EARTH’S MATERIALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

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Natural Resources
A natural resource is a useful material that comes from the Earth. Natural resources can be
classified as non-renewable, renewable, or inexhaustible. People use natural resources to meet
their basic needs and to make their lives better.

People need natural resources for daily life. We use these resources to meet our basic needs, such
as the need for water or shelter. But we also use the resources to make things that make our lives
easier and better.

Some of Earth's resources are present in limited amounts. Other resources can be replaced almost
as fast as we use them. Still other kinds of resources can never be used up. These three kinds of
resources are called non-renewable resources, renewable resources, and inexhaustible resources.

Non-Renewable Resources
Metals, rocks, oil, and natural gas are non-renewable resources. Non-renewable resources can be
used up.

• Metals—We use metal to build homes and other buildings. We make cans to hold drinks
and food. We make cars and buses so we can go places. We make silverware to eat with.

We dig metal ore out of the Earth and use it to make steel for buildings, cars, and buses.

• Rocks—Rocks are earth materials, usually made of minerals. Rocks can be found in and
on Earth's crust. Many kinds of rocks are considered to be non-renewable resources
because they can take hundreds to millions of years to form. Rocks are used for building
roads, bridges, and buildings. Sand, which is a kind of rock, can be melted and processed
to make glass.

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Rocks are used to build many things, including bridges and buildings.

• Fossil fuels—Oil, coal, and natural gas are non-renewable resources. They are found
under the ground. They are made from plants and animals that died a very long time ago.
We call oil, coal, and natural gas fossil fuels because they are made from these dead
organisms.

We use oil to make plastics and synthetic (man-made) fibers to make clothing. We use
plastics to package new things—from food to toys to school supplies. We use at least some
plastic parts in televisions, cars, computers, and kitchen appliances. We also use oil,
natural gas, or other fossil fuels to heat homes, cook food, and to power cars and electrical
appliances.

The video below talks more about plastics and how they come from oil that is pumped
from the ground.

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Renewable Resources
Renewable resources can be replaced within a short time of when they are used. Water, sunlight,
plants, and animals are renewable resources.

• Water—Nearly all lifeforms on Earth need water in order to survive. Water is considered
a renewable resource because it is not destroyed with use. It is simply changed to a
different form.

Much of the water that people use for drinking and daily activities is pumped out of the

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ground or out of surface bodies of water, such as lakes. Sometimes, fresh water sources
like wells or lakes can run out of water because the water that was removed from them
travels to a different place.

Drinking water is usually pumped out of lakes or the ground. The old windmill shown on
the right pumps water when it turns.

• Sunlight—The Sun provides the Earth with light and heat energy. We use the light to see
during the daytime. The heat keeps most of the Earth at a temperature in which humans
and other animals can survive. Plants use the light energy to make food, which humans
and other animals eat for energy. The heat and light energy from the Sun is renewable, or
even inexhaustible because we cannot use it up.

The Sun constantly produces heat and light energy. Some of this energy reaches the
Earth's surface.

• Plants—Trees and plants are renewable because they can be regrown. We use trees to
make paper, lumber, firewood, and cardboard. People also get food from plants. Fruits,
vegetables, beans, and grains all come from plants or trees. Paper is used to make books so

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we can learn. It is used to make newspapers and magazines so we can find out what is
going on in the world around us. Lumber is used to build homes and other buildings.
Firewood is burned to heat homes. Cardboard is used to make boxes for shipping and
storing things.

We have to cut down trees to make paper, like the paper we use for books.

• Animals—Animals are renewable natural resources because they are able to reproduce.
People get many useful materials from animals. For example, they use chicken eggs,
feathers, and meat for food. They raise cows to get milk and meat that they use for food,
and to get leather they can use to make clothing, furniture, and other goods.

People raise animals on farms to get useful products from them.

Energy Resources
We use many different kinds of natural resources to produce electrical energy for powering the
machines we use in our daily lives. Some energy sources are renewable or inexhaustible natural
resources. Others are nonrenewable.

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We use energy for many things. It heats our homes. It makes our cars run. Many different kinds
of natural resources can be used to produce energy for these things. These different resources are
available on Earth in different amounts.

