle: What is the water cycle?
River Ecology: What might affect a water source?
Detecting Air Pollution: Can we make an air pollution detector for indoors?
Where Do Animals Live? Where do different animals make their homes?
Humans Design Their Homes: Can we make a model for people living in different climates?
Developing an Object or Tool: How are resources changed to create objects for humans to use?

The Resources and the Environment Teacher’s Guide is also designed to be used with Tillena Lou's Big Adventure (student storybook) and two supplements: The Reading Link and The Math Link (language arts and mathematics worksheets activities related to the storybook).

Although the activities are most appropriate for use with students in grades K–2, the lessons are easily adaptable for other grade levels.

Download: Resources and the Environment Teacher's Guide