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Understand the connection between raw materials found in nature and the jobs people do.
Have you ever wondered why some towns are famous for making cars, while others are known for growing giant pumpkins? The secret is hidden right under your feet!
Everything you use started as a natural resource. These are materials found in nature that humans use to survive or make things. Think of them as 'nature's ingredients.' Common resources include timber (trees), minerals (like iron or gold), fertile soil, and water. When people find a lot of one resource in an area, they start an industry. An industry is a group of businesses that turn raw materials into finished products. For example, a forest isn't just a place for birds; for a town, it is the start of the lumber industry.
Quick Check
What do we call the 'ingredients' found in nature that people use to make products?
Answer
Natural resources
The resources nearby decide what jobs people have. This is called regional geography. If you live near a large lake, you might see many people working as fishermen or boat captains. If you live near a mountain full of iron ore, many people might work as miners. These miners send the iron to a factory where other workers turn it into steel. Without the resource, the job wouldn't exist! This connection creates a 'chain' from the ground to the store.
Let's look at how a simple pencil is made using resources: 1. Resource: Cedar trees are grown in a forest. 2. Industry: The timber industry cuts the trees into wood slats. 3. Job: A factory worker uses a machine to glue 'lead' (graphite) into the wood. 4. Result: You have a pencil to write with!
Quick Check
If a town is surrounded by very rich, dark soil, what industry is most likely to be the main source of jobs?
Answer
Agriculture or Farming
What happens if the trees are all cut down or the iron mine goes empty? This is a big challenge for a town's economy. If the main resource disappears, the jobs often disappear too. This is why many towns try to protect their resources or find new ways to make money. Sometimes, a town might switch from a mining industry to a tourism industry by turning an old mine into a museum! Understanding resources helps us plan for the future of our communities.
Imagine a village that catches fish every day. 1. fish are sold to local families. 2. fish are sent to a canning factory. 3. The factory employs people. If the water gets polluted and they can only catch fish, the factory might have to close because there aren't enough fish to process. This shows how the resource () supports the jobs ().
A town called 'Ironville' has a large iron mine. 1. The mine provides raw iron to a local steel mill. 2. The steel mill provides metal to a car factory next door. 3. If the iron mine closes, explain the 'domino effect': The steel mill has no iron to melt, so it closes. Then, the car factory has no steel to build cars, so it might move away. One missing resource can change three different industries!
Which of these is a natural resource?
If a town is located in a thick forest, which job would be most common?
A change in the amount of a natural resource can affect how many jobs are available in a town.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, look around your kitchen. Try to name three items and guess which natural resource was used to make them.
Practice Activity
Draw a 'Resource Map' of an imaginary island. Place a forest, a mountain, and a river. Then, draw one building (like a factory or farm) next to each resource to show the industry it creates.