The resources that can be used up are called non-renewable. The resources that can be replaced
about as fast as we use them are renewable. Resources that cannot be used up, no matter how
much we use, are inexhaustible.

Nonrenewable Energy Sources

Most of the electrical energy we use is produced with non-renewable resources. Oil, coal, and
natural gas are non-renewable. They are found under the ground. They are made of decayed plant
and animal material. Oil, coal, and natural gas took millions of years to form, so these kinds of
fuels are called fossil fuels. Fossil fuels cause pollution when we burn them to create electrical
energy.

Oil is pumped out of the

Earth using rigs, like the one
shown here.

Renewable Energy
Sources
Energy produced from
moving water is a renewable
energy source. Moving water
has energy. This energy can
be used to make hydroelectric
power when it turns a
waterwheel or the blades of a
turbine.

While the amount of water on Earth will stay about the same, the amount of water in a particular
area can decrease due to drought or building of dams farther up the river. Therefore, energy from
water is renewable, but not inexhaustible.

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Hydroelectric plants
are built on rivers. As
river water moves
through the dam, the
water turns turbines.

Inexhaustible
Energy Sources
Some kinds of
renewable resources
are called
inexhaustible
resources because
there will always be
more of them, no
matter how much of
them we use. The wind,
the Sun, and ocean tides are considered to be inexhaustible sources of energy. We will not run out
of wind. We will not use up
the Sun. We cannot stop
the tides.

Energy is made from wind

when the wind turns the
blades on windmills or
turbines, such as the one
shown here.

The video talks about using falling water and sunlight as sources of energy. While these resources
are plentiful and not harmful to the environment, there are still some drawbacks to relying on
them completely.

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Plants & Animals as

Resources
Humans have basic needs that must be
met if the humans are to survive. These
needs include food, water, air, and
shelter. Humans meet their needs
through the use of natural resources, such
as plants and animals.

Plants and animals are natural resources

that humans use to help them to survive and to live more comfortably.

People depend on animals for

• food
• clothing
• transportation
• other useful products

People depend on plants for

• food
• clothing
• oxygen
• shelter
• other useful products

Food
Humans eat many meat products, such as beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. Meats are a good
source of protein. In addition, animals produce the milk we drink and the eggs that we eat.

Dairy cows, like the ones shown, are raised for their milk.

All plants get their energy from the Sun. Through a process called photosynthesis, they change
solar energy into chemical energy, such as sugars and other carbohydrates, that animals and
people can then use for food. Tomatoes, carrots, apples, oranges, broccoli, and lettuce are all
examples of foods that come from plants.

Cooking oil, like olive oil, vegetable oil or corn oil come from pressing parts of plants. Spices and
extracts like cinnamon, vanilla, and peppermint all come from plants too.

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Clothing
Humans also make clothing out of many
plant and animal products. The fibers from
plants like cotton and flax can be
manufactured into fabrics for clothing, such
as blue jeans and cotton shirts.

Many types of clothing are made out of

fabric that is made from cotton plants.

Transportation
Some of the first forms of human
transportation were animals. Whereas most
humans now rely on cars or buses for
transportation, animals such as horses used
to be a main way to travel.

Horse-drawn carriages were once a main

way to travel long distances.

Oxygen
Plants use energy from the Sun to transform
carbon dioxide and water into sugars. The waste product for this process is oxygen. The oxygen
that animals breathe is provided by plants. People could not live on Earth without the oxygen that
plants make.

Carbon and oxygen cycle through the atmosphere, the

materials that make up Earth's surface, and living
things.

Shelter
Most homes and other kinds of buildings that humans
use for shelter are made at least partly from wood,
which comes from trees.

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Lumber is what wood is called once it is ready for

building.

Animals and people depend on plants for shelter so

much that they generally do not live in areas where
there are few plants.

Other Useful Products

Many useful products have originally come from
plants or animals. For example, leather and wool
come from animals. Leather is made from animal skin
and is a tough material that is useful for making shoes, gloves, belts, coats, and bags.

Leather is flexible, strong, and resistant to water, which makes it a good material for making
shoes.

