6172RB Science a STEM approach Year 2 low res watermark

Earth and space sciences
OUR RESOURCEFUL WORLD
Lesson 1
Lesson plan
Introduction:
1. Play a game of I spy. Choose a natural or man-made object that you can see and give students
clues relating to its use, where it can be found or if it is naturally occuring or man-made. Repeat the
game a few times using different objects. QP PC
2. Explain to students that all of these objects are resources. Resources are materials or objects that
can be used in our everyday lives. Some resources can be found naturally and some need to be
transformed in factories or laboratories to be useable. The resources that can be found naturally are
called Earth’s resources. What natural resources can you think of that we use in our everyday lives?
QP
Development:
3. Watch the video Resources: Welcome to the neighbourhood at .
This video gives a brief overview of Earth’s resources, how communities are built around available
resources and how these are transformed into useable products and energy sources.
4. Display the Earth’s resources brainstorm on page 80 on an interactive whiteboard. Read each
category of Earth’s resources, including air, sun, water, soil, minerals and rocks, plants, and animals.
Discuss that in addition to these resources, fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, are also
natural resources that have been created by the decomposing matter of prehistoric plants and
animals. Note: These are used as energy sources or transformed in factories into plastics and other
man-made materials, and may be difficult for students to find around the school. For this reason,
fossil fuels have not been included on page 80.
5. Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a digital camera or an iPad® and a copy of page 80.
Conduct a 15-minute school walk where students find examples of how Earth’s resources have
been used around the school. Students list examples of each resource on page 80 and take a
digital photograph of each. PC PA
6. Return to the classroom and ask students to partner up with another pair and share their recorded
information and photographs. Then, using the brainstorm displayed on the interactive whiteboard,
ask students to share their recorded information about how these resources have been used
around the school. Add students’ suggestions to the class brainstorm. Note: Students may be
encouraged to print and attach their digital photographs to the brainstorm. E C
Reflection:
7. Give each student one card, either a ‘Resource’ card or a ‘Use’ card from the pre-prepared cards
on page 81. Without talking, students attempt to form groups to match the Earth’s resource to the
uses of that resource. Note: Depending on class size, students may be given just a ‘Use’ card with
‘Resource’ cards placed in various locations around the room. Students form groups of three at each
‘Resource’ card. When students have formed their groups, encourage them to share the name of
the Earth’s resource and the uses for that resource. PA C
Differentiation
• Less capable students may be given a familiar resource such as sun, air, water, soil/sand, plants
or animals. For students who need further support, a resource card from column one or an
easily-identifiable ‘Use’ card, such as those listed in column two on page 81 may be used
instead.
• More capable students may be given a less-familiar resource, such as minerals or fossil fuels, or
be given a more challenging ‘Use’ card, such as those listed in column four on page 81.
© R.I.C. Publications
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R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au 978-1-925431-95-7 YEAR Science:
2 A STEM APPROACH 79