Natural resources — Geography, 7–10 years
People use useful things that come from nature, such as fresh water, wood, soil, sunlight and metals. Geography helps us ask where they are, who uses them and how to protect them.
What nature provides
A natural resource is something from nature that people can use. Water can be drunk, soil can grow food, wood can become furniture and sunlight can provide energy. A resource is not made in a factory, even though people may process it afterwards.
Why location matters
Resources are not spread evenly across Earth. One place may have rich soil, another strong sunlight, and another useful metal in its rocks. This affects what people grow, build, buy or trade, and it makes careful sharing important.
A sunny energy choice
A school wants to compare two places for solar panels. Place A gets about 5 hours of strong sunshine each day; Place B gets about 3 hours. Over two days, A has 5 + 5 = 10 sunny hours, while B has 3 + 3 = 6. A is the better choice for sunlight, if other conditions are similar.
Natural does not mean endless
It is easy to think that a natural resource will always be available because nature made it. But forests can be cut faster than they grow, and clean water can become polluted. The word natural describes its source, not how quickly it returns or how much is safe to use.
Resources in a lunch box
A sandwich connects to many natural resources: soil and water help grow wheat, sunlight helps plants grow, and metal or wood may be used in tools. Looking at an ordinary object this way helps us notice its journey from nature to a home or shop.
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