Wool is sometimes used for clothing, but it is also used for making blankets and other useful
items. Rubber tires, chewing gum, toilet paper, and certain medicines were all originally made
from plants. Rubber tires, rubber balls, and chewing gum can also be made out of synthetic
materials today, but they originally came from the rubber tree. Paper, paper towels, paper tissues
and toilet paper are made from the pulp, or ground up fibers, of trees.

Importance of Water
Water can be found in all three phases can be on Earth. Nearly all of Earth's life forms—
including humans—depend on water for survival.

Dependence of Life on Water

Almost two-thirds of the human body is made of water. Our bodies use water to produce blood, to
build healthy cells and organs, and to aid in body processes such as digestion. A human can live
weeks without food, but only a few days without water. It is important to drink water throughout
the day, but especially when it is hot and when you are exercising. Water is so important to
human survival that people may not build cities in places where water is not plentiful.

Water Use in Agriculture

Since plants need water in order to survive, the ability to provide
crop plants with enough water is important. Today, most farmers use
sprinklers to water, or irrigate their crops. Since irrigation allows
crops to be watered at any time, farmers are no longer dependent on
natural rainfall amounts to make sure the crops are healthy.

Farmers do not have to depend on rain. They can use automatic sprinkler systems.

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Water Use for Recreation

Many people use water for recreation,
or having fun. Water skiing, swimming,
scuba diving, boating, and fishing are
examples of using water for recreation.
Water skiing is just one way humans
use water for recreation.

Science &
Manufacturing
Scientific knowledge leads to new
technology and new materials. These things can help people do things they couldn't do before.

Earth Materials as Natural Resources

Earth has many natural resources, such as metal, water, wood, and fossil fuels. We can use these
resources to make our lives better if we know how to make them into what we need.

Natural resources, such as metal, water, wood, and fossil fuels can be made into useful products.

Science is the study of the natural world. We learn how to turn natural resources into new things
through science.

Science Leads to Technology

Things on Earth and in the rest of our universe behave according to certain scientific laws, such as
the law of gravity. The more we learn about the world through science, the more new technology
we can invent. This technology allows us to make and change things to improve our lives. For
example, we use technology to make products such as cars, clothes, computers, and medicines.

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Cars, clothes, computers, and medicines are all things we have made using technology and natural
resources.

Science & Manufacturing

When we make things from natural materials, it is called manufacturing. Products such as cars,
clothes, and computers can be manufactured only through technology invented using scientific
knowledge.

For example, we can manufacture medicines to help people feel better because science tells us how
different substances affect the body, how much of the substance a person should use, and which
diseases the substance might help the most.

Science helps in the manufacture of medicine by allowing us know which medicine helps which
disease and how much of the medicine people should take.

Manufacturing Changes Material Properties

Every object or material has physical properties that make it special. For example, rubber is
stretchy. Granite rock is hard.

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We learn about the properties of materials through science. We can measure the hardness of
something, or the stretchiness of something.

In manufacturing, we choose which natural materials to use based on the materials' properties and
what we want to do with the material. For instance, what material would we use if we needed
something to make car tires? We would use something soft, stretchy, and bendable, like rubber.

Some other examples of materials that can be made from natural resources are listed below:

• wood can be used to make pencils, paper, and desks

• clay can be used to make bricks for constructing buildings
• cotton can be used to make fabric for clothing
• leather made from animal skins can be used to make shoes and gloves
• iron and carbon can be used to make steel

One reason that we manufacture things is to give a natural material a different property. We
might do this by cutting the natural material, by heating it, or combining it with other materials.
For example, we might dye cotton cloth to get cloth of a different color, or we might combine
cotton with another kind of fiber to make stretchy fabric. We might combine carbon and iron to
make steel, which is very strong and resistant to rust.

Conservation of Resources
Reducing, reusing, and recycling helps us protect our environment and save natural resources.

Since nonrenewable resources are present on Earth only in limited amounts, it is important that
we use these resources carefully and that we use up as little as possible. Some ways we can save
resources are reducing, reusing, and recycling.

