Virginia SOL 6.9.b

Science6th GradeEarth Resources

The Standard

renewable and nonrenewable resources can be managed

Virginia Standards of Learning for Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students compare ways people use, conserve, and replace natural resources. They explain how choices such as recycling, reduced use, and careful extraction affect future supplies.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can propose a practical management plan for a resource and support it with evidence. They can explain tradeoffs involving supply, cost, environmental effects, and replacement time.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think renewable resources never run out or that nonrenewable resources cannot be conserved. They may also assume recycling creates no waste or environmental cost.
How to Assess It: Give students a town facing a water shortage and declining coal supply. Ask them to recommend one management action for each resource and explain why it helps.

Lesson moves

Give groups tokens representing water, timber, coal, and soil, then run several use-and-replacement rounds to track changing supplies.
Ask students to write which school resource should be conserved first, then defend their choice using supply and environmental effects.
Play a resource budget game where teams choose conservation, recycling, extraction, or replacement actions while meeting a town's energy needs.
Examine the school electricity bill and create a three-step plan to reduce energy use without disrupting classes.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6.9.b, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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