Guiding Spaceship Earth: Sustainability
Using the planet wisely: what sustainability means, the difference between finite and renewable resources, and how burning fossil fuels drives the greenhouse effect and climate change.
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Guiding Spaceship Earth 🌍
The Earth has limited resources, so we must use them wisely. Sustainability means meeting our needs today without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs. This module looks at Earth resources, the difference between finite and renewable resources, and how burning fossil fuels affects the atmosphere and the climate.
Words for sustainability 🔑
Learn these four terms before you explore the ideas.
Finite and renewable 🆚
Earth resources fall into two broad kinds.
Grade 9 thinking 💡
To reach the top grades, explain the mechanism, such as how extra carbon dioxide traps heat and warms the climate, and weigh the costs and benefits of a sustainable choice.
Match the term to its meaning 🔗
- sustainability
- finite resource
- renewable resource
- greenhouse effect
- meeting our needs without harming future generations
- a resource that will run out, like a fossil fuel
- a resource that can be replaced, like timber
- gases trapping heat in the atmosphere
Match the example to its idea 🧩
- recycling
- carbon dioxide
- the water cycle
- a metal ore
- turning old materials into new products
- a greenhouse gas released by burning fuels
- how water is naturally replaced
- a finite resource dug from the ground
What is sustainability? ❓
What does sustainability mean?
- Meeting our needs without harming future generations.
- Using up resources as fast as possible.
- Never using any resources at all.
Renewable resources ✅
Select the TWO renewable resources.
- Timber from managed forests.
- Solar energy.
- Coal.
- Iron ore.
Order the greenhouse effect 🪜
An interactive activity.
Summarise the ideas 📝
_____ means meeting our needs without harming future generations. A _____ resource, like coal, will run out, while a _____ resource, like timber, can be replaced. We can save resources by reduce, reuse and _____. Burning fossil fuels adds carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes climate _____.
Count the Rs 🔢
An interactive activity.
Spot the two renewables 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Reduce, reuse or recycle? 🧭
An interactive activity.
Make it sustainable ✍️
An interactive activity.