These resource-saving activities can also help protect the environment and reduce costs to
businesses. So, it is helpful to use them to reduce our use
of renewable resources as well.

When we throw things away, they are sent to a landfill.

For example, Americans use and throw away around 2
million plastic bottles every hour. These bottles could be
recycled instead. Things that can be reused or recycled
should not be thrown in the trash.

Reusing, reducing, and recycling can help keep landfills

from filling up too quickly.

Reducing
Reducing means using less of a natural resource and not making as much waste. One way to
reduce the amount of waste you make would be to use half a sheet of paper for school work
instead of a whole sheet.

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Other ways to reduce can be found in your lunch box. Instead of buying small bags of carrots,
chips, or cookies, you could buy a large bag and bring just a little each day in a container that you
can wash. Or, you could eat a piece of fruit, like an apple, that doesn't have a package.

Eating an apple instead of a bag of chips makes less plastic waste.

Working to cut down on the pollution put into air and water by factories, cars, and power plants
are other ways of reducing. Limiting the number of fish that can be caught each day and limiting
the number of ships that can fish each day are also ways of reducing. So is limiting the number of
buildings that can be built in a certain area, because this reduces the amount of habitat that is
destroyed.

Another word for protecting natural resources and reducing the amount of them we use is
conservation. Water is a natural resource that should be conserved. While our water supply is
usually kept at the same level by the precipitation step of the water cycle, people can pollute or
use up fresh water resources faster than they can be replaced by rain or snow. Some good ways to
reduce water use include taking shorter showers and turning off the faucet while you are brushing
your teeth.

Conserving fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, helps these resources last longer. It also helps reduce
the amount of pollution that burning them creates. One way to conserve fossil fuels is to ride a
bike to school instead of getting a ride in a car. Another way is to turn off the lights when you
leave a room.

Riding a bike to school or work instead

of taking a car can help to conserve fossil
fuels.

Land and clean air are other resources

that should be conserved. One way of
protecting and conserving land is to build
wind fences on beaches to keep the sand
dunes from blowing away. Air can be
cleaned by planting new trees, which
naturally improve air quality.

Reusing
Reusing can be using something in a different way than it was made for. For example, you could
use a glass jar that once held food to put extra change in.

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Another way of reusing is that you could write on the back of a used piece of paper instead of
writing on a new piece. Or, you could reuse things like string, paper, empty milk cartons, or
plastic bottles to make bird feeders or art projects. You could use old cardboard boxes to store
things in. Or, you could save leftover paint for use on another project. Reusing things helps us put
less trash in a landfill.

Recycling
Recycling is when you change something old so that you can make new things from it. Paper,
plastic, glass, and metals can all be recycled.

For example, you can recycle old paper to make new paper. That way, fewer trees need to be cut
down. The video talks about how recycling paper saves trees.

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Metal is another material that is good to recycle. You could recycle old soda cans to make new
cans. Metal is a non-renewable resource, so recycling metal helps supplies of metal to last longer
before they are used up.

Recycling can also reduce pollution, cut costs, and save energy. For example, making a new
product, such as new aluminum cans, from used recycled aluminum can be less expensive than
making it from aluminum metal ore. Also, using recycled aluminum helps reduce the need to mine
the metal ore, which reduces pollution caused by mining. Finally, getting the aluminum metal out
of the ore and making it into a form that can be used to make things uses a lot of energy. It takes
less energy to melt down old cans and reshape them into new ones.

Replacing
Resources that are renewable can be replaced. Planting
trees is an example of replacing a renewable resource.
When trees are cut down, new trees can be planted.

Young trees have been replanted and are growing on the

hill to replace the larger trees were cut down.

Resources can also be conserved by replacing non-

renewable ingredients in a product with ingredients from
a renewable resource. For example, oil-based fuels can be
replaced by fuel made from corn, which is a renewable
resource. Oil-based plastic that is used for making packing
materials can be replaced with corn-based materials.

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The small, white objects are

packing material used in shipping.
They can be made of plastic or
from corn.

Competition for Resources

Competition takes place when two or more organisms
within an ecosystem seek the same limited resource.
Organisms compete for resources such as food, water,
sunlight, and space.

