The Earth's Natural Resources, Materials and Recycling

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• Chemistry
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Earth's Resources

This KS3 chemistry lesson explores Earth’s Natural Resources, Materials and Recycling. Students explore finite and renewable resources, the extraction and use of raw materials, and how reuse and recycling can reduce environmental impact. It provides a clear introduction to the topic and can be used for classroom teaching, homework or revision.

Earth's Resources, KS3 Science, Chemistry, Earth and Atmosphere, Finite Resources, Renewable Resources, Sustainability, Recycling, Life-Cycle Assessment, Metal Extraction, Raw Materials, MCQs, Open Questions, Polls, Emoji Polls, Exit Tickets

What are some resources you can think of that the Earth has naturally?

Use this to surface prior knowledge such as metals, oil, water, mining, energy, pollution and building materials. Invite students to notice which ideas are about types, uses or problems.

What are Earth resources?

• Earth resources are natural materials taken from the Earth's crust, oceans or atmosphere

• They include metal ores, fossil fuels, water and mineral resources

• People use them for energy, building, manufacturing and daily life

• Their usefulness depends on how much is available and how easy it is to extract

Keep the chemistry focus on substances and materials rather than on social or economic policy.

Main types of resource

• Metal ores: rocks containing useful metals such as copper

• Fossil fuels: crude oil and natural gas used as fuels and feedstocks

• Water: essential for life, farming and industry

• Mineral resources: substances such as limestone used in construction and manufacture

Why resources are not evenly spread

Earth resources are found where geological processes formed or concentrated them. Some areas have rich metal ores, some have oil and gas traps, and others have large deposits of useful rocks such as limestone. This uneven distribution affects where extraction takes place.

Link concentration to the idea that a material is only worth extracting if the useful substance is present in high enough amounts.

Formation and concentration

• Metal ores form when geological processes concentrate metal compounds in rocks

• Crude oil and natural gas form from the remains of ancient organisms over millions of years

• Limestone forms from sedimentary processes and becomes concentrated in rock layers

• A resource is more useful when it is concentrated enough to extract economically

How resources are extracted

• Mining removes ores from underground or open pits

• Drilling brings up crude oil and natural gas from deep rock layers

• Quarrying removes large amounts of rock such as limestone from the surface

Stress that different resources need different extraction methods because they occur in different forms and locations.

Why are Earth resources not evenly spread?

A

They form in different places

B

They move with weather

C

They are made by humans

D

They all dissolve in water

Checks understanding from slides 2–5 that geological processes form or concentrate resources in particular locations.

Mining metal ores

• Metal ores are rocks containing enough metal compound to make extraction worthwhile

• Copper ores are mined from deposits in the crust

• The ore is removed, crushed and processed to obtain the metal

• Lower-grade ores need more energy and more rock to be processed

A common misconception is that ores are pure metal. Remind students that the metal is usually chemically combined in the rock.

Drilling for oil and gas

• Wells are drilled into rock layers containing crude oil or natural gas

• These fuels are pumped to the surface for processing and transport

• They are valuable because they provide energy and useful chemical feedstocks

Quarrying limestone

• Limestone is extracted by quarrying

• It is used to make cement, for building stone, and in some industrial processes

• Because it is a bulk material, large volumes are usually removed near the surface

Renewable or non-renewable?

• Renewable resources are replaced naturally fast enough to be used again

• Non-renewable resources form so slowly that they are not replaced on a human timescale

• Many metal ores and fossil fuels are non-renewable

• Water can be renewable when natural cycles replace it

Students may think renewable means unlimited. Clarify that a renewable resource can still be overused locally.

Availability matters

The availability of a resource depends on more than whether it exists. Scientists and industries must consider how concentrated it is, how easy it is to extract, how much energy is needed, and whether extraction causes major environmental damage.

This is the chemistry idea of balance: useful yield versus energy cost and environmental cost.

Which method is used to extract limestone?

A

Drilling

B

Smelting

C

Quarrying

D

Mining

Smelting is a plausible misconception because students may confuse extraction with processing.

What decides if a resource is worth extracting?

Students should explain that availability depends on concentration, ease of extraction, energy needed and environmental damage, not just whether the resource exists.

Uses of metal ores

• Metals from ores are used in wires, pipes, buildings, vehicles and electronics

• Copper is important because it conducts electricity well

• Extracted metals are key raw materials for modern industry

Uses of crude oil and gas

• Burned as fuels for heating, transport and electricity generation

• Used as feedstocks to make many chemicals and materials

• Natural gas is also used in industry and homes

If useful, mention that 'feedstock' means a starting material used to make other substances.

Uses of limestone and water

• Limestone is used in building materials and cement manufacture

• Water is needed for drinking, washing, farming and many industrial processes

• Both are essential resources in everyday life, even though they are used in different ways

Environmental impacts of extraction

• Mining, drilling and quarrying can destroy habitats

• Large extraction sites change landscapes and remove vegetation

• Transport and processing can add further environmental pressure

Keep the focus on the physical effects of extracting materials from the Earth.

Pollution from resource use

• Extraction can pollute air, water and soil

• Burning fossil fuels releases pollutants and carbon dioxide

• Processing ores and rocks can produce waste and dust

• Pollution can affect both ecosystems and human health

Resource depletion

Non-renewable resources are finite. As richer deposits are used up, extraction may move to lower-grade ores or harder to reach fuels. This usually means more energy, more cost and often greater environmental impact for each useful amount obtained.

This links availability, exploitation and environmental issues into one idea.

Examples: copper, oil and limestone

• Copper ores: useful for electrical wiring, but mining and processing can damage land and create waste

• Crude oil and natural gas: valuable fuels and feedstocks, but drilling and burning cause pollution

• Limestone: important for cement and construction, but quarrying can scar landscapes and destroy habitats

Why is copper widely used in electrical wiring?

A

It is easy to quarry

B

It conducts electricity well

C

It is a renewable metal

D

It forms near the surface

Which environmental issue seems most serious to you?

1

Habitat loss

2

Air pollution

3

Water pollution

4

Resource depletion

How good do you feel your understand is of the resources on Earth?

Glossary 1

Earth resource - a natural material obtained from the Earth and used by people

metal ore - a rock containing enough metal compound to make extraction worthwhile

fossil fuel - a fuel formed from ancient biological material, such as crude oil or natural gas

mineral resource - a useful naturally occurring substance from the Earth, such as limestone

mining - extracting ores or other materials from the ground

drilling - making deep wells to remove resources such as oil or natural gas

quarrying - extracting surface rock, such as limestone, from large open sites

Glossary 2

renewable resource - a resource replaced naturally fast enough to be used again

non-renewable resource - a resource that is not replaced on a human timescale

resource depletion - the reduction of a resource as it is used up

feedstock - a starting material used to make useful products

habitat destruction - damage to the natural home of plants and animals

pollution - harmful substances released into the environment