The resources within an ecosystem are limited. Plants

and animals of the same species may have to compete for food, water, shelter, and space. If plants
or animals of different species need the same resources, they may also be forced to compete with
each other.

For example, trees in a forest compete for sunlight. As one tree grows taller, the shorter trees are
shaded by it, and they receive less sunlight. The shorter trees may die as a result.

The tall tree and the shorter trees in this picture are competing for sunlight.

Humans compete with other organisms for resources, just like plants and other animals do. For
example, mice feed on grain crops that humans use to make bread, cereal, and other products.
Mold grows on many types of human food and building materials. The starling, a type of bird,
often uses human-built structures for shelter. The birds damage the buildings with their
droppings.

Purple loosestrife is an invasive species in the U.S. Purple loosestrife is a semi-aquatic plant
which grows very fast and spreads quickly. Infestations of this plant can change water flow in
rivers and canals. It can also reduce the number of native plants and animals that can live in the
area.

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Zebra mussels are currently causing problems in North America where they are also considered
an invasive species. Zebra mussels have spread to a large number of waterways. There, they harm
ecosystems, beat out local kinds of mussels, and damage harbors, boats, and power plants.

Zebra mussels are a damaging invasive species.

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Earth Materials & Natural Resources

Question 1 .
Manufactured goods and products are made in a factory. Which of the following is a common manufactured
good?
A. rocks
B. fresh vegetables
C. silverware
D. a sea sponge

Question 2 .
Trees are a very valuable resource because they are used to make many different kinds of products. Trees
that grow quickly may be grown on farms, like in the picture below.

Which of the following products comes from trees?

A. plastics
B. steel
C. paper
D. gasoline

Question 3 .
Which picture shows a renewable resource that humans use for drinking?

W. X. Y. Z.
A. X
B. Z
C. Y
D. W

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Question 4 .
Which of the following affects how many people shop at an outdoor shopping mall?
A. soil type
B. water quality
C. temperature
D. coal

Question 5 .
To survive, humans need resources found on the Earth. Why is this true?
A. Humans could not have television without the resources of fuels and minerals.
B. Humans could not have cars without the resources of fuels and metals.
C. Humans could not eat, drink, and breathe without the resources of plants, water, and air.
D. all of these

Question 6 .
Which natural resource do humans and mice compete for?
A. iron
B. timber
C. grain
D. beef

Question 7 .
Newspapers, books, magazines, and notepads are all made from paper. Paper comes from trees, which is a
renewable resource.

In what way can you help conserve trees?

A. go hiking in forests
B. water the trees in your yard
C. recycle paper
D. cut down as many trees as possible

Question 8 .
Lyme disease is an infectious disease carried by the organism shown in the
picture. Identify this organism.
A. mosquito
B. tick
C. spider
D. cockroach

Question 9 .
How might a human use an animal as transportation?
A. Luis feeds the neighborhood cats every day.
B. Jenny rides a horse to get across town.
C. Kayla watches ducks swimming in a pond.
D. Jack and his dog run across a field.

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Question 10 . Which thing in the picture was made using technology and
is not found in nature?
A. human hair
B. grass
C. clothing
D. trees

Question 11 .
Sandra is learning about how some kinds of fiber and cloth come from plants. She
wonders if her favorite pair of bluejeans came from plants. Which of the following
best explains the way Sandra's jeans were made?

A. a farmer grew cotton → the cotton was sold to a jean company → the jean
company made the cotton into denim → the denim was sold to a clothing store →
the clothing store made the denim into jeans
B. a farmer grew cotton → the cotton was sold to a fabric factory → the fabric
factory made the cotton into denim → the denim was sold to a jean company → the
jean company made the denim into jeans
C. a farmer grew denim plants → the denim plants produced long rolls of denim →
a jean company bought the denim rolls and cut them into jeans → the jeans were
hung on racks in the store
D. a fabric company wove denim out of plastic → the denim was sold to a clothing company → the clothing
company used the denim to make jeans → the jeans were shipped to the store

Question 12 .
Many medicines, such as morphine and aspirin, are made from plants.

Making medicine from plants is an example of how humans

A. are not able to make use of plants in any way.
B. know very little about plants.
C. use plants as resources.
D. use plants in negative ways.

Question 13 .

Bricks are an important material for building strong walls.

What natural material are bricks made from?
A. coal
B. clay
C. wood
D. cotton

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Question 14 .
Nearly all agricultural products must be processed in some way before we can use them. What is a common
source for bread, rolls, and muffins?
A. wool
B. wheat
C. timber
D. pork

Question 15 .
Animals are used for meats such as beef, poultry, and pork. Animals are also used to make non-food
products.

Which of the following non-food products comes from an animal?

A. cork
B. rubber
C. plastic
D. leather

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Answers

1. C
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. C
6. C
7. C
8. B
9. B
10. C
11. B
12. C
13. B
14. B
15. D

Explanations

Fresh vegetables, rocks, and sea sponges are all things that you can find in nature. That means that
they are not manufactured. Most of the things you use in your home and at school are manufactured.
1.
For example, silverware, calculators, pens, clothes, processed foods, and books are all manufactured
products.
Trees are used for firewood, lumber for houses and furniture, and paper. Many trees are also useful for
2.
the fruits they produce, such as bananas, apples, and oranges.
Humans use Earth's resources to meet their needs for clothing, food, shelter, and transportation.
3.
Animals, trees, water, and sunlight are all renewable resources. Water, like the fountain in picture X, is
the only resource that humans can drink.
Human activities in a region are affected by environmental factors such as the presence and quality of
water, soil types, temperature, and precipitation.
4.
If the temperature is too hot or too cold, fewer people will want to go outside for activities such as
shopping, playing or watching sports, or walking.
All life, including human civilization, is dependent on Earth's water and natural resources. The most
basic needs for human survival are eating, drinking, and breathing. So, humans need the resources of
5. plants, water, and air in order to survive.

Fuels, metals, and minerals are very useful for technology and improving the quality of human life.
Humans use grain as a food source, and mice also use grain as a food source. When grain is planted as a
6.
crop, mice are pests that can consume the grain.
Recycling paper help to make sure that fewer trees have to be cut down in order to supply the United
7. States with all the paper it needs. Recycled paper can be made into newspaper, stationery, toilet tissue,
and notepads, among other things.
Lyme disease is carried by ticks. The disease has many signs and symptoms, including skin signs,
arthritis and/or various neurological symptoms. Conventional therapy is with antibiotics. People who
8.
suspect they have been exposed to Lyme disease should consult a doctor with knowledge of the disease
immediately.

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Jenny riding a horse to get across town is an example of how a human can use an animal for
transportation.
9.
Humans also use animals for food, companionship, and to make clothing.
There are many things in this picture that were made using technology and are not found in nature.
Here is a list of some of them.

• books
• bench
• buildings
10.
• hair ties
• clothing

Technology allows people to solve problems, such as how to make clothes to protect themselves and
stay warm.
Most products that you use in your everyday life come from plants and animals. Jeans are a type of
clothing made from a fabric called denim. Denim is woven from cotton fibers. Cotton is a type of plant
that is grown by many American farmers.
11.
The process by which cotton is made into jeans is best described by the following:

a farmer grew cotton → the cotton was sold to a fabric factory → the fabric factory made the cotton
into denim → the denim was sold to a jean company → the jean company made the denim into jeans
The manufacture of medicine from plants is an example of how humans use plants as resources.

Other examples of how humans use plants as resources include:

12. • constructing homes and buildings from wood

• making clothing from fibers produced by the cotton plant
• eating plants for food
• growing plants for decoration

Clay is a type of sticky soil. It is not very strong in its natural form, but it can be processed to make
13.
bricks, which are used to make strong walls.
Wheat is processed into bread, rolls, and muffins. The wheat goes through a series of rollers and sifters
14. until it is fine enough for flour. After it has been ground into flour, it goes through another stage of
processing where it is mixed with other ingredients and baked into bread or other baked goods.
Rubber and cork come from different trees. Plastic is made from petroleum. Leather comes from the
15.
dried skins of animals. For example, leather wallets, jackets, and gloves come from cow skin.

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